Arrigo Sacchi has hailed the “democracy” he shared with Silvio Berlusconi at Milan and the “autonomy” he was given as Coach.
Sacchi argued his defence of Berlusconi in the face of accusations that he was hands-on behind the scenes by explaining how he overruled the President over former Argentina midfielder Claudio Borghi during the 1987-88 season.
“I didn’t agree because Borghi had trained with us and I knew he was a bad professional,” he continued to Gazzetta dello Sport.
Arrigo Sacchi has hailed the “democracy” he shared with Silvio Berlusconi at Milan and the “autonomy” he was given as Coach.
Sacchi argued his defence of Berlusconi in the face of accusations that he was hands-on behind the scenes by explaining how he overruled the President over former Argentina midfielder Claudio Borghi during the 1987-88 season.
“I didn’t agree because Borghi had trained with us and I knew he was a bad professional,” he continued to Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I went to him, he was with [politician Bettino] Craxi: ‘President, if we win the Scudetto then Borghi doesn’t.’ We won it.
“We listened to each other every day, but he never asked me to play a certain player. With me, it was very democratic and I never lost autonomy.
“When I was in trouble, in the first year, he made a speech to the team in my defence: ‘This is the Coach that I’ve chosen and I follow and who will stay here. Whoever doesn’t follow him, go away.’
“It was the most effective 30 seconds I’d ever heard.”