Alexandre Pato, the former AC Milan and Brazilian national team striker, recently shared an intriguing story from his time with the Rossoneri, which spanned from 2008 to 2013. The anecdote involves a phone call he received from Silvio Berlusconi while on the team bus before a Milan match.
During an appearance on the podcast “Benja Me Mucho,” Pato, now 35 and working as a television commentator in Brazil, recounted the unexpected call: “We were on the bus heading to the stadium. Suddenly, I get a phone call and answer: ‘Who is it?’ ‘Hi, Berlusconi wants to talk to you.’ I said, ‘What? At match time?'”
Berlusconi then instructed him, “Listen, I want you to play in a more central position.”
Pato recalled his response, considering the presence of his coach at the time: “How can I do that? My coach is right in front of me,” referring to Leonardo. He continued, “So I said to him: ‘Silvio, how can I do that? I have to do what my coach tells me.’ Berlusconi replied: ‘Don’t worry, go to the center. I’m telling you.’ I responded: ‘Okay.’ Then I told Leonardo: ‘Hey Leo, he (Berlusconi) called me and told me to play in the center.'” To which Leonardo simply said, “Go ahead, play in the center.”
A few days after this conversation, on October 21, 2009, Milan secured a memorable 3-2 victory against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu in the Champions League. Pato played a pivotal role in this win by scoring twice while positioned more centrally, just as Berlusconi had suggested.
