Silvio Berlusconi laments how football “has become a kind of Monopoly” as he “once chased” Pep Guardiola – only to be priced out.
Silvio Berlusconi laments how football “has become a kind of Monopoly” as he “once chased” Pep Guardiola – only to be priced out.
Berlusconi, who also accused Milan’s fans of being ungrateful in his interview with Telelombardia, made it clear that he had become disillusioned with the ever-increasing financial “demands” asked of him, while also expressing his opinions on San Siro, the “unsellable” Gianluigi Donnarumma and Paolo Maldini’s possible return.
“I’d rather Milan stayed at San Siro, but if different owners want to build the most beautiful stadium that exists then I’d accept this eventuality,” the President added.
“I fell in love with San Siro, we saw how well it held the European Cup final. San Siro is built for football.
“I can’t enjoy the spectacle of football when I go to Naples or Rome. San Siro, however, has never let me down, and it was the venue for many of our [trophy] wins, so I’m personally very attached to San Siro.
“I also think that, given the experiences of other countries, coexisting with Inter can be absolutely acceptable and satisfactory.
“[On Coaches], I courted Guardiola when he was at Barcelona because I found their style of play most satisfying.
“He then became the Bayern [Munich] Coach and now they tell me that he’s moved again.
“As champions, they’ve become renowned, but their demands are there to show how today’s football has become a kind of Monopoly.
“I’ve also heard this rumour [about Maldini], but I don’t think Paolo is available because he’s now a member of a club in America and has therefore embarked on a different path.
“I wouldn’t sell Donnarumma for €80m, which is the amount he’s worth. For us, he’s unsellable.”