The scandalous Silvio Berlusconi, president of the Monza football club, promised his players to bring "a bus of prostitutes" to the locker room, according to a video widely shared by Italian media on Wednesday.
The former prime minister of Italy and current president of the Forza Italia party, 86 years old, made these statements, described as "unfortunate" by many media outlets, at the club's Christmas dinner organized on Tuesday night, according to the Italian agency Ansa.
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With a microphone in hand, Berlusconi celebrated having chosen a new coach in September who is "good, friendly, educated, and capable of motivating the players."
"I have added an extra motivation, because I have told the players: now comes Juventus, AC Milan, etc., and if you win against one of these great teams, I will bring a bus of prostitutes to the locker room," he said to the laughter of those present.
La Gazzetta dello Sport lamented this "unfortunate" comment. La Repubblica noted that this excerpt was not shared on Berlusconi's Twitter account, where he uploaded videos of that night with the players, club officials, and sponsors.
Contacted by AFP, Monza confirmed that a delegation of players participated in that dinner but made no comment on their president's controversial statements.
Berlusconi continues to be linked in Italy, but also abroad, to the 'Rubygate', a case of libertine parties organized by the former prime minister with young girls, sometimes minors. The businessman was acquitted of the charge of child prostitution, but he is still accused of witness tampering in this case.
Monza, purchased in 2018 by the former president of AC Milan, is playing its first season in Serie A. The Lombard team is currently 14th, after a difficult start and a coaching change in September.