From Milan, Monza and the Mafia to the Pope, pizza and prostitutes: Silvio Berlusconi's most famous football quotes

Silvio Berlusconi was involved in the game for nearly 40 years and never stopped making history – or causing controversy…

One of the most divisive figures in Italian history has died. On Monday morning, it was announced that Silvio Berlusconi passed away after a brief battle with illness. He was 86 years of age.

Berlusconi made his name – and fortune – as a media tycoon, but went on to become prime minister of Italy, four times to be precise. However, he was also involved in football for nearly half of his life, serving as president of AC Milan for more than three decades before selling the club in 2017 and then taking charge of Monza the following year.

Just as he did in the world of politics, Berlusconi repeatedly made history and courted controversy constantly. Below, GOAL looks back at the most infamous quotations from a character will continue to polarise opinions for years to come…

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  Money can't buy love?…

  – Upon saving the club from bankruptcy in February 1986, Silvio tells us everything we needed to know about his approach to football and the fairer sex.

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  Nearly signing Maradona

  – Berlusconi reveals his mixed emotions on missing out on signing Diego Maradona in an interview with the Gazzetta dello Sport.

• The mafia, pizza and AC Milan

  – Berlusconi argues in 1995 that the Rossoneri have become so famous that they are now synonymous with 'Il Bel Paese'.

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  Doing God's work

  Berlusconi informs the Pope that he sees similiarities between his club and the head of the Catholic Church.