Berlusconi bemoans foreign footballers
AC Milan owner and former Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi has expressed disconcert at the growing presence of foreign investors and players in the Italian leagues, quotidiano.net reports.
"What happened is that Arabs, Russians and Indonesians arrived," Berlusconi said as he recalled the years when he was buying top European players like Rudd Gullit and Marco van Basten.
"These are people with extraordinary financial means, who have turned the market upside down.
"I have to say that seeing all these foreigners playing in Italian teams leaves me perplexed. It hurts me to see many Italian teams with 11 foreign players on the pitch.
"For the future of my Milan I would like to have a full roster of Italian players. And possibly all of them being champions."
Berlusconi, a 78-year-old media entrepreneur turned politician, has owned Milan since 1986, lifting eight national titles on a total of 18 and five of the club's seven European titles.
In 1993, he founded the centre-right party Forza Italia, which he still chairs as it supports a majority led by Matteo Renzi, of the centre-left Partito Democratico.
Berlusconi was found guilty of tax evasion in 2013 and was stripped of his seat at the Senate and of the title of Cavaliere del lavoro, or knight of labour.
