On the day of Monza-Milan, Gazzetta dello Sport interviewed Paolo Berlusconi, the honorary president of Monza and brother of the late Silvio Berlusconi, who made history with both clubs.
Describing the upcoming match, Paolo Berlusconi said, “A match of the heart? Even better: I would call it the match of love. Silvio was and will always be love; he had it for everyone. Unconditional for Milan. For Monza, for the world of football, for the opponents. He always taught young players to respect others. He did a lot of charity work, but always on condition of anonymity.”
Regarding Daniel Maldini, Berlusconi commented, “Daniel is the consecration of the flag. It’s how Silvio understood football sentiment. It’s very beautiful that it started with Milan and reached Monza, thanks also to the savoir-faire of Paolo Scaroni and Milan, who released him for a negligible amount. A nice act of generosity to see.”
When asked about the possibility of Paolo Maldini joining Inter, Berlusconi was emphatic: “It would be blasphemy. It was already painful to sell Di Gregorio to Juve; he was the most beautiful discovery.”
Discussing Monza’s future, Berlusconi revealed, “The plan is to sell a minority stake in the club, then project it towards a solid company that can further invest: it’s a scenario we’re considering. With Gabelli? Work in progress, interest has been expressed, due diligence is finished, the dialogue is open.”
On the topic of Adriano Galliani potentially returning to Milan, Berlusconi said, “Let’s start by saying that we certainly intend to continue with him, but whoever takes over must take him; it would be suicide not to. If that were to happen, seeing him back at Milan would be nice, we would be happy. But we come first.”
Regarding Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s new role at Milan, Berlusconi commented, “There was a media will to give him a role by the American ownership. A figure they evidently thought was missing. A frontman. But I think he still has good room for improvement…”
Finally, on Rafael Leao, Berlusconi shared his thoughts: “I don’t understand this guy. A great champion, potentially another Vinicius. However, like Balotelli, he needs to work on his character. He has an indolent air, but I believe it’s just his exterior, his way of being. A bit of stick is fine, but then the carrot must also come.”
