Milan and Monza have both posted tributes to Silvio Berlusconi following the news that the former football club owner and Prime Minister of Italy died, aged 86, in Milan on Monday morning.
Berlusconi spent 31 years at the helm of Milan, initially saving the club from bankruptcy, before going on to fund one of the most successful spells in the club’s history.
During the years between 1986 and 2017, the Rossoneri lifted eight Serie A trophies, won the European Cup and Champions League five times and also added a Coppa Italia and seven Supercoppa titles to the trophy cabinet.
On Monday morning, Milan posted on twitter: “Deeply saddened, AC Milan grieves the passing of the unforgettable Silvio Berlusconi and wishes to reach out to the family, associates, and most cherished friends to share our sympathies.”
The Rossoneri then followed up their message with a poignant Berlusconi quote.
“Tomorrow, we will dream of new ambitions, create new challenges, and seek new victories. Which will represent the good, the strong, and the true that lies inside us, in all of us who shared this adventure of binding our lives to a dream called Milan.
“Thank you, Mr. President. Always with us,” the post continued.
In 2018, Berlusconi took over at AC Monza when the club were knocking about in Serie C. Within five years, the Biancorossi had made their way to Serie A and in their first ever season in the top flight in 2022-23, they finished in an impressive 11th place.
Shortly after the news broke of Berlusconi’s passing, Monza’s social media channels changed their profile pictures to an all-black version of the club’s crest.
The club also released a brief statement, which read: “Adriano Galliani and all AC Monza mourn the loss of Silvio Berlusconi: “A void that can never be filled, forever with us. Thank you for everything President.”