A tearful Arrigo Sacchi and an
equally emotional Franco Baresi on Monday led tributes to Silvio
Berlusconi, the media mogul whose generosity and hands-on
enthusiasm helped inspire AC Milan's glory years in the 1980s
and 1990s and who has died at the age of 86.
Sacchi, the innovative Milan tactician who went on to coach
Italy to second place in the 1994 World Cup and who won
back-to-back European Cups with the Rossoneri in 1989 and 1990,
a team boasting the sumptuous talents of the great Dutch trio of
Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard, said "I feel
bad, despite everything I wasn't expecting it...he was a
brilliant friend to who I owe everything".
Baresi, possibly Italy's greatest ever central defender and a
mainstay of Sacchi's sides, said "I feel more alone now. He was
like a father to me, a unique president who was affectionate to
everyone. He achieve my dreams".
Ex-England manager Fabio Capello, who was handpicked as Sacchi's
successor and who won four scudetti and one Champions League
with the seven-time European champs, said "he had a unique
charisma, he found the right men...he did incredible things".
Milan legend Paolo Maldini, who won five European titles for the
late media billionaire turned politician including 1994 and
2003, said "we have lost a genius, visionary and dreamer, but
above all a friend who changed the history of this Italy of
ours. Thanks for everything president, you created for us
Milanisti a dream that lasted 30 years, and no one will be like
you".
Pippo Inzaghi, whose brace gave Milan sweet UCL revenge in 2007
for a 2005 upset to Liverpool, said "for me he will always
remain the great president, and I will always carry in my heart
his intelligence and hunger for victories".
Former Juve, Milan, Chelsea and Bayern boss Carlo Ancelotti, the
current Real Madrid manager who became a fixture of the Milan
midfield after moving from AS Roma after Ancelotti brought in
Sacchi to replace former Roma boss Nils Liedholm, and who won
the UCL as coach in 2003 and 2007, said he remembered Berlusconi
as being "ironic, loyal and sincere" ans said "today's sadness
does not wipe out the happy moments we spent together".
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