Milan CEO Adriano Galliani reveals his failed attempts to sign Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Edin Dzeko, plus when Roberto Donadoni almost died.
The Rossoneri chief has been at the club for 30 years, but confessed these will probably be his final three weeks there, as a Chinese takeover is imminent.
He sat down with Milan TV to look back over this lengthy career and some amusing anecdotes from behind the scenes.
Milan CEO Adriano Galliani reveals his failed attempts to sign Rivaldo, Luis Figo and Edin Dzeko, plus when Roberto Donadoni almost died.
The Rossoneri chief has been at the club for 30 years, but confessed these will probably be his final three weeks there, as a Chinese takeover is imminent.
He sat down with Milan TV to look back over this lengthy career and some amusing anecdotes from behind the scenes.
“Milan were playing the Centenary game against Real Madrid in the summer of 2000, but (former director) Ariedo Braida and I weren’t there to see it, because we were with Rivaldo’s agent.
“We were unable to sign him. There are many stories of players who were on the verge of joining us and then didn’t arrive. One of those is Figo – every time I see him, I give him a little punch.
“A few years ago I tried to sign Dzeko and spent three days hidden in a Sarajevo hotel along with Braida. Lately the media always seem to catch me, though.”
Galliani has been criticised by many fans for his transfer strategy in recent years.
“I am very critical of myself. I certainly could’ve done more and better. There are many things I could’ve done or not done. I think all of us, apart from very few people in the world, give 100 per cent of their abilities and can still do better. It’s a difficult job.”
Andriy Shevchenko walked out on Milan at the height of his fame to join Chelsea in 2006, reportedly because his wife wanted to live in London.
“We tried so hard and President Silvio Berlusconi did everything possible to make him stay. That day I continued to tell him I was ready to tear up his contract.
“That year we were the top-ranked team in the world. I told him: ‘See Andriy, if you don’t score with us for a few weeks, the fans will still remember your goals. At Chelsea that won’t happen.’
“If he had stayed, he would certainly have surpassed Gunnar Nordahl’s total, but it was a decision that we had to respect.”
Galliani also revealed a terrifying moment for Milan in Belgrade in November 1988.
“I remember during the interval of a game we then won against Red Star on penalties. We were convinced Donadoni had died.
“He had a knock and wasn’t breathing anymore. He had gone completely blue. A nurse who went on to the pitch saved his life.
“The lads played the second half convinced that Donadoni was dead or dying. We were all crying during half-time.”
Current Bologna Coach Donadoni had head trauma and a fractured jaw during that clash with full-back Vasilievic, or rather during the very nasty fall, and had been in the process of swallowing his tongue when the medics performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.