As AC Milan looks to overcome record financial losses and its worst league start in eight decades Christian Pulisic Jersey , the club’s strategy for returning to the top of world football consists of investing in youth, according to chief executive Ivan Gazidis.Financially-troubled Milan reported a deficit of 145.9 million euros ($161.2 million) the worst in the club’s history from its first season under the ownership of American hedge fund Elliott Management.The situation on the pitch is bleak as well, as Milan’s worst start in 81 years saw the dismissal of coach Marco Giampaolo, who had only been hired in the offseason. He was replaced by Stefano Pioli last month.Milan has fallen a long way since the heady days of the late 1980s to 1990s when it was one of the most feared teams in Europe, winning six Serie A titles and three European Cups.It hasn’t even played in the Champions League since the 2013-14 season and Sunday’s loss to Roma its fifth defeat in nine matches left it 12th in Serie A, just three points off the relegation zone.At a shareholder’s meeting on Monday, Gazidis said the club plans to turn things around by focusing on youth.“We have a clear strategy,” said the former Arsenal CEO. “It is to invest in younger players whose best years are ahead of them who can develop with us into top class players … we now have the youngest team in the league.“While this is an important part of the strategy it does not preclude investing also in experienced leaders who can help guide our young players as they grow and develop.”Elliott took control of Milan last year after the club’s former Chinese-led consortium missed a deadline to repay part of a loan worth more than 300 million euros ($350 million), that it had used to purchase the club from former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi for $800 million in April 2017.Although Milan is a seven-time European champion, its finances have taken a hit during a six-year failure to qualify for the Champions League.The club was banned from this season’s Europa League because of UEFA financial fair play breaches.“Because of the inherited losses of the club https://www.thetopsoccer.com/usa/timothy-weah-jersey , we brought to a close historical FFP breaches by accepting a ban from the Europa League, which was especially painful for a club with the European history of Milan,” Gazidis said. “We know we will have to bring the club into line with FFP, while at the same time improving on field performance … This requires us to bring costs under control, while improving the team over time, a task which is not easy or simple.”Gazidis said the club is working on increasing Milan’s commercial capability. It has already started investing in the digital world and is also building a commercial team to increase its revenue from merchandising as well as focusing on securing more sponsorship.“I believe in the importance and the beauty of this project, to restore Milan as a progressive beacon of football around the world, Gazidis said. “I’m not foolish enough to think that it will be quick or easy, and I don’t believe that any of you are either … I understand the doubts, I know that there have been false dawns before and that patience is difficult.” Gareth Bale’s future is once again in doubt.The Welsh winger traveled to London with the permission of Real Madrid to see his agent this week Michael Bradley Jersey , reigniting speculation about a possible departure after coach Zinedine Zidane said in July it would best for the player and the club to part ways.Zidane has since backtracked and said Bale is an important player for him, but the damage was done to the public image of their relationship.Bale was in the British capital on Tuesday and Spanish television broadcaster Cuatro filmed him arriving to see his agent, Jonathan Barnett. Barnett told Cuatro that their meeting was “private.”When asked if Bale was happy at Madrid, Barnett said: “Ecstatic.”Bale did not answer questions from journalists at the airport.Bale has missed three matches with a left calf injury he picked up in a European Championship qualifier with Wales more than two weeks ago. Zidane did not include Bale in his lineup for Wednesday’s 5-0 win over Leganés.Zidane also dropped the Welshman him from his squad for two matches before he was injured. Otherwise, he has scored two goals both in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal in seven appearances this season.“A lot of things are said and we think that Bale is a player who is here, who puts in a lot of effort and trains well,” Zidane said Tuesday. “He’s important for this squad and for the club. When he’s not available, he’s not available because he’s got something and that’s it.”Zidane said Bale had not told him why he needed to go to London and had received permission to do so directly from the club.“He’s never talked about leaving,” Zidane said. “He stayed in the summer and it’s better for everyone. He’s here and he’s happy to be here. It’s impossible to lose the desire. I don’t think about offers coming in.”Those words of support contrast with Zidane’s statements during the offseason when he said the club was close to transferring Bale and that it would be “the best for everyone.”That move never materialized. There were rumors of a Chinese club willing to match or improve his annual salary of 15 million euros ($16.6 million). The other clubs, particularly the richest English teams DeAndre Yedlin Jersey , were considered the most likely candidates to offer a new destination for Bale.Madrid paid a then world-record 100 million euros (then $132 million) for Bale to pry him from Tottenham in 2013. He has delivered some amazing goals on the biggest stages. He romped down the field to score the late winner against Barcelona in the 2014 Copa del Rey, and his stunning bicycle kick for the first of his two goals in the 2018 Champions League final victory over Liverpool is one Madrid’s faithful will never forget.Otherwise, his stint at Madrid has been plagued by nagging injuries and many fans have lost patience with his regularly uninspired performances.Bale had his opportunity to claim the status as Madrid’s leader when Cristiano Ronaldo left for Juventus. Instead, he and the rest of his teammates have failed to replace the Portugal forward’s missing goals.Now, following his London excursion, the pressure is back on Bale and Madrid to clarify their plans with the transfer window opening in two months.
