July 14 – AC Milan have teamed up with PUMA Golf for a limited-edition capsule collection that merges elite football with golf heritage.
The collaboration, launched under Milan’s new ‘Clubhouse’ cultural platform, represents the club’s broader ambition to evolve into a multi-dimensional lifestyle brand.
Leading the campaign is America’s poster-boy Christian Pulisic, Milan’s American midfielder who’s become the spokesperson for this football-golf crossover. “Golf has always been one of my biggest passions outside of football,” Pulisic said. “Bringing those two sides of my world together through this collection has been truly special.”
That’s all well and good, but you can’t help but wonder about priorities when the same player who cited tiredness for missing the Concacaf Gold Cup is now fronting golf campaigns.
The timing feels particularly awkward, almost akin to a double-bogey.
The collection itself – featuring Classic G Golf Shoes, Quarter-Zip Hoodies, and Golf Club Pants in “muted tones” like Dark Sage and PUMA Black. These aren’t items designed for Milan’s hardcore ultras in the Curva Sud; they’re targeting the kind of fans who prefer watching matches from corporate hospitality boxes.
Milan’s ‘Clubhouse’ initiative aims to transform the club into a “cultural engine” inspired by the city’s history in fashion, design, and music.
Founded in 1899 as a football and cricket club, Milan certainly has historical precedent for multi-sport ventures. But there’s a difference between embracing sporting heritage and chasing every available revenue stream in the name of “cultural influence.”
The golf collaboration fits into a broader trend of football clubs expanding into lifestyle markets to engage “younger, cross-interest audiences.”
While Milan are busy building lifestyle sub-brands and fashion ventures, their on-pitch performance remains frustratingly inconsistent.
Perhaps it’s time for Milan to focus on what made them great in the first place – winning football matches. The golf course will always be there for players like Pulisic when they retire. But international tournaments and Champions League campaigns won’t wait for anyone to finish their round.
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