Before Silvio Berlusconi bought AC Milan in 1986, the team almost went bankrupt. Berlusconi turned Milan into a European powerhouse and a huge media enterprise. In two decades, they won everything and went everywhere.But that was when he spent the money. And he often spent a lot of it when there was an electioncoming up.Now that he is out of office, ousted from Italian parliament following a tax fraud conviction, it is no coincidence that the money is no longer there.And neither are the trophies. Milan have gone three years without winning any major silverware. They have closed the chequebook. Financial fair play is the reason (read: excuse) for their tighter measures.Berlusconi's holding company, Fininvest, controls Milan, and if they will not spendnot necessarily as they once did but as a big club shouldthen they have to think about selling the team.Milan were saved by a rich politician with aims of greater glory in the '80s. Someone else may have to save them this time.Too many times over the past few years has CEO Adriano Galliani bargained for players on the discount rack: a free transfer, a loan with the option to buy or a swap deal. And Milan continued to sell their best players. It is costing them more to make up for all of the subsequent losses on the field. Sitting out of the Champions League this season is costing them tens of millionsor the sum of selling Thiago Silva, who could have been a great captain, in 2012.Milan have tried every back door in Europe for a good deal. They're the biggest "scavengers" in world football, as PalermoPresident Maurizio Zamparini called them in an interview with Radio Sportiva (h/t Football Italia).Galliani did pull off some heists. He nabbed current captain Riccardo Montolivo for free, and on the last transfer deadline, Galliani tidied up a 7 million deal for the promising Giacomo Bonaventura after a previous move collapsed.The 70-year-old has been working this job for almost three decades. He has allies in the right places.But it's still so sad to see a seven-time European champion rummaging for players. It's impossible for Milan to compete with Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain in the market.The stars they do have can't even stay under contract.For months now, Milan have struggled to sign their midfield engine, Nigel de Jong, to an extension. De Jong averages the third-most interceptions per game (4.0) in Serie A this season, according to WhoScored.com.It's going to be hard for Milan to attract good players if they can't keep their own for more than a few years at a time.Before all of this belt-tighetning, Milan could keep a core roster for years on end. Now, they're changing almost every seasonand almost every game.The San Siro is rarely full anymore. Only the biggest of games bring the people in. The Rossoneri by themselves are not strong enough to fill a 80,000-strong stadium. Part of that is the lingering effect of the economy in Italy, but a big reason for the empty seats is the lack of a good draw.It looks awful on TVnot just rows, but whole sections abandoned. On some days, it's like they're playing in a big warehouse.San Siro is too big for Milan (and Italy) these days. So maybe above everything else on the list of prioritiesa new owner, a good set of players,more sponsorsis a new stadium, and one is in the works.The city has already accepted a proposal, according to a recent report in La Gazzetta dello Sport (h/t AFP, viaYahoo Sports), and next year, Milan could start building a 42,000-capacity arena next to their new headquarters in the Fiera region.It would have a commercial concourse, and it would follow the blueprint of Allianz Arena in Munich and Juventus Stadium in Torino, "where the proximity of fans to the pitch and special sound-enhancing panels help create an intimate and intense atmosphere," writes AFP.Daughter Barbara Berlusconi is the driving force behind the new stadium, and maybe this is one step closer to some kind of future.Milan have to decide what they want to be: a club with a history of winning or a club that is winning. This is no time to rest on accomplishments. A good bargain is noble. Money is better. A real plan is the best.
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