Berlusconi: "Sheva wants Milan" Saturday 11 November, 2006

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Milan President Silvio Berlusconi caused shockwaves by claiming Andriy Shevchenko has asked for a return to Serie A.

“I spoke to Shevchenko most recently yesterday,” he said from the stands of San Siro for tonight’s match with Roma.

“He rang me up and I was very pleased to hear from him, as I was with many people at the time who sent him an affectionate round of applause. Naturally a chant of ‘Sheva, return to us’ started up and he said he’d like that very much.”

It’s no secret that the Ukrainian has struggled to adapt to the Premiership since his £30m summer move to Chelsea.

He has scored just four goals in 14 official appearances for the club and is said to be finding it difficult to make friends in London.

Berlusconi’s statement will surely fire up already existing speculation that Shevchenko could return to the Rossoneri next season, or even as early as January.

It would be a valuable boost for Milan, who are having problems hitting the back of the net this term with Alberto Gilardino, Ricardo Oliveira and Pippo Inzaghi all stuttering.

However, the patron – and former Prime Minister – denied that Oliveira would be loaned to a Brazilian club mid-season.

“You can tell Oliveira is a great player, you only have to look at what he achieved in Brazil and Spain. He had a fitness problem he hasn’t quite recovered from yet and is in the middle of a painful family matter, so he needs time to work through these things, but I know of no request to go back to South America.”

Oliveira’s sister was kidnapped in Brazil last month and it’s believed he’ll return home to be closer to his family during this difficult time.

From: Channel4.com

what is going on ?? did Sheva's wife had enough shopping in London ? Or Sheva is not learning english as quickly as he liked ?

Bring him home

Ditto.

Are we going to hear the...

"Non è un brasiliano però, che gol che fa, il fenomeno lascialo là qui c'è Sheva!!!"

... again? I doubt it, but as adidas says "Impossible is nothing".

I can't accept this.
but i admit it would be a dream to see Sheva again in Rossoneri shirt.
one thing i never doubt, Sheva misses us.

Could Abramovic let go of him after just a couple of months ?!

I mean, SIlvio's words could have been taken out of context !!!

I am getting mixed feelings now

It was written before his excellent game tonight. I think that after a few these performances nobody will let him leave.

He won't come back, even though I'd love to see him with the Milan shirt again. I blame him for leaving us but then when I think it was his wife's will to go to London then I come to understand his decision. Let's just say it, 75% of the reason he left was his wife's wish to move in England, the other 35% are money etc. English lessons? 0%. That was just a big lie. Meh, why are we still discussing this?

tch tch tch, i do NOT want him back.. it's too late now

You mean 25% . And nomather what - I would always take Sheva back. He just is a son of MILAN!

sheva come home please!!

Ooops, yeah, I meant 25%

really unrealistic,
after all he is roman's pet LOL

well i think he will, sadly, end in chelsea.
but if i'm proven wrong, I would welcome him with open arms and hugs

that would definately be a nice gift!

Perhaps they meant Sheva's return as a present to us??!

I had that feeling when he left, and I keep hanging on it...but I don`t belive in such news. Andriy will soon launch a demant of all that I think...

What about his wife, and their kids? And their London dream?

It's really hard to believe in a come back. Probably fanta-calcio...

his son was born on 10th november, and is named Christian

oh thats very good news.
i want Sheva, Oddo and Jorge Andrade
in milan shirt.

Ha-ha !!

Some still think he may come !!?


I'd go for Van Basten instead ... I still can't get his diving header from last year out of my mind !!

The return of the king!

(As you are a sexed craved Hobbit thought you'd appreciate that!)

First of all I don't want him back!!

But the most important thing is, he ain't coming, there is simply no way he would come back, not because of his wife and the already paid for English lessons, but because Abramovic would not let him leave, regardless of the fact that he wanted to come!! I don't really think he spent nearly 60 million € so that he could sell him again in January or just after 1 season, it's not realistic.

