Muy interesting interview from Fassone with
Il Sole 24 Ore. Basically his first interview since last summer. It throws a little bit of light in that shady-awkward situation Yonghong Li created:
On the board of directors:
"I believe that Milan was led by an excellent board of directors: There were Roberto Cappelli, Marco Patuano and Paolo Scaroni, from which two are still present in the new board. All decisions were taken unanimously. We were not friends, but almost."
On the loss of 126 millions:
"Under my management, compared to 2016-17, we have made 20 million more revenues and 50 million more margin. The 126 million loss includes 45 million extraordinary components which where not in the budget during my management:
22 millions are due to devaluations of players such as Kalinic and Bacca who were sold after my departure, 17.5 millions due to provisions for me and 5 other managers who left the club, salaries of the players from the second team which was abandoned after my departure and the rest to set aside for a possible UUEFA fine.
Without these 45 million write-downs and provisions, I would have closed the balance with a loss of 81-82 million, which would have been better by 10 millions than the initial business plan.The costs have increased for the salaries of the players and for the Uefa trips, which were not there in the year before without Europe. The other general costs decreased by 6 millions. In any case, the value of today's roaster is much higher than the one of June 2016."
On the business plan developed by Fassone and being too optimistic:
"Surely the values shown in the Chinese market revenue plan were too optimistic. President Yonghong Li was convinced that he could hit those targets. As we have seen, China has given zero, but we managed to almost compensate the missing incomings with stadium revenues and above all capital gains: 35 million in last year's summer campaign, giving Niang to Torino and Lapadula to Genoa. In the end, we were overall 6 millions lower. Nevertheless, excluding China, the result was significantly better than the budget forseen in the business plan."
However, UEFA denied the businessplan more than once:
"All I can say is that TAS has denied the UEFA theses and defined the business plan forecasts accurate and reachable and indicated that the management was correct."
On Yonghong Li and his disappearance:
"I've never seen him again. Sometimes I hear his right-hand man David Li. I do not know where the money came from to buy the club. I don't know if it was his own or borrowed. However the most prestigious advisors were involved in the operation with Fininvest: from Lazard and Rothschild to Gianni Origoni Grippo Cappelli. Why should I doubt?"
How Li lost the club in the end:
"In the Board of Directors it was decided that, should the Chinese revenues not arrive, Mr. Li would have to make capital increases totaling 120 million. As time went by, it became obvious that the Chinese revenues would not arrive. Mr. Li had already put another 88 million into the club. To meet the agreements, there were those infamous 32 millions left. In the end, Mr. Li preferred to default, and Elliott anticipated the money as agreed. It surprised me too."
Between Milan and Marco Fassone the dispute is still open:
"At Milan I was general manager. I don't want to comment the numbers, but if I had accepted what was proposed by Milan (about 2 million euros), knowing that the agreements were different, I would have given the impression that I had left the club with something to hide. So I refused. In the end the judge will decide."
At the end, the market bomb:
"Misterr Li wanted Cristiano Ronaldo because he believed he had a great strength on the Chinese market. The player wanted to leave Madrid, and we met in July 2017 with his attorney Mendes, to check the costs and availability of the player. Then I persuaded Mr. Li to let go of the dream, because Ronaldo was too expensive."
