AC Milan bid farewell to one of its most recognisable and influential characters yesterday as Silvio Berlusconi passed away at the age of 86.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (via PianetaMilan) writes that Berlusconi died yesterday morning, around 09:30 CEST, at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan. He is described as builder, entrepreneur, president of the Rossoneri and a politician.
He lived his 86 years at breakneck speed with adventures, experiences, successes, controversies, mistakes and triumphs. With the death of Berlusconi, Italy has lost the symbol of an era.
A funeral home has been set up in Arcore, in Villa San Martino , the former Prime Minister’s favourite residence. Tomorrow afternoon at 15:00 there will be State Funeral at the iconic Duomo in Milan.
The ceremony, which will be presided over by the Metropolitan Archbishop of Milan, Monsignor Mario Delpini and will also be attended by Sergio Mattarella, President of the Republic.
Tomorrow, there will also be national mourning as the Italian and European flags will be displayed at half-mast in public buildings throughout the country, in embassies and consulates.
Football will formally remember him until Sunday with a minute’s silence before the start of each official match of all the competitions scheduled until the end of the week.
Berlusconi had been in hospital since last Friday for tests on chronic myelomonocytic leukemia from which he had been suffering for some time. His blood values were off and Alberto Zangrillo, his trusted doctor, had kept him in for new analyses.
However, everyone knew that the situation had worsened and a full recovery was impossible. No one though expected a new attack of leukemia, and such a clear deterioration.
Zangrillo rushed to San Raffaele the day before yesterday around 04:00 and already just before 06:00 it was understood that Berlusconi, this time, would not make it. His brother Paolo and his children arrived running when the situation worsened. At 09:30 he passed away.
Yesterday was the day of messages, memories and tributes. Already in the morning, as many people arrived at the hospital with Forza Italia flags and Milan shirts. Some newspapers remember his scandals, but Berlusconi as Milan’s owner was one of the greatest ever and on that there can be little debate.
Berlusconi was a winner and he was obsessed with having Milan play football the right way. He loved pure talent, using a back four and an attacking midfielder.
He has never been anti-Inter, Juventus or Napoli. In fact, cheered for the Nerazzurri in cup competitions, and he didn’t sign Diego Armando Maradona so as not to upset Napoli, nor did he ever snatch Roberto Baggio from Juventus because the lawyer Gianni Agnelli asked him not to provoke matters.
He built a lot from nothing. Berlusconi’s Milan was unique and certainly unrepeatable in the present day.
Adios presiden….