And I really don't think the fans would accept him again, not in the way they did before he left

I agree - Sheva's not coming back... I wish he had never left, it would never be the same even if he came back... it was sad but players come and go

The real problem was Adriano Galliani and that horrible transfer campaign... they had the opportunity to pick up Buffon, Zambrotta, Ibrahimovic, and Oddo.. imagine where this Milan team would be with those pickups...Instead, they got Oliviera and Bonera... the only promising pick up is Gourcuff

Starting next year - i would prefer it if Galliani and Ancelotti leave Milan - it's time to start fresh, we should not accept this - losing 4 consecutive games to Palermo, Inter, Atalanta, and Roma - are you joking?? we are MILAN!!!!!

YESSSSSSSSSSS !!!!!!!!!!!

I think the conversation has been taken out of context. Apparently(we have no direct quote) he'd like a return, but frankly, if his story on the reasons for his departure are also true, why wouldn't he? He didn't move for footballing reasons allegedly, but for personal/family reasons.
I do not see that their dream has been shattered so soon. Perhaps England isn't all they hoped of it (but in a patriotic way I don't see how!) but it is unfeasible. I don't doubt that Burlusconi would take him back, Ancelotti too, because look at us. We're sinking fast. We need a proven goalscorer, someone whose done the business for us time and time again to rescue us from this sinking ship. He might be ageing, but he's anything but past it yet. Given that at the present rate we will be very lucky if we manage to qualify for CL next season, desperation might mean Milan are open to such a move.

However, though I don't think Mourinho has any real affection for him, Abramovich does and he will be made to stay for the next 2 years at least I think.

Otherwise, bring him back I say. It is not us that would look silly, but him. At the end of the day we should be objective. Would it be beneficial for him to return. Answer must be yes given the hopelessness of our current strikers. Therefore, should it ever become possible, he should return.

However, as I say, if he didn't move for footballing reasons in the first place, I don't see how he plans to uproot and shift his dominatrix of a wife from her English Elysium.

Just the fact that Mourinho won't leave his club with 1.5 strikers, for CL that they so desperately want to win this year, is enough to realize that this won't happen.

Bah, Abramovich can do anything...he is able to buy 3 new strikers on the January window opening...But a Sheva comeback at this time is unlikable. But after one or two seasons, I wouldn`t exclude that possibility..

But how many good strikers he can buy that will be eligible for CL?

Torres anyone...

@Fillipo Simone: You want Shevchenko in 2 years? When he'll be 32? Oh my... well, he's going to play until 35 I believe but I think it's time for a refresh @ Milan. No more ol'fowards like Vieri or Amoroso.

yep and i would love to beat real at their own game and sign gago and higuain. those money crazed b@st@rds.

In January? Not likely

This whole story is a bunch of BS.

If you asked Scheva-- Would you like to return to Milan? Of course he would say he would like that. its not like he's going to say F you Silvio.

Silvio is losing his marbles. First all this Ronaldo and Ronaldinho talk and eventually getting us Ricardo Oliveira aka the big surprise.

The Milan crisis is all Galliani, Brieda, and Silvios fault they let this team down by not getting out their wallets and spending some real money. Instead we settle for the cheapest transfers possible. While all the big talent goes to Madrid, Barcelona, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal and Inter.

The more we lose, the worse we look to possible young talent as a transfer option.

For Scheva we could have got Drogba--considered the best in Europe this season. Gallas --who has more goals than Inzaghi or Gila as a defender. Or Crespo who has more goals this season than Inzgi and Gila combined.

Put your money where your mouth is.

@jbryant1 ..

U make perfect sense .. !! But what good is it looking at the short run, when in the long run we have been sucessful on many ocassions. It's true we lack in many areas on the pitch, but that isn't due to anyone's fault! You seem to forget that 3 months ago we might have been demoted to Serie B, then we would have had our CL spot taken away from us!

We were in serious trouble ..

