"Thank you for your birthday wishes (he turns 71
today), but birthdays are celebrated until a certain age and I think I got over
that age. I remember there was a surprise party that was organized by
Florentino Perez in 2002, we were in Madrid to celebrate Real's century, Bayern
and Liverpool also participated in the organization. That year went well,
because at the end of the season we won the Champions League against Juventus.
The gift I would like to receive? A pleasing season for Milan, with qualification
to the Champions League."
"As a child I dreamed of becoming the president of AC
Monza, the city where I was born. I was in love with football but I didn't have
the quality to be a footballer. As Humphrey Bogart says in Casablanca “never
make plans that far ahead.". I now would like to take care of Milan, then
I'll go to the beach in Rio [Brazil]. My resignation two years ago? Again, as Humphrey
Bogart says "That's so long ago, I don't remember."
"Are these the most difficult months since I came to Milan?
Absolutely yes, but in life you have to look forward and not think about the
past. Barbara had to take on some roles. It was a normal situation, the new
structure was decided by the President. We first accepted then we shared
responsibilities between the two of us. Accepted with difficulty? For me, yes.
It was a little hard for me but we are now in full agreement. Would I have
gotten big severance pay from Milan? I am not an employee at Milan, I'm a
director and a director doesn't get a severance payment when he leaves.
When will Mr. Bee enter Milan? For this question you need to
meet with the owners. If I don't want to have a strong sporting director in the
club? I don't see the problem. This is my 30th year at Milan and I
have a lot of relations and believe that I can handle Milan's transfer market .
I also have Rocco Maiorino who is the head of scouting system and I decide
everything with the coach, following the advice of the president. Anyways
Braida was the sporting director from 1986 till 2013."
My relationship with Maldini is good. Paolo is a Milan
legend, I never had any problem with him and I have no preclusion about him. I
had offered him to be the manager of Milan's youth sector with a wide influence,
but he refused. My biggest mistake? Letting Pirlo leave. It was my error in the
partnership with others, don't ask me who. The choice of Mihajlovic is a signal
of discontinuity to the few previous years, he has all the characteristics we
need at Milanello now, and he reminds me of Capello. Why did I have a hopeless
trip to Madrid for Ancelotti? It wasn't hopeless; Ancelotti was very tempted to
return to Milan. The main reason he didn't come back was his surgery that would
force him to stay for two months out."
"Ibrahimovic is under contract with PSG until June 30,
2016, there is nothing else to say. Romagnoli? We offered Roma €25m but if they
don't want to sell him they won't sell him, if he doesn't come we'll remain as
we are. Can this Milan compete for the Scudetto? We believe that it may be a
Milan that can compete with other big teams for the first three places. This
Milan changed the coach, technical staff and ten new players between new
signings, players returning and players promoted from the Primavera. Milan has
for many years without a regista (midfielder in front of the defense)? Not
true, De Jong and Montolivo have the necessary characteristics. Few teams have
a regista like Pirlo. Why did we extend the contracts of Mexes and De Jong?
Because they can still give a lot, and they have showed that in the last derby
in China."
"Having limited resources in recent markets? I wouldn’t
say it’s been frustrating, every market has different dynamics. Money and
investment are important, but they don’t guarantee results. Jackson Martinez?
He chose Atletico Madrid. But we are happy because we have Bacca: great player,
coached by a talented man in Sevilla; and yes, Emery was a strong contender for
Milan last year."
"At the dinner at Arcore between the President and
Mihajlovic, they both came to an agreement to use the 4-3-1-2 with 2 strikers.
Thus, Adriano and Bacca will play together. He then decided to move Menez on
the frontline and to try El Shaarawy as a left midfielder – to which he first
agreed. However, when the offer from Monaco came, his preference was to leave.
Failing to qualify for the Champions League for the third year in a row
wouldn’t be the end of the world, but definitely a failure of sorts."
"The President & I? With the president, I have a
relationship prior to football that dates back to November 1979. Since that day
we have always been in tune. Do we disagree? We talk a lot, always. And at the
end these conversations, we find ourselves in agreement. The President is
democratic, he does not rely on his authority, but seeks to convince by reasoning.
The hardest thing I tried to convince him of was the confirmation of Allegri in
the summer of 2013. Of course, due to a terrible run in form, Allegri was
eventually sacked in January 2014."
"The League (Serie A), with twenty shareholders, has many
ideas and projects. But it is simplistic and wrong to define them as
conservative executives who are in government and the innovators who oppose
them. Tavecchio had a lot of critics a year ago but he has worked well and
brought many changes."
"Would I give up this success to start over again 30
years ago? Absolutely not. It will be hard to do 8 Champions League finals in
18 years as it happened the Milan of Berlusconi. It will be impossible for any
Italian team."
"How much have I enjoyed life on a scale of 1-10? I do
not like the term enjoyed, I prefer to live life. How much I understand
football on a scale of 1-10? Football is like a religion and has joyful
mysteries as well as sorrowful mysteries. I have not yet figured it out after
30 years. How sincere was I in this interview? Ten."
"The best Milan team? I’ll put down the players who
have given the most to the club over the years. Rossi in goal because his
record remains unbeaten. Of course it will have Tassotti, Costacurta, Baresi
and Maldini in defense. It will have Pirlo, Rijkaard and Seedorf as the
midfielders with Gullit and Kaka as attacking midfielders. Then there’ll be
Shevchenko, van Basten and Inzaghi up front. The best Milan coaches were
Sacchi, Capello and Ancelotti.”
Извор: Milan Fans
Извор: Milan Fans