Pleasant sunny day. Pre-Easter Saturday, but noisy, buzzing with thousands of motors Milan thinks not only about the holiday. Half of the first scheduled derby, opening a new era in the history of Rossoneri. For the first time in 31 years, the red-black club is managed not by Silvio Berlusconi. I can not believe it. Many of the fans have not yet been born, and a cheerful businessman has already raised the club from the depths to the top.
It all began on March 2, 1986. Serednjak accepted the operating champion. Milan and Verona played a draw, 1: 1. Yes, you correctly understood, the middle peasant was then Milan, who in 1983 played in Serie B. The owner of the "Scudetto" - Verona. She, however, will play the role of Leicester and will not stay long at the top. Another thing - the club, led by the duo Berlusconi - Galliani.
In 1987, head coach was Arrigo Sacchi, and solid investments in the players gave the result: Rossoneri for the first time in 9 years, became champions. In 1989 and 1990, Milan will conquer the most prestigious club trophy - the Champions Cup. Tu, the "Dutch" team with the trio of Gullit-Rijkaard-van Basten often called the strongest in the history of the club. The rise of Milan in the late 80's - a phenomenon that is difficult to pick up an analogue in modern football. Imagine that Manchester City in 2008 instead of the sheikhs acquired a native mankunian, and the team for several years ripped everyone in both the submarine and in Europe.
Berlusconi: "Everything that my father and I dreamed about. You can not imagine how many times we went with him to the matches, and whenever Milan lost, I cried, and my father consoled me and said that next time we will win. Then Milan was not an outstanding team, but I imagined myself part of this club, I imagined myself as one or another soccer player, fantasized a lot. When I had the opportunity to buy Milan, I immediately remembered my father and decided on a deal "(from Alan Friedman's book" Berlusconi. The history of a man who took over Italy for 20 years ").
Fantasy Don Silvio can envy any. Berlusconi - a man-orchestra, had time in life everything. He rose in the 1960s in construction and real estate trading. Noteworthy is the elegant move, when the company Berlusconi for a pittance bought a plot of land for the construction of a residential microdistrict. The cheapness was due to the fact that aircrafts from the large Linate airport were flying low near - who would want to live in a constant buzz? The incumbent tycoon managed to lobby the directive that changed the flight trajectory, and in the abandoned wasteland a prestigious neighborhood.
In the mid-1970s, Berlusconi broke into the media market. He managed to press state-run television channels thanks to a new concept: bright, provocative shows and American entertainment content instead of a somewhat boring traditional Italian television. Berlusconi was accused of bad taste and even the collapse of Italian cinema, but the effect was evident: from the regional cable channel grew a huge holding Mediaset. So Silvio to the money received information support, which was subsequently relied on. The closest example to us is the Golden Ball of Andrey Shevchenko in 2004. While Ukraine rejoiced, Europe discussed the influence of the media empire of Berlusconi, who untwisted Sheva steeper than Ronaldinho, who was gaining popularity.
In the 1980s, Berlusconi came to football, and in the 1990s - into politics. Created on his initiative, the party was called Forza Italia, exactly as the famous slogan of fans of the Azzurri's Squadry. 1994 - deafening triumph Berlusconi-politician: 43% of the vote, the formation of the ruling coalition and the award in the form of the chair of the Prime Minister of Italy. It was a sensation, albeit locally Italian, but no less loud than Trump's victory over Hillary.
Three, with interruptions, the term Berlusconi at the head of the government left the Italians ambiguous impressions. Otherwise, it could not be, very contradictory himself Don Silvio. Numerous courts and allegations of corruption are only a small part of the portrait. He poured winged expressions, told indecent jokes, established informal relations with world leaders, inviting them to rest on one of their luxury villas in Milan or Sardinia. Particular attention was paid to the female sex. Often - with overlap: parties "bung-bung" became meme, and Silvio himself narrowly escaped the prison sentence for contact with a minor Moroccan woman.
Berlusconi: "I do not attach importance to the words of third-rate officials. No wild parties, only elegant suare ".
Vadim Hlusker in the book "This Italian" suggested that Silvio Berlusconi - and there is the same italiano vero, which was sung by Toto Cutugno. Berlusconi, by the way, himself loves and knows how to sing, and in his youth even moonlighted chansonnier on cruise liners. An optimistic merry fellow who loves wine, women and football, and also builds a career through personal ties. At Silvio all with overlap, its image - more likely, the caricature on the Italian. Even the only attempt on Berlusconi's health turned out to be anecdotal: the attacker aptly threw a souvenir copy of the Milan Cathedral.
Not cartoon became Milan. The one that thundered Barcelona 4-0 in Athens. The one who gnawed a victory in a series of 11-meter at Juventus. The one who took revenge from Liverpool for the Istanbul nightmare. Wonderful Milanese old people: Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta. The refined Nesta, the smiling Cafu, the brilliant Pirlo, the violent Gattuso, the sensitive Inzaghi. Our Sheva, whose red and black T-shirt with the seventh number is still hanging in the most prominent place in the club museum of Milan. The Berlusconi era brought 29 trophies, including eight "Scudetto" and five Champions Cups. "Milan - Italy's most famous brand after pizza and mafia" - these are the words of Don Silvio.
Berlusconi, alas, could no longer support Milan at the top club level. Stagnation, castling coaches, places in the middle of the table - Rossoneri returned to where the ascent began. Colorful Italian families, except perhaps Agnelli, proved to be uncompetitive against the backdrop of a cash submarine, as well as Spanish grandees. The first could not stand Moratti, who sold Inter Indonesian Tohir. Silvio clings to his childhood dream longer, but only love does not win trophies, and things went wrong for Berlusconi after a series of political setbacks. Plus age - 80 years. Even Silvio is getting old.
"I leave Milan after 30 years of work here with pain and sorrow. But I realize that modern football requires investments and resources to fight for the highest places at European and world level, and one family is no longer able to do it "- so began the farewell letter of Berlusconi, who had already accepted the offer of Chinese businessmen.
Saturday. Public on San Siro in shock:
Colombian centerback Zapata acrobatic blow brought Milan a draw in the 97th minute. While everyone is arguing about the decisions of the arbitrator, the team in the locker room is not congratulating Berlusconi, who adored live communication with players and coaches, and the mysterious Jonhong Li. A new era in the history of Milan. Is it successful? Perhaps - this is a topic for a separate conversation. But from now on, any Milan is doomed to comparison with the teams that Silvio Berlusconi built - the president who became the soul of the club.