But to blame the board for all of this is premature, IMO, cuz they have always acted wisely .. In a situation like ours we could have had Kaka leave along with Nesta, Dida, Pirlo, etc .. Just look at the clearance that happened at Juve and how Toni threatened to leave Fiorentina ! I mean, this was serious, it isn't that the board were stingy and wanted the team to crash in hell .. They probably thought otherwise, with an eye on their top players, the crisis, and the rebuilding phase!

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Many still keep bashing this board .. I am not a lawyer, but I can tell you one thing, if not for this board ALL of you wouldnt be Milan fans ! The name Milan would be affiliated with such clubs as Nottingham Forest, Leeds, Napoli etc etc .. The clubs that were once up there but failed miserably !

Look, I`ve grown with the Milan Silvio Berlusconi built, never watched the Milan before him, thta went down in deep sh@t...Silvio leads and runs the club now for over 20 years, and that`s a lot of good years and memories, trophies and championships...too many to forget all that for just one lousy season start, or a lousy summer market. I just can`t, cause I think the club owes that man, and with him also the board all the prestige and the titles qonquered. So we also owe that to him, just like we owe it to Gianni Rivera or Ruud Gullit. Do you get me ?

He can play the CL.

I know but they won't release their best player in the middle of the season. They want to qualify to europe.

Anyway I read today that Berlu just was trying to deflect attention from Milan's performances

Isn't that obvious?

Sadly yes.

Galliani rules out Sheva return Monday


Vice-President Adriano Galliani has denied that Andriy Shevchenko will return to Milan, despite Silvio Berlusconi’s latest claims.

The Ukrainian ace, who moved to Chelsea in a £30m deal during the summer, has struggled with the Blues and has only scored four goals in 14 appearances so far.

Berlusconi, however, made a shocking statement over the weekend, claiming Sheva had asked for a return to Serie A – only for Galliani to dismiss them just a day later.

“Shevchenko’s return is technically impossible," said Galliani on Monday. “He is a non-European player and his spot has been taken by Ricardo Oliveira.

“The President thinks ahead and speaks about feelings, but he doesn’t look at the acquisitions.

“There is no point in remembering the rest, that Sheva is a Chelsea player, that they paid many millions for him and this was a life choice, and so on,” concluded Galliani.

In the meantime, Shevchenko himself apparently denied that he is eyeing a return to the peninsula, although he confirmed he did speak with Berlusconi recently.

“There is nothing to these rumours,” the Ukrainian told Il Corriere della Sera newspaper.

“The comments on the fact that I would like to come back was said out of simple courtesy,” explained the striker.

Milan are currently fifth from bottom in Serie A, 20 points behind leaders Inter and Palermo after the defeat to Roma at the San Siro on Saturday evening.

One of their biggest problems has been goalscoring, particularly from their strikers. Pippo Inzaghi, Oliveira and Alberto Gilardino have scored just one goal each in Serie A this term."

Look Im not saying throw them out but they should be criticized for it. He should be criticized to the point where he starts to take action and make the necessary changes.

Of course they have built one of the best teams out there and is very respected.

I think he just overestimated the position that these players were in. He put alot of faith in Gilardino as the next Scheva. He put faith in our defenders to come through because they were effective towards the second half of last season.

But its like the hunger to win is not there. And Milan haven't won anything in several years. At least with Madrid, Inter, Barcelona, Chelsea and others they go out there and aggressively get talent to build a team. Their central focus is not on the 3rd richest club but the team that finished first place in the standings and won the CL.

HONESTLY I WOULDN'T LIKE SHEVA TO THE WEAR AC MILAN AGAIN.

HE LEFT AFTER THE FANS BEGGED HIM TO STAY AND AFTER THE TEAM STATED THAT HE WASN'T GOING TO BE TRADED.

¿ARE WE SUPPOSED TO DREAM WITH HIS RETURN AND WELCOME HIM WITH ARMS WIDE OPEN AFTER HE REJECTED US?

NO!

I'D LOVE TO SEE KLAAS JAN HUNTELAAR WEARING THE ROSSONERI SHIRT.

WE NEED YOUNG TALENT, NOT BENCH OLD PLAYERS TO REPLACE OLD STARTERS.

