Will Berlusconi keep his promises?

SILVIO BERLUSCONI has promised a champion to arrive this summer and trophies. Meytar Zeevi wonders whether he can live up to this.

It’s been going like this in the last couple of years, every time the same promise on behalf of Milan chiefs Silvio Berlusconi and CEO Adriano Galliani: AC Milan will start winning again. After the year of 2007, Milan have gotten really nothing – not in Italy, not in Europe. No investment, just words, sometimes, meaning words.

It happened again, Milan promised a ‘champion’ and to start winning again. After so much time without a trophy to be added on the ledge, can Milan stand up to their promise and finally fulfill it?

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Let’s start from the champion promise. At the moment, it seems that the only reason behind this promise (which will probably be fulfilled) is to satisfy the angry fans. The Rossoneri fans have been protesting (see Milan-Juventus as an example), they are unhappy to say the least. They want players, good players. Sometimes they even don’t care how much it is going to cost, they just want players who can finally bring back the name AC Milan to the front headlines (not in the context of loss).

As things stand now, Luis Fabiano (29-year-old) is AC Milan’s No. 1 target. After failing through with Wolfsburg’s Bosnian Edin Dzeko last summer, they were trying to get the Brazilian Sevilla man, but there was no agreement over the transfer fee. Nonetheless, they are set to try again. Perhaps the management does not read blogs about their team – most of the fans believe Fabiano is too old for AC Milan, and if not too old then overrated. An arrival of the Brazilian might please only the ones who believe Luis is in the right age, and he’s very skillful – though, that’s what we said about Klaas-Jan Huntelaar last summer.

Most of the fans don’t even want a striker. They (and me among them) believe that Milan need two good fullbacks, Domenico Criscito and Nicolas Otamendi perhaps. True, it might be expensive, but an arrival of one of them will be paid-off in the future, as they are both 23 with unarguable talent (Criscito is Italy national team left-back; Otamendi is still a sub, but Diego Maradona trusted him and took him to South Africa, because he can play in all roles of the defense). And if not fullbacks then a good midfielder. Milan are very short in midfield, and an arrival of someone like Ganso (Santos, 20-year-old) could be very positive. In anytime, Milan can promote someone from the Primavera team.

Pleasing such spoiled fans will be hard, but Milan should try to find a champion we will all like.

The second promise, the one that never happens, is “Milan will be back big-time and start winning, and it will make it very soon.” These words leave nothing but impression. There is not guarantee to this Mr. Silvio Berlusconi. Last year the Prime Minister promised the same thing, and it had never happened. Inter won the Serie A, the Coppa Italia and the Champions League. Milan? Milan won 20 Serie A games, and few more matches in the other competitions – maybe he meant to these kind of wins.

A change is need, and it should be quick. A change in mind. Vice President Galliani is known as one of the most creative men in football, but only if he has money in his hands. Like Berlusconi always said, Milan made him the greatest President in the history of football, better than Real Madrid’s legendary Santiago Bernabéu Yeste. Berlusconi reiterates that he spends €50 million a year on Milan, but perhaps he counts also the wages. Milan fans don’t find these statements interesting – they, unlike Berlusconi, have already learned that in today’s football, without money, you’ll eventually find yourself trophyless.

Should we really buy these promises? After all, Silvio Berlusconi is a politician…

By Meytar Zeevi, Rossoneri Blog