Braida exclusive: “Galliani is a champion. Allegri has brought discipline, AC Milan will be a threat”

Ariedo Braida, one of Italian football’s most experienced executives with long spells at Milan, Barcelona and Cremonese, has spoken to Tuttomercatoweb about the current game while also reflecting on some of the highlights of his career.

On Dembélé winning the Ballon d’Or
“When you win the Champions League and score so many goals you are automatically a strong candidate. He probably deserved to win it, even though I really like Yamal.”

On working with Dembélé at Barcelona
“No, he hasn’t arrived late at this level. He’s had his own footballing journey and has crowned it with the Champions League and the Ballon d’Or. Congratulations to him, because it’s not something you win every day — plenty of great players in the past never managed it.”

On whether Yamal could follow in Messi and Ronaldo’s footsteps
“On paper it’s possible, but it will depend entirely on him. Champions must be so both on and off the pitch. I hope he can be that, because he is an extraordinary talent, and that way he could win many Ballons d’Or.”

On the absence of Italians since Cannavaro
“We need to produce champions. If you look at our national team, it doesn’t exactly make you smile, even if we all hope these lads can take us to the World Cup. Gattuso is giving everything, and I hope they make it, and that Italian football can overcome this difficult spell.”

On Galliani returning to AC Milan
“Galliani, in footballing terms, is a champion — that says it all. And it’s not just my opinion: everyone in this business recognises it. He has extraordinary qualities. Doing what he did at Milan isn’t something you see every day, and the same at Monza. Galliani is a champion, and there are very few champion executives.”

On the signing he feels most attached to
“Honestly, if I named just one, I’d be doing a disservice to many others with whom I still have strong ties.”

On his best moment at AC Milan
“There wasn’t just one. Let’s say the worst moment: when I lost my voice for a week after the defeat to Liverpool. I’ll never get over that. Time eases things and you remember the good moments. But do I have regrets? None. Even the things that didn’t go well are part of life.”

On how much he misses Berlusconi
“A great deal. Unique, inimitable, unreachable. With him you always had to use the superlative. Some people are like that — champions are rare, and words will never do them justice.”

Braida on Berlusconi, Allegri’s Milan, Barcelona memories and the next Italian stars

With Berlusconi, could a player like Yamal have arrived at AC Milan?
“He loved champions, the great players, those with footballing talent and magic in their feet. He liked those who could do whatever they wanted when they had the ball. Once he said we should become the strongest team in the world — even stronger than envy, injustice and bad luck. And to do that we had to deal with champions. Unfortunately, there are fewer and fewer of them today.”

On Allegri and the new aC Milan
“The first thing he has done, from what I can see, is restore order through discipline. I see a disciplined Milan, which is fundamental. I liked what I saw in the match against Udinese, and they can improve further. Modrić is a champion. Should young players play? Yes, but youth is not the same as quality. The ones who play must be those who can do it. Age has nothing to do with it. If you are good enough, you can be 16 or 40 — but you must play.”

On AC Milan’s ambitions
“In Italy, Milan can fight. There is no dominant team. Napoli are strong, Inter have had some problems, Juventus are starting to climb, but Milan are right there. And they have the advantage of playing only once a week, which later on will help the team.”

Best memory from Barcelona
“When you go to Barcelona, you feel a magic and atmosphere that makes you proud to belong to that club. It’s a place with a special magic — things you cannot measure. Only by being there do you feel it; it surrounds you, it makes you feel somebody. You feel you belong, that you are living the reality of a great club.”

On the Italian player who intrigues him most for the National Team
“For me, Moise Kean’s last performance with the national team showed he has grown a great deal. He has power and potential that can still be developed.”

On Nico Paz
“He’s fantastic - we’re only seeing 50% of his potential. In my view, with maturity he will reach the very top. He’s one of those players with talent and magic, and there are very few of them left.”

On Pioli’s Fiorentina
“It’s still early. Sometimes you put together a run of three wins and you’re back on track. Nobody expected such a start, but sometimes there are traps where you don’t see them. They are a little behind, but I think they’ll recover because they have a very good team.”

On Napoli remaining favourites in Serie A
“I would say yes, even if Milan, Juventus and Inter won’t stand by and watch. And there could also be a surprise, maybe Roma. In five or six matches we’ll see what the table tells us.”

On his latest role at Ravenna
“We have to keep growing. Last year was year zero. We need to grow as a club, as an environment, and build a winning culture if possible. If we have the patience to work with seriousness, commitment and calm - from the president to the kitman - we can build something interesting that could give the city a good team.”