Milan will allways be a central focus for talents, but not the instant one-season talents that Chelsea or Madrid search for. I support the board if they wan`t to take it easy, send the scouts out all over and find a real potential. Like Kaka, Kaka is such a precious diamond, more worth than any talent-boomer at Real (for example Cicinho), Chelsea (that Nigerian one...Majkel or something like that ) or even Barca for the past three years. And if it takes more time to find such talents, as for I stand in, we should take that time.

Another point - I wanna make it clear - when Milan wins or ends up first, I am happy, I think of my own happieness as well as the happieness of the other supporters, and the club itself. The last thing I think of in that moment is who do we atract by winning foe ex. the CL. And that works also for the opposite side - when Milan starts loosing ground, or even fails to achieve some priorities, I also think first about myself, the other supporters and the club. I simply don`t care if the result will affect Kaka`s departure, cause I don`t chear for Milan so we can keep him. Also I don`t think of players we could have get if we`d won the CL. Who cares? Thats the main difference to Milan and Chelsea anyway - people don`t join us just for money and success, they join us cause we have tradition, history and emense quality, something that can offer only a few clubs in the world. I don`t care for players who would consider a Milan move only as a oppotunity for their own best. If that would happen, Milan would lost their soul and heart. Such luxurious thinking can`t be afford by a Sampdoria or Bologna fan, that can only afford a Milan fan...

And here we touched something else. The board problem - I think the problem with them is, they simply can`t adapt that easily on the changes in the
business lately. The team had in the past 20 years allway a ground in players like Maldini, Billy or Baresi, players with a Milan heart and true devotion. Now, for the first time Milan has not only to upgrade and change the superficial appearrance (like that transformation when we lost MvB -- got Weah;or the change after Weah with Sheva), Milan has to deal with changes inside it`s very own core, the central part of our complex. Such problems where avoided in the years when Baresi and Tasotti retired cause Milan had already found and prepared replacements in Maldini, Costacurta and Albertini.

The situation now, is very different. With our Capitano and Billy leaving Milan stays without the main bearers. Gattuso, Ambrosini or Nesta cannot support or reproduce the same that Baresi did till 1997 or Maldini till 2007.

Football changes, and such names and players are more harder to find, if the criteria is not only thier talent and quality, but also their loyality .

^^^

I disagree and I think all Milan fans would disagree. Who would say "oh Kaka's leaving us, I don't care because his interest is not with Milan." There isn't a fan on this site that would say that. Everyone would blame Silvio or Galliani. It would hitting me harder than Scheva's departure.

Another thing is that most players don't just come here for the tradition but because its a winning team that will enable them to play with winning players and a chance at Europe. Chelsea has a rich tradition too, the same with Barcelona, Madrid, and others. In a way so does Sampdoria, Lazio, and others who aren't at the top of the table. They don't appear to be getting any big name transfers like us or Barcelona. Why? Because they're not a top team.

Again Chelsea, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Inter and the host of other names seem to find that talent and it makes an impact. And appears to not be afraid to get out their pocket book and experiment with different players and combinations.

You yourself said what I said in the past post Silvio and Galliani have lost it. They didn't find replacements for these guys. Three years ago it was obvious that Maldini and Costacurta were reaching an old age and they need replacements. It was obvious with our forwards and everything but they sat back and now the 20th century is here, the environment has evolved. Change with it or your eliminated.

Kaka is our star player and no one wants their star player to leave. To say such things as "I don't care if he leaves" etc really is ridiculous IMO Kaka is the future spearhead of Milan and can turn himself into a legend with Milan. Yes we all love Milan more than anything but great players equal a great team and Kaka is the greatest player around at this moment in time and he can only get better




Exactly, every top player wants CL football no matter which club it's with, that is the reason Galliani gave in not signing any decent player last mercato.



Great post

Chelsea doesn't have a richhistory, before Abramovic baught the club they hadn't won the leage for something like 40years, if not more, they haven't ever won a uopean trophy.

