The 20th of February is a special date in AC Milan history, and Franco Baresi has explained exactly why.
Indeed, it is on this very date 40 years ago that Silvio Berlusconi completed the purchase of Milan. It was the beginning of a tenure that spanned until April 2017, during which he transformed the club from a side that had spent time in Serie B to one that won 29 major trophies in his time.
Baresi for many Milanisti is the biggest emblem of the Berlusconi era, given that he played for 20 seasons with the Rossoneri, amassing 719 official appearances and being present for most of those honours, including six Scudetti and three European Cups/Champions Leagues.
The former defender – now honorary vice-president of the club – spoke about Silvio Berlusconi in a lengthy interview with today’s edition of the newspaper Il Giornale. MilanPress relayed what he had to say.
Firstly, how are you feeling after your health scare?
“Good. I’ve started going to San Siro again, and that’s already a big step forward.”
What memories do I have of those days before Berlusconi bought the club?
“At Milanello, we were all anxious and curious to follow the rumors to see how the deal would end. Silvio Berlusconi already enjoyed a brilliant reputation as a successful entrepreneur, and without even knowing him personally, we were desperately rooting for him.
“We were at the end of the tunnel, that’s how we felt. And I remember a significant detail. At that time, when the team was away on league trips, the gates of Milanello were opened to host wedding parties or first communions, to earn a few extra pennies.
“Berlusconi arrived by helicopter on a very cold morning, there was snow in the alleys of Milanello. He introduced himself very simply and directly. He used few words, focusing instead on organising the work needed to transform the club into a modern one in just a few months.
“He brought us players a gift of a silver Cartier chalice. A few months later, when he gathered us at Pomerio Castle before Arrigo Sacchi took over as coach, he gave us the famous mission: to become the strongest team in the world.
“At first, that challenging goal was met with widespread skepticism, especially since the previous season hadn’t ended with a thrilling result. A year later, we already had the Scudetto on our chest. I didn’t have to wait long to realise that I could turn all my dreams into reality.”
What was the highlight of your Milan career?
“I’d start with the first European Cup lifted into the skies of Barcelona in May ’89, in front of around 80,000 Milan fans, and move on, within a few months, to the exotic trip to Japan for the Intercontinental Cup final.
“In Tokyo, December 1989, we stood on top of the world and managed to give concrete meaning to Pomerio’s famous speech.
“Ours was, in fact, an enveloping relationship that never ended with football because, on a human level, it was enriched daily by the respect and affection shown on numerous occasions, with some episodes that remain etched in my memory.”
What are your proudest individual moments?
“In the 1989 Ballon d’Or, I finished second, behind Marco Van Basten and ahead of Frank Rijkaard in an all-Milan podium. On that occasion, President Berlusconi presented me with an original Ballon d’Or.
“The second award came at the end of my football career, with the retirement of my number 6 shirt: it happened in 1997-98, and on that occasion there was also a symbolic relay because that day I handed over the captain’s armband, which I had received from Gianni Rivera, to Paolo Maldini, son of Cesare, who had already captained Milan’s first European Cup win in 1963 at Wembley.”
Can Milan return to winning those trophies?
“My answer is very sincere: it will be difficult to repeat that cycle of success. But there’s an explanation: football has changed in the meantime, the ownership of historic Italian clubs has changed, and European competition has been enriched by new players, especially in England.
“Yet I can reassure everyone: AC Milan will remain a historic club in terms of trophy cabinet and tradition, and is working hard to increase its competitiveness.”
CESARE – GIANNI – FRANCO – PAOLO