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Silvio Berlusconi, the late Italian Prime Minister and ex-owner of AC Milan, who died recently at the age of 86, was a visionary and influential figure in the world of football. Berlusconi transformed Milan into a European powerhouse, winning eight Serie A titles and five Champions League trophies during his 31-year reign.
The tycoon also foresaw the future of football back in 2007, when he made a prophetic statement about the decline of Serie A and the rise of the Premier League and the Arab investors.
In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport in November 2007, Berlusconi said, "I see Serie A getting more and more poor. We’re leaders now but in 15 years we’ll be a supermarket. The EPL will be the number one league with everyone else behind them. We don’t have funds. Then the Arabs will come into football and we don’t have any appeal anymore. There’s no infrastructure or new stadiums. We’re still behind by 30 years."
He also mentioned that clubs in England and Germany are improving their academies while Italian teams are ‘standing still’. Berlusconi's prediction turned out to be remarkably accurate, as Serie A has lost its status as one of the top leagues in Europe, while the Premier League has become the most popular and lucrative league in the world.
According to KhelNow, Serie A is now the fifth most-watched league in the world, even behind the Ligue 1 and Mexican Liga Apertura. It has also fallen to fourth in the Global Football rankings which signifies the strength of the league. No Serie A team has won the Champions League in the last 12 years with Inter Milan being the last Italian team to win the trophy in the 2009-10 season.
The Arab investors have also made their presence felt, buying clubs like Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Newcastle United, and spending lavishly on players and managers. Berlusconi himself sold Milan to a Chinese consortium in 2017 for €740 million, ending his long and successful association with the club. The politician later bought Monza, a third-tier club, and led them to promotion to Serie A for the first time in their history.
Berlusconi foresaw the future of football and the Italian management has since done nothing to improve the league. The teams in Italy have also failed to utilize the young talent in their squad with any team rarely giving minutes to their young prospects. The Italian national team has also gone downhill after Euro success as they failed to qualify for the 2022 World Cup. Berlusconi’s death has been mourned by many figures in football, politics, and entertainment, who have paid tribute to his legacy and achievements.