However players are choosing to go there, and I'm sure it's not because of the history but because of the instant success they will find there at the moment.

Foe example Liverpool are a big team with a great history, CL football and they are currently a top team, but big star players RARELY go there, why? because of themoney and the fact that they have to work really hard in order towin something unlike at Chelsea.

I'm sure that once Abramovic get's bored with Chelsea and decides to give he team up, they will go back to where they where before he came, and so will all those glory hunters who are now starting to suport Chelsea, but if youasked them who theysuported 5 years ago it would definately not be Chelsea.

As I_Rossoneri said, fact is, top players want to go to teams that are sure of CL football for every season, good money and the probablity that they will win titles practically every season. This season we wheren't even sure we where going to play in the serie A let alone the CL, I'm sure that was a turn-off to most of the players we aproached.

I'm sure no one wants Kaka top leave, I think it would hit me much harder if he left then the Sheva departure did.

But this peranoia, that everytime we lose a match or even draw "oh Kaka will leave" "Kaka will go to Real" it's just annoying.

I'm afraid that players like Baresi, Billy and Maldini don't exist anymore!! And now kaka with the constant taping up from all angles by Real, will he stay and play out his carreer at milan? Who knows, I really hope so, but these days I don't really see it hapening. Even if we win the CL, ti would be for the 'new challenge' 'the kids and wife wanting to learn English' or some other bullsh!t excuse of why he NEEDS to move to Spain.

At the end of the day milan is bigger then ANY player,and if he would in the future want to leave then we would have to let him go, it's not about the fact that we don't care if he leaves (because I'm sure everybody wants him to stay) but about the fact that most Milan fans wouldn't want someone playing for Milan if he doesn't want to.

I hope you get my point here

good post han...agree with you one hundred %...oh wait that sounds like the boring thing u say.

Ahem ahem! What han2503 says...exactly what he says!

Why would Kaka leave? I know Milan are not cheapskate about salary. I know Milan won't be relegated. The only reason I can think of is CL.

So we have this guy who's gonna dump the club who made him the world's best( ok so u can counter point saying he would have made it in Chelski and Real...i've got one word...Cicinho, make it two, Bridge...he might have made it in Arsenal though), just coz he's gonna go without CL football for one year.

Two questions...

1. Is a player whose only thought is about CL the kind of guy we want as our fulcrum? Stupid question coz nothing that Kaka's done has proved he's like that. 6-7 years and he could easily be our next Captain...he's just that kinda guy.

2. Would you want a player like that playing in Milan, considering his motives are personal gain, and not affection or even loyalty of any kind. Take Crespo, I don't blame him coz for him the factor was Italy. He wanted to come back, his affection was for the place and I don't blame him he's played for a lot of clubs. Kaka has been Milan mostly after Sao Paulo, and he's been a success at Milan. So no; immediately I doubt he'll leave coz of one year of CL...(which is again not a done deal, we are realistically in for 3rd and 4th).

So I think we just need to chill...Kaka's never got a better opportunity than this season to be the 'leader' he wants to be. Yoann Gourcuff has his chance to make 'history' this sh!tty season. Nope in a way it's one of those sh!tty times that is the prefect opportunity for a genuine footballing hero to arise, are you telling me Kaka will not be interested coz he want to go play f@cking CL?

You are really making Kaka sound like a stereotypical Chelsea recruit.

P.S: When I say you I wasn't meaning anyone in particular, I just needed a point of reference.

P.P.S: I'll be going within a couple of days for my vacation. Semester's out.
So time to go to Kuwait, meet the parents after a long year, ogle the ladies at Marina Mall, eat the delectable 'shawarma' and 'filafil' , watch the super cars roll by on Arabian Gulf Street, catch that new Bond movie, and maybe squeeze in some football viewing onto my packed schedule too. I'll try my best to be postist. If I can't I'm calling on my brother-in-arms han...don't let them diss our boy Carletto too much ok? And dst be nice to Ilsinho, he's a good kid he'll learn.

Hope you have a great Holiday! And don't worry I got Carlo's back