Gattuso: ‘To me, Berlusconi is immortal’

Former Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso says Silvio Berlusconi is ‘immortal’ to him: ‘It seems impossible that he could be dead.’ The former Milan and Monza president passed away yesterday after a battle with Leukemia, and speaking with Tuttomercatoweb, Gattuso shared his memories of the time he spent with the legendary Milan owner:

Gattuso, your memory of Berlusconi?

“He was a man with impressive charisma. He changed the history of Milan. We only had to think about wearing boots, when he spoke he would get inside you. He was extraordinary. He always had the right words for every situation. But, should I tell the truth?”

Please.

“To me he is immortal. You think about it and it seems impossible that Silvio Berlusconi could be dead. Twenty days ago just out of the hospital he made that video at the Forza Italia party showing incredible strength. One day was not enough for him to finish his work. No, he cannot be dead.”

The anecdotes I imagine are many….

“When before important matches I would go to his room he would say ‘how are they?’ He would refer to the names of my family members. He remembered them all. Victory was important but it had to come with performance. He wanted his Milan to express pleasant, beautiful football.”

Did he sometimes interfere in the choices?

“If he did he was good because we didn’t notice anything. He always respected the balance. On my part I hardly saw any strange behavior. He was a great president.”