MILAN — From his grand entrance by helicopter after shopping for AC Milan to empowering Monza as much as Serie A for the primary time in its historical past, Silvio Berlusconi dominated Italian soccer for many years identical to he commanded the present in Italian politics.

Berlusconi, a former three-time Italian premier, died Monday, based on his tv community. He was 86.

Berlusconi was hospitalized on Friday for the second time in months for remedy of power leukemia. He additionally suffered over time from coronary heart illnesses and prostate most cancers.

Under his possession, AC Milan gained 29 trophies, together with eight Serie A titles and 5 European Cups.

“All of the things I work on are profane. But Milan is sacred,” Berlusconi as soon as stated. “I remember when my dad would bring me to the stadium and I didn’t pay for a ticket because I was so small. So I repeat, Milan is a matter of love.”

Berlusconi was the final word “presidente” in an period when Italian soccer was nonetheless a family-run enterprise commanded by highly effective males, alongside the Agnellis at Juventus and the Morattis at Inter Milan.

“Many looked at him as a visionary, and they were right,” FIFA president Gianni Infantino stated in an announcement, as tributes poured in to Berlusconi. “In phrases of soccer he had foreseen every thing lengthy earlier than the others, and in reality he turned essentially the most profitable president within the historical past of AC Milan.

“Recently, as owner of Monza, he has fulfilled another dream, because in dreams size doesn’t matter,” Infantino continued. “They can even be contained within a small town. I want to remember him just like that, like the person who - in our beloved sport - dreamed and then transformed those thoughts into reality.”

These days, Milan is below American possession, Inter is below Chinese management and solely the Agnellis stay at Juventus amongst Italy’s three greatest golf equipment.

“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,” Milan stated in an announcement. “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.”

MILAN TURNAROUND

Berlusconi saved Milan from close to chapter when he purchased the membership in February 1986.

Milan was nonetheless affected by the results of being relegated to Serie B after the Totonero match-fixing scandal and had completed fifth within the prime division the earlier season.

In June 1986, Berlusconi marked the beginning of his first full season as president in usually dramatic style at a group presentation. In entrance of 10,000 followers on the metropolis’s neoclassical Arena Civica, he and the gamers flew in on three Apache helicopters to the tune of Wagner’s “Ride of the Valkyries.”

“The squad met up at Linate (airport) without knowing what was happening,” former Milan captain Franco Baresi stated. “People made fun of us, but with the helicopters the president showed immediately his desire to astound. And we understood that the winds had changed direction.”

TITLES AND TROPHIES

Berlusconi shortly made his mark when Milan gained Serie A in his second full season in cost.

The actual glory got here within the following two seasons, although, when Milan earned consecutive European Cup titles with a group led by Dutch stars Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard.

Many extra trophies adopted, with Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Nesta anchoring the protection and Andriy Shevchenko and Kaka scoring the objectives.

With success after success on the soccer subject, it was no coincidence that Berlusconi borrowed a soccer chant when his right-wing political celebration was named “Forza Italia.”

“The problem is that Milan often comes up against left-wing referees,” Berlusconi stated after a soccer loss in 2010.

COACHING CAROUSEL

Under Berlusconi’s presidency, Milan made 21 teaching modifications.

The man within the scorching seat when Berlusconi purchased the membership was Nils Liedholm. But Milan was crushed twice within the Italian Cup by a Parma group that was coached by a sure Arrigo Sacchi, who Berlusconi ultimately employed regardless of criticism about Sacchi by no means having performed skilled soccer.

Sacchi went on to revolutionize the sport along with his offensive techniques in a rustic that was higher recognized for “catenaccio,” or lockdown protection.

After teaching Milan to European Cup titles in 1989 and 1990, Sacchi went on to educate Italy’s nationwide group to the 1994 World Cup last.

“He was a great person who tried to improve Italy and the sport, but he wasn’t always understood,” Sacchi stated. “I called him a couple of days ago but I didn’t managed to speak to him. I feel awful, despite everything I didn’t expect it.”

Always a hands-on proprietor, Berlusconi was by no means shy about dictating participant lineups to his coaches or voicing a desire for one formation over one other.

“Berlusconi criticized us when things were going well and gave us support when they were going bad. Most presidents do exactly the opposite,” stated present Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti, who matched Sacchi by teaching Milan to 2 Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007 - along with a runner-up end in 2005.

Berlusconi was famously a proponent of the 4-3-2-1 “Christmas tree” formation.

“Everyone’s always talking about Sacchi’s Milan and (Alberto) Zaccheroni’s Milan and Ancelotti’s Milan and you never hear anyone talk about Berlusconi’s Milan. But for 18 years I’ve been making the lineups, dictating the rules and buying the players,” Berlusconi stated in 2004.

GALLIANI FRIENDSHIP

While Berlusconi was a relentless presence on the San Siro, it was his good pal and fellow TV government Adriano Galliani who really ran Milan on a day-to-day foundation.

Backed by Berlusconi’s thousands and thousands, Galliani turned referred to as a grasp of signing prime gamers on the switch market.

“The best player was certainly Marco van Basten,” Galliani advised Corriere della Sera in 2018. “(Former Milan sporting director) Ariedo Braida realized he was a phenomenon and we went to Amsterdam a number of instances with Berlusconi to see him. Even Berlusconi’s father, Luigi, got here alongside.

“But the best story was Gullit. It was August 1986 and we were in Bermuda and all of a sudden the president (Berlusconi) says that Milan is playing in a four-team preseason tournament in Barcelona that night. So we grabbed a plane and flew there. Berlusconi immediately noticed this giant playing for PSV (Eindhoven) with dreadlocks as a defender. The president went crazy and said ‘We’ve got to get him.’ But in 1986 we couldn’t buy any more foreign players and so we had to wait until 1987 to sign him after a year-long courtship.”

REUNITED AT MONZA

After promoting Milan to a Chinese consortium in 2017, Berlusconi and Galliani reunited a yr later with the acquisition of Monza, the group that Galliani grew up supporting.

In just some years, Monza labored its manner up from the third division to a Serie A debut in 2022-23.

At this season’s Monza group Christmas celebration, Berlusconi advised the squad that in the event that they gained certainly one of their upcoming video games towards Inter, Juventus or Milan, he would usher in a “busload” of prostitutes.

While Berlusconi was broadly criticized for his remarks, Monza did find yourself beating Juventus in January for a season-sweep of the Bianconeri.

“Adriano Galliani and the whole of AC Monza are heartbrokenly crying at the death of Silvio Berlusconi: a void that will never be filled, always with us. Thanks for everything President,” Monza stated in an announcement.

Galliani additionally added a separate message on his personal social media account.

“Heartbroken, without words, with so much pain I cry for my friend, the master of everything, the person who changed my life for more than 43 years,” he wrote. “Rest in peace dear President, With so, so much love. Adriano Galliani.”

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Dampf reported from Rome.

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