Ahead of Milan’s trip to Napoli in Serie A on Sunday evening, Former Prime Minister of Italy and ex-Rossoneri President Silvio Berlusconi has detailed how he unsuccessfully tried to sign Diego Maradona from Napoli in the late 1980s.
Berlusconi, who remains an ardent Milan supporter despite owning fellow Serie A outfit Monza, recalled the incident, saying that Maradona was a ‘fragile’ character and taking him away from Naples ‘would have been unfair’.
In a feature interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, the often-controversial politician also spoke of the title-deciding game between Napoli and Milan in 1998, in which Maradona produced a typical moment of magic.
He told the paper: “From that game, I will never forget an amazing, untouchable Gullit, two extraordinary strikers in Virdis and Van Basten, but also a wonderful goal from Maradona from a free-kick. One of those footballing miracles that only he knew how to do.
“That day, overcoming that very strong Napoli team, my Milan effectively won its first scudetto. According to Fifa,” he said, “Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan played the most beautiful football in history.”
Berlusconi then went on to describe how he still has some regrets over failing to lure the legendary Maradona away from the Partenopei.
He said it is still: “A profound regret, and not only because Maradona was the greatest player of his generation. He was a fragile person, perhaps the discipline and attention to individuals that existed in my Milan would have helped him avoid some mistakes.
“However, that day, talking to him, I realised one thing: Maradona was Napoli, he was the symbol and the flag of the greatest Napoli team in history, at least until today.”
He continued: “It would have been like taking the heart of an entire city and transferring it to Milan. It would have been unfair, it couldn’t be done. Diego himself, who had great sensitivity, shared the same feeling”.
Berlusconi was also asked about the current Napoli and Milan teams ahead of their top-four clash at the Stadio Maradona on Sunday evening.
The 86-year-old is particularly impressed by the mercurial talents of Kvicha Kvaratskhelia and Victor Osimhen, who have 47 goal contributions between them in Serie A so far this season.
He said that: “Players like Kvaratskhelia or Osimhen would go well in any team in the world. In this sense, Osimhen’s injury is truly a shame: it takes away an element of great charm from the match against Milan.
“In any case, today Napoli are truly a great team, one of the best in Europe, is dominating the championship with absolute merit and will be a very tough opponent for Milan”.
Berlusconi was reluctant to give any strong assessment of Milan and their current form, given the conflict of interest due to his Monza ownership, however, he did note that it had been a “strange” season for the Rossoneri.
“I can only say that I have a lot of respect for Pioli and that Milan’s season is really a strange one, a bit on and off. Milan played some wonderful games but he had unexplained failures”.
When asked if there were any players he would like to see play for his beloved Milan, there were two immediate answers.
“Haaland or Mbappé,” he said assertively. “They are the present and the future of football. But let me finish this interview with a ‘Forza Milan’, which comes from my heart.”