Ex-AC Milan owner, Italy PM Silvio Berlusconi dies at 86

 

Carlo Ancelotti among others pay tribute to AC Milan's ex-owner Silvio Berlusconi who passed away aged 86:

AC Milan, the football club which won a host of domestic and European titles under Silvio Berlusconi's ownership, called him "unforgettable" in a tribute after his death aged 86 Monday.

Thank you, Mr President. Always with us," the club said in a statement, adding it was "grieving the passing of the unforgettable Silvio Berlusconi".

"Tomorrow, we will dream of new ambitions, create new challenges, and seek new victories. Which will represent the good, the strong, and the true that lies inside us, in all of us who shared this adventure of binding our lives to a dream called Milan," the statement continued.

Former longtime AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi, who three times served as Italy prime minister, died on Monday. He was 86.

Berlusconi bought the Rossoneri in 1986 and helped the club to a hugely successful period that included 29 trophies, including five Champions League titles, eight Serie A titles, five European Cups and the Coppa Italia.

He sold Milan to a Chinese consortium in 2017 but bought Monza the following year, since guiding the club from Serie C up to Serie A.

Berlusconi was the ultimate presidente in an era when Italian football was still a family-run business commanded by powerful men, alongside the Agnellis at Juventus and the Morattis at Inter Milan.

Berlusconi, who was Italy prime minister during 1994-5, 2001-2006 and 2008-11, had been suffering from leukemia and recently developed a lung infection. He was hospitalised on Friday for the second time in months. He also suffered over the years from heart ailments, prostate cancer and was hospitalised for COVID-19 in 2020.

He was Italy's longest-serving leader since World War II amid numerous scandals over his personal life and allegations of corruption.