Shirt revenue, an academy and ethical dilemmas: Milan's new partnership with DRC [Bonus Article]

Although expected for some time, it was confirmed in recent days that AC Milan have entered into an agreement with the government of the Democratic Republic of Congo. In addition to the logo being visible on the back of the Rossoneri’s shirt, an academy will also be launched in the country, among various other things.

The partnership certainly sounds intriguing, and not just for positive reasons which we shall get into. In any case, the scope of the agreement was confirmed by DRC’s Ministry of Tourism a few days ago and it’s a lot more than just a shirt sponsorship. From a Fondazione Milan-led football academy to strengthening relations between DCR and Italy, it’s indeed a fully-fledged partnership.

However, even without really knowing much about the current situation in DRC, the consensus is that this deal will be relatively tough to defend. Milan are taking valuable resources from a government that could do with improving the living standards of its population first, while also lobbying for tourism despite many Ministries of Foreign Affairs advising against travel to the country.

There is a lot to dissect, in other words, and we will do our best below by mainly discussing what the partnership entails, how it boosts Milan’s revenue and what the ethical dilemmas are.

Reading time: Around 8 minutes (1700+ words)