President Silvio Berlusconi is confident Milan can turn their season around, spoke of his transfer regrets and tipped Andrea Pirlo for the future Ballon d’Or.

“After August 31 we had a few incidents, negative conditions and bad luck, but the team has certainly not played badly,” assured the patron after a shaky start to the campaign.

“We are not worried, as our attention is already focused towards Tokyo. The Club World Cup is one of our great objectives.”

As reigning European champions, the Rossoneri will travel to Japan in December for what was once called the Intercontinental Cup.

“Our plan is to have Ronaldo in top shape for Tokyo. I spoke to him and Carlo Ancelotti, expressly asking to stay calm and prudent. Then from January onwards he can form a Brazilian super trio with Kaka and Alexandre Pato.”

Kaka is on target to win both the Ballon d’Or and the FIFA World Player of the Year award, but the President reserves praise for one of his Milan teammates.

“Pirlo deserves the Ballon d’Or. He has an introverted character that means he doesn’t hit the headlines the way some others do, but on the field he dominates the side and always organises the play with inspired trajectories.”

Someone causing problems at San Siro is Nelson Dida, who received a two-match Champions League ban for feigning injury in a fan attack at Celtic Park.

“Dida is a quiet lad and cannot be condemned for one mistake,” Berlusconi told the ‘Gazzetta dello Sport’ in a live webchat this evening.

“I have no regrets, because Dida is a great goalkeeper and plays on despite a shoulder injury. I think it might have been better not to field him at all in Glasgow, as he was not 100 per cent fit.”

Milan have made some excellent transfer signings in recent years, but the businessman admits he has regrets over some deals.

“Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a real champion and we would have signed him had it not been for the injustice of the Calciopoli penalties and trial (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/ohmy.gif) . It had all been decided, then the delays meant it went the way we all saw,” he said of the Inter star.

“Am I angry? No, just disappointed to see him play with an Inter jersey. The only mistake I can say our transfer guru Ariedo Braida made was not pointing out Zinedine Zidane. He brought us Christophe Dugarry without realising there was this incredible talent in the same side.”

This week Milan denied that Chelsea had made a £100m offer for Kaka and Berlusconi explained why this could not become another Andriy Shevchenko case.

“Kaka is happy with us, has never expressed any desire to leave and will remain as long as he wears the Rossoneri jersey with pride. Any sum of money will certainly not change my mind.

“Shevchenko was not sold by the club, it was he who asked us for a transfer due to family issues. I had a paternal rapport with him and even stepped in to help when his father needed heart surgery in Italy. His wife’s attitude proved to be insurmountable.”

Then from January onwards he can form a Brazilian super trio with Kaka and Alexandre Pato

dude.. where's my GILA?

Ronaldinho won 2 world player of the year awards by this time.

World Player of the Year is a popularity contest, nothing more.

He was the best player in the world when he won the awards (IMG:http://cyrus.medialayer.net/~m1ke/milanfan.com/forums/style_emoticons/default/rolleyes.gif)

I think what jbryant1 is saying, is Gila at the same age where Ronaldo had won those awards unanimously .. Yet he has yet to prove decisive for Milan. Which IMO, is true. We were expecting something extraordinary when he came, what we got was the complete opposite.

You can't compare Gila to Ronaldo, simple as that.

Ronaldo at his best is up there with the greats of the game. Gila is an Italian goal poacher, can't see how you caould possibly compare the 2.

piranha doll