In a social media post that went viral on Wednesday, Berlusconi said, in a video recorded during a Tuesday Christmas dinner with Monza players, “I told the guys…now you will play Milan, Juventus If you win against one of these top teams, I’ll bring a busload of hoes into the locker room.”
💣 Silvio #Berlusconi show alla festa di #Natale del #Monza 👀 https://t.co/Ws7OXxZbcv
— Nicolò Schira (@NicoSchira) 1670966844000
Berlusconi, 56, who often uses colorful language, was accused in 2011 of having sex with an underage prostitute at one of his infamous “bunga bunga” parties. He was acquitted on appeal in 2015 after a judge ruled he did not know she was underage.
Daniela Sbrollinia senator from the centrist opposition party Italia Viva, called it Berlusconi’s “usual misogynistic language: a tasteless joke that leaves you speechless”.
Later Wednesday, Berlusconi wrote on Instagram that he couldn’t believe a “locker room joke” could spark such outrage, which he said was due to his critics’ “absolute lack of humour”.
Monza were promoted to Serie A for the first time last season and beat Juventus in September. They will face Inter and Juventus again in January and take on Berlusconi’s former club AC Milan in February.
Once the most dominant figure in Italian politics, Berlusconi – who owned AC Milan for three decades – bought Monza in 2018. They are currently 14th in Italy’s 20-team Premier League.
(With contributions from Reuters)
