Milan and Monza are ready for the first edition of the trophy “Silvio Berlusconi”, scheduled for Tuesday 8 August atU-Power Stadium at 21. The two coaches spoke to Sportmediaset microphones on the eve of the appointment.
Pioli: “We spoke often with Berlusconi”
The Milan coach has revealed that he has a very close relationship with the former president: “He took advantage of some good matches to call, compliment us and asked permission to give some advice. He preferred an attacking, risky football, therefore many recommendations were to play in the opposition’s half. They were really very pleasant phone calls, because you felt a person’s passion for football and the passion for Milan.” Up until the end, Berlusconi was very attached to Milan: “The last phone call the president received was 15 days before his disappearance and we talked about Milan, how to play, how to do certain things better, how to reach certain goals. He had invested a lot and well in Monza, but I certainly believe that he was still a Milan fan inside. The day
he was delighted with the Scudetto”. On the match: “We need minutes to put in our legs in view of the start of the championship. We will honor you because Berlusconi has been part of the history of our club”.
Palladino: “We miss the president a lot”
The Monza coach, Berlusconi’s last manager: “We miss the president so much. He loved us, he made us feel good and he put us in a position in a few years to bring this club to Serie A for the first time, I will be grateful to him for life. Many memories bind me to the president that I will always carry in my heart. He immediately made me feel like a family member and gave me the opportunity to coach in Serie A. I will always be very fond of him”. On the relationship with his two historic teams: “The president made the history of Italian and international football, he loved both Milan and Monza. We hope to play a good game, we will do everything to pay homage to him in the best possible way.”