The Trouble With Silvio

As the Curva Sud honored Berlusconi with their coreo on Sunday, Silvio had a lot to say. He said he was touched by their efforts, for example, and pointed out that they had worked on it for three months. But they had plenty of time to work on it, because it’s been nearly six months since the deal for the sale of the club should have closed. And note there is an end date on the coreo. It’s 2016. The deal was repeatedly promised to close by the end of this year. But now Berlusconi seems to be meddling once again, so much so that the deal could fall through altogether, according to sources in the media and his own words. Because it used to be that everything Silvio touched turned to trophies. But now everything he touches falls apart. And that is the trouble with Silvio.

Take that, you idiot(s)!

After the Derby on Sunday, Silvio Berlusconi told Milan News:

"We have valid assurances that it will close on 13th [December]. We believe there are no obstacles in obtaining the authorizations that are needed by the Chinese State, and so we think it will happen on this set date."

"The Chinese have insisted that I remain in that role. I said I would not consider remaining as President in a club run by others. I was offered the honorary Presidency, without the election of an Executive President who is different from me.”

"I think that such a situation could be implemented, but I should have the opportunity to intervene in matters relating to the transfer market and also to field questions. If these conditions are allowed, I'll try to accept the honorary Presidency.” (via football-italia.net)

"The coreo is pretty good, but they failed to capture my fabulous orange skintone" #FakeQuotes

First of all, why does everyone keep talking about the difficulties of getting €420m out of China? The Suning Group came to Inter, with full disclosure, and in less than half the time Sino Europe has been yanking Milan around, was able to get €307m out of China and purchase 70% of the club. That cannot be the obstacle.

Speaking of obstacles, Sino Europe still hasn’t disclosed the people who are buying the club. No one from the organization has met with the FIGC, a courtesy the Suning Group easily afforded. So isn’t it more likely that the holdup is related to the secrecy and games that the Sino Europe Group are playing? That maybe they still don’t have the buyers and the necessary funds locked down?

There is another probability, although maybe it’s a combination of these two that is holding up the deal. That probability is Silvio himself. The negotiations for the deal went the fastest and the most smoothly when he was in the hospital following his heart surgery, and not in the media making comments like how the Chinese ate their babies and such. He waffled back and forth so long, I’m impressed that the Sino Europe group didn’t just walk away. And now his comments above about his role at the club put the deal in further jeopardy. But that is the trouble with Silvio. He just can’t leave well enough alone.

The man prefers to live in the past rather than allow the club to find its future

On Sunday he also said:

"If I will not be able to conclude a deal with these Chinese partners, I have in mind a project of creating an entire team made up of young Italians, preferably who have emerged from our youth team.” (via football-italia.net)

This was after a week when it was revealed that he came to Milanello twice the week before Mihajlovic started Donnarumma ahead of Diego Lopez. Silvio was so adamant to not start the young player that Mihajlovic put his job on the line and said Silvio could fire him, but that he would start the youngster. It was also revealed this week that Mihajlovic was the only person who wanted Romagnoli, including Silvio, who thought he was too young and too expensive. So the two most important players of the youth movement Silvio is trying to take credit for were players that Silvio did not even want in his club, let alone in his starting eleven.

"If they think I'm letting go of this club now that the youth movement is successful in spite of me, they're dead wrong" #FakeQuotes

This youth movement, which was borne of his empty pockets and negligence of the club, he is taking credit for, even if he has fought against it every step of the way. Remember Mihajlovic was fired after he tried to sub Locatelli for Montolivo in the Juve match. The firing was a move that no one supported. Not fans, not other people in football, not even Galliani. His meddling went too far, and everyone paid for it. But now he wants to take credit for the very things he fought against. He just can’t help himself.

And so we face the potential of losing this deal now to sell the club, largely because he still cannot let go and stop meddling. Well that, and he picked a group who clearly don’t have it together, either. But maybe that’s what he wanted. To hold us all hostage for even longer while he yanks our chains and screws us over once again. He’s got us all right where he wants us, to fill his sick need for control and power, even if he is now virtually financially impotent. Well there is that €100m from Sino Europe. If the deal falls through, that is a nice tidy sum for all of his troubles. And that is the trouble with Silvio.

This post inspired by the music of New Order’s “Power, Corruption, and Lies”

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Empoli vs. Milan

Saturday, November 26 • 20:45 CET (2:45pm EST)

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