Former AC Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi has died at the age of 86, Italian media have confirmed.
Berlusconi, who is the longest-serving Italian Prime Minister in history and had four spells in office, was in charge of the Rossoneri from 1986 until 2017 and recently held the same presidential role with Lombardy outfit Monza.
According to reports, the billionaire businessman died at the San Raffaele hospital in Milan after suffering from serious health problems.
He had been admitted to the facility for routine medical checks, having been in intensive care at the hospital in April for treatment on a lung infection linked to leukemia.
Berlusconi also had open heart surgery in 2016 and had complications following on from contracting coronavirus.
He was a controversial figure to say the least, having been known for hosting "bunga bunga" sex parties involving prostitutes.
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And only this season, Berlusconi had promised to bring a "bus full of w****s" for Monza players if they beat against Milan or Juventus.
Speaking at the club's Christmas party, he said: "I told the guys...now you will play Milan, Juventus. If you win against one of these top teams, I'll bring a bus of w****s into the locker room."
The comments, as expected, caused a huge stir. But when Monza beat Juventus 2-0, Berlusconi followed up by telling
La Repubblica, "I already received 100 calls asking me to stand by my word."
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Monza's social media account also reacted by posting a picture of the team bus without a caption.
Berlusconi took the reins at Monza in 2018 when they were in Serie C and oversaw their promotion to the top flight, an achievement he ranks higher than anything he accomplished with Milan.
“I am still the most winning football president in the world, thanks to my Milan," Berlusconi said, as per Tribal Football.
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"But this time, thanks to Adriano Galliani, who convinced me to take on this new adventure three years ago in Serie C, we made something extraordinary: give a place like Monza a spot they deserve in Serie A.
“Personally, I want to be the protagonist. Perhaps, not in the first season, but I want to compete with the top clubs. You know that I've won everything with Milan, but the emotions felt during the days of Monza's promotion were something unique, superior to any success obtained with the Rossoneri, with who I still have a close bond."
Josh Lawless