Silvio Berlusconi denies he considered sacking Sinisa Mihajlovic – “we never want to go against our Coaches.”
The Milan patron offered up thinly-veiled criticism of the former Sampdoria boss after a poor run of form, but following two wins in a row, he praised the Serbian after a visit to Milanello.
“We’ve abandoned certain patterns of play and moved more toward a Milan style,” Berlusconi told reporters at the training complex.
Silvio Berlusconi denies he considered sacking Sinisa Mihajlovic – “we never want to go against our Coaches.”
The Milan patron offered up thinly-veiled criticism of the former Sampdoria boss after a poor run of form, but following two wins in a row, he praised the Serbian after a visit to Milanello.
“We’ve abandoned certain patterns of play and moved more toward a Milan style,” Berlusconi told reporters at the training complex.
“That means thoughtful football, keeping possession, playing it on the deck. As soon as [Mario] Balotelli and [Jeremy] Menez are back we can put out a very attacking formation.
“Mihajlovic? He’s a strong person, he’s never let himself get knocked down. I’ve always found him to be confident of playing well and getting results.
“The League is see-sawing and if we had won at Torino we’d be five points off the top. We were wrong because we weren’t keeping the ball enough, and we discussed that with the players.
“As a club, Milan have always taken their Coaches and their morale into consideration.
“As you saw, we kept the contract with [Pippo] Inzaghi until the end of the season, and we never want to go against our Coaches.”
Berlusconi was then asked what the goals for the Diavolo should be for the rest of the season.
“The Champions League is a categorical imperative. We cannot, as Milan, stay out of the semi-finals and final of the Champions League.
“The project which we have to market the brand in the Far East, and especially China, can only be done if Milan is a leader in Europe and worldwide.
“That’s how you bring the highest revenue with the marketing of the brand. The brand of Milan has been estimated at €1.3bn.
“Through restaurants, merchandising and football schools we should be able to take our revenues above €100m a year.
“The marketing should, in the third year, bring revenues above €200m. If that happens, we’ll be able to go and get the top players.
“Then there’s always the possibility of the club being listed in Hong Kong.”
The former Prime Minister also discussed Gianluigi Donnarumma, who has broken into the Rossoneri first-team at just 16-years-old.
“It’s beautiful to have a 16-year-old who is already ready to play in Serie A,” Berlusconi said.
“He can be our goalkeeper for the next 20 years. I envy my successors, who won’t have to invest in a goalkeeper in the coming years.”