[Rossoneri7]

Hello friends,


I was recently working on a project with two institutions to bring AC Milan’s Junior Camp to Kuwait (for ages 6 to 16). Today, we have almost 150 kids signed up, and showing good potential. Some of which might be recruited to Milan’s Youth project. This is great, considering the exposure Milan has on the global spectrum of football and for which it has allocated several Junior Camps in each continent. The same supports the premise of Galliani’s statements in ‘Milan is focusing on its youth’s sector to build for the future’.

And given Berlusconi’s words post our Arsenal match (early 2008), whereby he showed his fondness of how Arsenal is run both as a business and as a club. And for which initiated the era we are in today.

With the above in mind, I started to research into Milan’s financial capacity and how well it has been doing thus far with the new project, only to find myself consumed with so much material for which I wanted to make sense out of … After several hours, I found myself doing an analysis on what Financial state we are in.

Above all, keep in mind that the club will no longer be run the way it has for two and a half decades. Instead, it is being carved from the inside out to be self sufficient and capable of standing on its own.






Below are my findings:

AC Milan is known as a marketing patent, while the entity as a whole is known as Milan Group. As the same holds Subsidiary & Affiliate Companies. Simplified description of the same furnished below:

(IMG:http://media6.dropshots.com/photos/106239/20100728/030747.jpg)

Affiliates:
Milan Group has two affiliates in Consorzio San Siro 2000 with a Capital of EUR 1MM & Asansiro S.r.I with a Capital of EUR 20M; of which Milan Group owns 50% & 45% respectively.


AC Milan’s Financial Findings for 2009, 2008, & 2007:

NOTE: All figures are in EUR 000’s.
NOTE2: 2009 Financials have not been furnished yet. However, we do have highlights on the same.


(IMG:http://media6.dropshots.com/photos/106239/20100728/033315.jpg)

Milan Group Financial Highlights for 2009:
Milan Group recorded an increase in Revenues by 37.7%, hence EUR 327.6MM vs. EUR 237.9MM in 2009 & 2008 respectively.
Milan Group carry’s an Operating Cost of EUR 310.9MM.

Milan Group’s Revenue for 2009 was supported by the sale of Kaka, contributing to EUR 66MM and hence representing approx. 20% of total Revenue for the period.

Milan Group carry’s on average EUR 300MM in Operational Costs, dedicated to sustain Company’s activities within a year. Hence, Milan Group needs to generate Revenues over EUR 300MM to remain consistent with its costs.

Keeping the above in mind, and considering Kaka’s sale improved Milan Group’s top-line by 20%, it is forecasted that 2010 will generate drastically lower Revenues. The same could be mitigated if Milan group sells its more accomplished players in order to meet an Operating Cost of approx. EUR 300MM.

Other Major Costs are as follows:

Wages & Salaries EUR 171MM
Amortization of Intangible Fixed Assets EUR 41MM
Specific Charges for away matches (Serie A) EUR 21MM
Finance Charges EUR 13MM

Furthermore, Serie A clubs will be sanctioned by the Melandri-Gentiloni law, which will be in place starting from 2010/2011 season and for which stipulates the distribution of Television Rights. Furnished below is a breakdown of the same:

40% will be distributed equally between all 20 Serie A clubs
25% will be divided up based on number of fans
5% on the population of the club’s city
5% based on the classification achieved on the current year
15% on the classification achieved in the last 5 championships
10% club’s historical sporting result starting from 1946/1947 season and up till the 6th football season before the current one.


Balance Sheet Analysis:

(IMG:http://media7.dropshots.com/photos/106239/20100728/030856.jpg)

Assets Analysis:

Receivable contribute to 51.4% of Total Assets totaling EUR 167MM in absolute terms. The biggest items are receivables from clubs purchasing our players @ EUR 33.5MM.
Milan Group has mitigated Receivables risk by putting in place a series of procedures in order to minimize the risk of the same. Specifically, receivables from Italian Clubs are guaranteed through the “Compensation Provision’ mechanism of the ‘National professional Football Clubs’ League. The receivables from Foreign football clubs are largely guaranteed by Bank securities (i.e. LG’s) or other types of Guarantees given by these clubs themselves. Receivables relative to fees coming from the negotiation of contracts for television rights are guaranteed by bank securities that are given by the customers involved in the negotiations. Lastly, any receivables that are not covered by guarantees are constantly monitored so that any eventual credit risks can be managed and covered through postings to a specific bad debts reserve.


Tangible Fixed Assets contribute to 32.8% of Total Assets totaling EUR 106.8MM in absolute terms. The biggest item is the multi-year rights to football players’ services (ie our players value) @ EUR 88.2MM.

Liabilities Analysis:

Milan Group’s Borrowings/Debt fund its assets by 80.4% translating to EUR 261.8MM in 2008, an increase of 23% from 2007 levels (EUR 212.8MM). In other words Milan Group is very much dependent on bank & other financial institutions to finance its assets, the sale of Kaka reduced Milan Group's Borrowings by 25%.
Notable to mention, Fininvest S.p.A. (Parent Company) supports Milan Group by way of comfort letters towards the financiers of value EUR 329.9MM. Moreover, Milan Group’s debt instruments all carry a contractual due date, and as such Milan Group has set aside an SPV (Special Purpose Vehicle) to pay them off with an average yield of 6.25%.

Milan Group’s Equity has been hit hard, due in most part to the losses sustained over the years. Had this been any random organization, it would have been bankrupt years ago.



Summary:

Revenues increased in 2009 against 2008 by 37.7%, this due in most part to the sale of Kaka.

Milan Group carries an Operating Cost, on average, of EUR 300MM. This figure is clearly not covered by Revenues, and hence a burden lies on the management to cover that expense.

Milan Group's debt structure stands @ 80% of Total Assets. Such a figure would mean the organization as a whole should be bankrupt. Yet it is being backed by Fininvest S.p.A. (Parent Company) by giving financial guarantees to Milan Group's banks & financiers of up to EUR 329.9MM.

[Jack Sparrow]

I posted it somewhere else but I think Arsenal, Milan and the German clubs are really gonna be the big guns of the future.

The others have put themselves into a position where they need to win to keep things on an even keel. To win, they need to spend on players, to spend on players they need money, to keep getting money, they need to win.

Inter's in a crucial period. Man U might struggle post Fergie. Chelsea? Well they're trying...but their youth are not as good as they'd like it to be.