Carlo Pellegatti is hoping that the new AC Milan management succeed after Paolo Maldini and Ricky Massara were sacked, while he picked out three names for the summer window.
It will be an intriguing summer for the Rossoneri and it has started in a quite remarkable way with Maldini and Massara departing less than two days after the final game of the season, while the news of Silvio Berlusconi’s passing was another huge blow.
The well-known Milan journalist Pellegatti spoke to Siti Scommesse about his memory of former President Silvio Berlusconi, the derby with Inter and what the summer might hold.
It seems right to start with a greeting and a tribute to Silvio Berlusconi, the one who was the most successful president of Milan and of Italian football. What memories do you have of him? Is there an anecdote you want to tell us?
“And perhaps of world football… Silvio Berlusconi was a teacher, a teacher for me who was lucky enough to work at Mediaset. Because then, especially at the beginning, when he was not yet involved in political activity, he personally followed all the broadcasts, corrected us, made us improve already as a professional teacher and already as a teacher of journalism. Not so much on the content of the piece but more on the form.
“I’ll give you an example that may be useful: when it comes to commentary, it’s natural to say: ‘Here there are Milan and Inter. Milan lacks this and this, Inter lacks this and this…’ he didn’t want to, he said let’s talk about those present, let’s celebrate those who are there because otherwise, if we start saying that all these players are missing, the show will be silly.
“Another small detail was always looking into his eyes. When you sit down in front of an interlocutor for an interview, just so as not to make him uncomfortable, you shouldn’t start looking at your notebooks while he’s talking, and even me personally, when I’m talking to someone who maybe is distracted because he’s thinking to the other question to something else, it’s something that irritates me.
“So, these are the memories, the compliments he gave me, above all to say that I have always been an added value for Milan… But as you notice, my voice is loud, because Silvio Berlusconi is a lover of life, he is an enthusiast , the heartbroken voice would not have pleased him.”
Staying on the subject of farewells, the transfer window will begin shortly and the Maldini-Massara duo will not be in charge…
“This week is full of traumas, even unexpected ones. Clearly there is no way to compare the two things, however, in his way, even losing Paolo Maldini was a trauma. There had been differences for some time which had been overcome for the good of Milan with the right cohesion.
“Perhaps the latest differences on the philosophy of the next transfer market has precipitated things. Clearly, the AC Milan fan was shocked because Paolo Maldini was not only in charge of the market in this historical phase together with Ricky Massara.
“Paolo would have celebrated 70 years of a Maldini at Milan, given that Cesare started in ’54, so it was a shock. I can only say that now I’m rooting for those who are there today. Because if, for reasons of principle, I had to cheer for Paolo Maldini because I would always like to, it would mean cheering against Milan.
“I therefore hope that these are very good and buy great players and make a great Milan. Because above all there is always Milan, of course.”
And if you were in the management framework, give us three names, one for each department, on which in your opinion Milan should focus for next season…
“I’ll give you three names that probably won’t come but I’ll tell you Marcus Thuram, who has to give an answer and I’d like him. I’d like a fast player like Sinisterra from Leeds on the right or left wing.
“While it seems a little further away now, I would have liked Loftus-Cheek too. These are the 3 names, it is clear that even Milinkovic-Savic as number ten would have been the best. But I would also like my horse to win the Arc de Triomphe, but…”
Sticking with fantasy football, who would you like for the post-Pioli era? The names we’ll give you are Sarri, Italiano and De Zerbi…
“I won’t get into this because Pioli will be next year’s coach, so we’ll enjoy that. Should one of these three coaches come, it means that Pioli didn’t go well and obviously I would be sorry.
“Therefore, I hope that Milan will continue with Pioli, I don’t know about the others. Of the three, perhaps the most curious figure is that of De Zerbi.”
