Silvio Berlusconi dies at the age of 86
The former Italian prime minister was admitted on Friday to the San Raffaele hospital in Milan due to his delicate state of health as a result of the leukemia that afflicted him
Former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi died this Monday at the age of 86 in the Milan hospital where he had been hospitalized for several days, suffering from leukemia.
Berlusconi’s health had worsened in recent months, and concern increased in the last few hours. Several members of his family had moved to the center this Monday morning, reports the AdnKronos agency.
Berlusconi’s political life
He was the founder of Forza Italia, he was the head of the Italian Government three times: between May 1995 and January 1995, between June 2001 and May 2006 and between May 2008 and November 2011. His party is also a member of the current government coalition, together with Matteo Salvini’s League and Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy.
Although he had never strayed from the political and media spotlight, Berlusconi returned to an elected position in the last elections, as a senator, oblivious to the judicial, business and personal controversies that have plagued him for practically his entire political career.
Football, his passion
Berlusconi was the owner of AC Milan between 1986 and 2017 and was also top manager in two stages, being the architect of the best AC Milan in history with Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello on the benches, and he had also owned AC Monza since 2018.
With ‘Il Cavaliere’ as president, especially in his first term between 1986 and 2004, the ‘rossoneri’ team took a step forward in Europe. Under his presidency, AC Milan won 26 titles, including 5 Champions Leagues and 7 ‘Scudetti’ in Serie A.
Undoubtedly, the most successful president in the history of the Milan club. With the idea of dominating ‘calcio’ in Italy, but also in Europe, he knew how to hit the key on several occasions and bet on Italian talent on the bench, outside with Sacchi, Capello or Carlo Ancelotti.
The European reconquest began with Arrigo Sacchi and his immortals. Berlusconi knew how to bring together Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta or Franco Baresi with Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit or Frank Rijkaard. As a result, two ‘Champions’ and winning the Ballon d’Or podium in two consecutive seasons, with remembered victories such as the 5-0 defeat of Real Madrid in the semifinals of the 1989 European Cup.
And from those immortals he went to the invincibles of Fabio Capello, with yet another Champions League and dominating most of the tournaments in Italy. With Capello, the fifth ‘Orejona’ came in 1994 with a 4-0 win over Barça’s ‘Dream Team’ and Johan Cruyff, in Athens. A Milan feared by all.
The last great era of Berlusconi’s Milan came with former player Carlo Ancelotti on the bench. Juventus and Liverpool were the victims of the sixth and seventh, and last, Champions League of the Milan team, which in 2008 saw Berlusconi leave the presidency to make way for the terms, between interim, of Adriano Galliani.
“Deeply saddened, AC Milan mourns the passing of the unforgettable Silvio Berlusconi and wishes to reach out to his dearest family, partners and friends to share our condolences,” AC Milan said in a statement, thanking its president. “Always with us,” he concluded.
Source: dpa
(Reference image source: Wolfgang Kumm / dpa)
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