Monza president Silvio Berlusconi reflected on his successful 31-year period in charge of Milan and revealed he wants the two teams to draw this weekend.
The former Prime Minister of Italy purchased the Rossoneri in 1986 and spent three decades at the helm, overseeing a hugely successful period for the club, where they won three Champions League titles, eight Scudetti and one Coppa Italia. He sold Milan in 2017 to Li Yonghong.
Berlusconi barely took a break from the world of football before he returned in 2018, buying Serie D side Monza. He appointed long-time collaborator Adriano Galliani as CEO and it only took a few years for the pair to guide the Lombardy outfit to their first ever topflight campaign.
Speaking to Sky Sports Italia, Berlusconi first looked back at his time in charge of Milan and expressed his pride of their successes.
“All my life I’ve had dreams that seemed unattainable to everyone. When I bought Milan, I wanted them to become the strongest team in the world and I succeeded.
“I won everything. I have a strong memory of 1994. I was in Rome to ask for a vote of confidence in the government and so I didn’t manage to see the final in Athens.
“I called Galliani at the end of the game and he told me we had won 4-0. With everything we’ve won, I still feel some pride inside.”
He remembered some of the stars he managed to bring to the Rossoneri.
“I love Maldini very much, he is the son and father of Milan players. I love many of my Milan players. Gullit, Van Basten…
“The greatest? Baresi, a fantastic player, a man of incredible honesty, loved and respected by everyone, even his opponents.”
Berlusconi underlined his enduring love for Milan and how his support for Monza differs.
“Milan are my favourite team. I used to go to Milan matches with my dad, I’ve always had Milan in me. When Milan loses, I’m heartbroken, let’s hope for a draw that doesn’t hurt anyone.
“Milan and Monza are two different things. I’m happy when Monza win, I clap my hands, but they haven’t entered my heart yet.
“I don’t know if on Saturday I’ll get as excited as in the past, but watching Milan is always exciting, I always watch Milan on TV.”
He gave some advice to his Monza squad ahead of the clash.
“Our two forwards must always stay in the opponent’s half, limit their attacks. It helps us to receive the ball in attack directly with a pass from the goalkeeper.
“I always tell the players to keep their torso on the ground, to kick low to the ground and not into the sky. And then I advised them to man-mark the Milan wings, we’ll see if they listen to me.”
Finally, Berlusconi looked back at the last five years with Monza.
“I bought Monza not for football, but because I admire the reality of Brianza and because I thought that after 110 years it was not right for Monza to remain in Serie D.
“When we bought the team, they were in Serie D, then in Serie C, in Serie B and in Serie A. Now the Monza fans have the ambition to be in Serie A, if we were to win even the Scudetto we would have to go and play at the San Siro.
“They wanted to destroy it, now it seems that they’ve changed their minds, fortunately because San Siro is in the history of football, of Milan and also in my history.
“Unfortunately, in the first six games we only picked up one point. Stroppa told me that he didn’t feel like going on. I thought about who I could entrust the team to.
“Our Primavera was doing well and the coach was a gentleman. One evening, with Galliani, we entrusted him with the team and he became our coach. Six teams contacted him, but we shook hands, and Palladino remains at Monza.”