AC Milan, Monza to honor Berlusconi with annual friendly

AC Milan and Monza will honour Silvio Berlusconi with an annual friendly named after their deceased former owner, the two Serie A teams announced on Thursday.

In a joint statement, the clubs said that the first edition of the Silvio Berlusconi Trophy would be held at Monza’s U-Power Stadium on August 8, with the match switching venues each year.

“The initiative aims to honour and keep alive the memory of president Silvio Berlusconi, who wrote indelible pages in both clubs’ histories,” the clubs said.

Former Italian prime minister and media mogul Berlusconi, who died last month aged 86, was an extremely divisive figure in the country’s political and cultural spheres.

But his enormous success as a club owner earned him the admiration of legions of fans.

He reigned supreme at Milan from 1986 until 2017, buying an ailing club on the brink of bankruptcy and turning them into titans of the European game.

During his time at the San Siro, Milan won 29 trophies, including f

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