Our approach to sustainability

Club principles 


Winning mentality, excellence, generosity and responsibility are values which form part of the AC Milan Group’s DNA – values that we wish to share with all our stakeholders.

We firmly believe that living and working with these principles in mind is the key to achieving success in sport and life in general.



Our strategy

For the fourth year running, we have spent the past season evaluating and planning the activities of the AC Milan Group.

We have worked with all our stakeholders and across the Club in order to ensure we continue our progress towards a more sustainable management model for all our activities.

This edition takes a different approach in that it focuses attention on the typical activities the Group applies its principles and values to on a daily basis – activities which constitute the key focus of our approach to sustainability.

For this reason, the content of this edition of the Sustainability Report has been organised into the following sections:

Entertainment
The passion of our fans in Italy and around the world spurs us on to achieve our ambitious objectives. In recognition of this, we offer our supporters a whole host of initiatives and services for their entertainment. We are aware that we represent one of the great sporting institutions in Milan, Italy and the world. For this reason, we strive to strengthen our bond with the fans every year through special activities at Casa Milan, the stadium, our training grounds and on our digital channels.
Football activity
The footballers are one of the most important components of our Club so we invest in their development to create a team that is physically and mentally prepared to deal with the challenges of the modern game. This is aided by a tried and tested educational model which we apply in the AC Milan youth academy.
Community
The AC Milan Group works hard to use its methodological and sporting expertise to promote social inclusion in Italy and around the world.
Environment
We firmly believe in the need to take a responsible approach to all our activities and have created an environmental management system in order to direct our path towards sustainability.

We have decided to take our Sustainability Report to the next level by ensuring it complies with GRI’s G4 Sustainability Reporting Guidelines (2013), specifically the Core option. This decision is testament to our commitment to transparency and accuracy in our reporting.

 

Materiality analysis

Before producing the Sustainability Report, the AC Milan Group undertook a materiality analysis in order to identify the relevant issues for the Group itself and its stakeholders.

Using a questionnaire, the AC Milan management team conducted an internal analysis in order to update the Group’s stakeholder structure and identify and prioritise relevant issues.

The list of stakeholders published in the previous Report was confirmed and is as follows: shareholders, first-team football players, youth academy football players, wider community, Portello and Zona 8 communities in Milan, employees, FIGC-registered personnel and contractors, families of youth-team players, suppliers, sports institutions (UEFA, FIGC, ECA), Lega Serie A, media, commercial partners, public administration, football schools, schools and universities, and fans.

Sustainability issues were evaluated from the dual perspective of the stakeholders and the AC Milan Group.

Given that this is the first Sustainability Report published in accordance with GRI-G4 guidelines, the analytical process was not extended to external stakeholders. However, in order to take into account the expectations of external stakeholders, we plan to extend the scope of the analysis in the coming years.

Below is a materiality index showing the most relevant issues.

 

AC Milan Group materiality index

High relevance issues for stakeholders and AC Milan

  • Ethics and integrity in business management
  • Economic and financial performance
  • Corporate Governance
  • First-team ethics and behaviour
  • Organisation of sporting events
  • Direct interaction with fans

Medium relevance issues for stakeholders and AC Milan

  • Sponsor relations
  • Relations with institutions and regulatory bodies
  • Resource development and talent management
  • Youth education
  • Promotion of sport and training
  • Legality and integrity in football
  • Direct economic impact
  • Environmental impact
  • Local ties and social initiatives

Analysis of key AC Milan Group issues and their internal and external impact:

Macro area Issue Internal impact External impact
Governance and integrity Ethics and integrity in business management Yes - Top management and employees Yes - Shareholders, sponsors, suppliers
Corporate governance Yes – AC Milan Group No
Relations with institutions and regulatory bodies, external relations Yes –  AC Milan Group, footballers No
Sponsor relations Yes – AC Milan Group, footballers No
Economic responsibility Economic and financial performance Yes – AC Milan Group No
Indirect economic impact Yes - AC Milan Group, match day Yes – Suppliers, sponsors, fans
Responsibility towards fans Organisation of sporting events Yes – AC Milan Group Yes - Lega Serie A
First-team ethics and behaviour Yes - Footballers No
Direct interaction with fans Yes – AC Milan Group, footballers No
Legality and integrity in football Yes - Top management, footballers Yes – Lega Serie A, fans
Human resources Resource development and talent management Yes - Footballers youth academy, staff Yes – Players’ families, schools and universities
Social responsibility Local ties and social initiatives Yes – AC Milan Group, Milan Foundation Yes – Fans
Promotion of sport and training Yes - AC Milan Group, Milan Foundation Yes – Sporting institutions
Youth education Yes - AC Milan Group, Milan Training School, Milan Foundation Yes – Players’ families, youth academy, schools
Environmental responsibility Environmental impact Yes – AC Milan Group, stadium Yes – Fans