Former premier and media
magnate Silvio Berlusconi on Wednesday denied he was planning to
sell Serie A club AC Milan for the umpteenth time.
"Despite numerous denials, rumours of a possible Milan sale
have started circulating again," he said in a statement.
"Silvio Berlusconi reaffirms, yet again, that they are
groundless".
Berlusconi bought Milan in 1986 and bankrolled a triumphant
spell that saw them take their Serie A title tally to 18 and
their European Cup/Champions hail to seven.
Success has been rarer of late and the Rossoneri have
incurred the owner's displeasure with their most recent
performances.
On Sunday Berlusconi criticised his team for failing to
beat players who earn far less money than they do, while
expressing his concern at Milan's current plight.
The Milan chairman vented his anger in the wake of Sunday's
1-0 defeat to Atalanta, a result which left the Rossoneri seven
points adrift of third position and compromised their hopes of
returning to Europe after a one-year hiatus next season.
"I'm more concerned than I am angry," Berlusconi told
ANSA.
"I realise we are no longer in the times when we can beat
Barcelona, but it's unacceptable losing against a side whose
players earn five times less than we do."
It was not the first time this season either, after Milan
were also humbled at home by Sassuolo while they have also been
beaten by Palermo and Genoa, in addition to league leaders
Juventus.
As a result, crisis talks were held on Monday with joint
CEO Adriano Galliani spending an hour talking to the players at
their Milanello training camp.
Along with the other CEO, Berlusconi's daughter Barbara,
Galliani then met with the boss with the future of coach Filippo
Inzaghi also on the agenda.
Inzaghi nevertheless said on Monday that he feels he enjoys
his club's support still, adding that he "will carry on with the
conviction, the ideas and the determination I have got."
The former Milan and Juve goal-poacher was appointed in the
summer to replace former Milan midfielder Clarence Seedorf, who
lasted only four months on the Rossoneri bench after
Massimiliano Allegri - now at Juve - was sacked a year ago.
Seedorf was unable to earn Milan a place in Europe as they
finished down in eighth - the same position they find themselves
in at the midway stage of the current campaign.
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