AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale admits it's almost impossible for Serie A to compete with the financial power of the Premier League.
Cardinale, speaking with the Varsity podcast, declared buying and running Milan is the toughest challenge he's faced.
He said, "It's probably the hardest thing I've ever done. It's challenging because the ecosystem I operate in is very resistant to change. But that's also the investment thesis.
"In three years of owning AC Milan, we've been cash flow positive for the first time in 17 years. And I'm not keeping that money for myself—I'm reinvesting it in the team.
"We spent more than any other Serie A team in the last summer transfer window. We're building a new stadium. Not to pocket money, but to transform AC Milan's financial profile and bring it to the level of Premier League teams."
And on competing with the Premier League, Cardinale also said: "The real competition isn't the other 19 Serie A teams: it's the Premier League. That's an economic black hole that drains wealth from the continent.
"They have almost four times the TV revenue of other European leagues—and that's a problem. Yet, in Serie A, the last team can beat the first on any given day. It's the most competitive league, but we don't get paid for it.
"We can't get significant deals for international rights. Why? Because distributors only want 'the best,' hence the Super League phenomenon. In the United States, no one wants to see Cagliari versus Lecce, and that's a problem. Competition is the essence of sport, but it's not rewarded financially."