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We´re still the best, trumpets Berlusconi
ROME (AFP) - AC Milan president and Italy Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi told Monday's Gazzetta dello Sport that his club are still the best in the country despite selling Brazilian superstar Kaka to Real Madrid.
Milan have not won the Serie A title since 2004 and last season finished 10 points behind champions and arch city rivals Inter Milan, although that was a marked improvement on their previous two campaigns where they finished 21 and 36 points behind.
Now they have sold their best player to Real and lost experienced coach Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea, from where the Italian has been launching a raid on his former club, trying to snare midfield playmaker Andrea Pirlo and teenage Brazilian forward Pato.
Inter meanwhile have won four titles on the trot and have added South Americans Diego Milito and Thiago Motta to their roster while so far fending off interest in their talisman Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
And having resumed training on Monday with no marquee signing to lift the spirits, doom has set in amongst Milan fans.
But Berlusconi still thinks his team are top of the tree.
"We have decided to look forward, aiming at renewing our resources. But our squad is still formidable and we expect a good season," he told the newspaper.
"The fans are calm, this will not be a team that lies down.
"We have great players such as Pato, Ronaldinho and Pirlo and many promising youngsters.
"No-one in Italy, from a technical point of view, has a better squad than us, not even Inter."
Not only have Milan lost Kaka and Ancelotti but defensive lynchpin and Milan legend Paolo Maldini has retired and former England captain David Beckham has returned to Los Angeles following his loan spell from the LA Galaxy.
Alessandro Nesta is expected to be fit again after missing the whole of last season but he is injury prone and now 33.
Gennaro Gattuso will also be back in the side having missed the second half of last season with a cruciate knee ligament injury.
Milan's only significant addition has been Brazilian centre-back Thiago Silva, who joined in January but was ineligble to play so has been largely inactive for six months.
Goalkeeper Christian Abbiati will miss the start of the season and Milan's already aging squad will be another year older this time around.
The club have also been frustrated in their attempts to bring in new players, particularly forwards with prime target VfL Wolfsburg's Edin Dzeko signing a new contract with the German champions.
It has left Milan looking towards Real's Klaas Jan Huntelaar, a player no longer wanted by the Spaniards, and Seville's Brazilian forward Luis Fabiano.
But both deals are rumoured to be stalling because Milan won't stump up enough cash, when English clubs probably will.
And that despite pocketing 67 million euros for the sale of Kaka.
Fans are growing increasingly disillusioned with the Italian giants being priced out of the market but Berlusconi remains defiant.
"The problem is not the players. If a door opens in the market someone might arrive but otherwise we're fine as we are. We don't have to buy at all costs," he said.
"True Milan fans have good sense and know that they have to stay loyal because we have given them some fabulous seasons.
"I doubt any Milan fans will suddenly start supporting Inter."
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