Rivera blasts galactico policy

Milan stalwart Gianni Rivera yesterday hit out at the club’s president Silvio Berlusconi for his transfer policy.

Milan caused a stir these last couple of weeks by securing a couple of transfer coups in bringing Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Robinho to the club for a combined total of €42 million.

With those two teaming up with Ronaldinho and Pato, many believe Milan to have potentially the best strike-force in the world.

But Rivera, an elegant playmaker in his day, says that’s not the way to build a title-winning team.

Asked if Ibrahimovic’s arrival will propel Milan to the title, he said: “I don’t know, the league has only just started.

“But maybe the team also need defenders, instead there are some who believe that all you need to win the title is forwards,” he added in a clear reference to Berlusconi.

Rivera, who currently has a role with the national team supervising the youth sector, believes teams in general are investing their money in the wrong way.

“I believe they need to spend more on development rather than the first team, but I doubt this will ever happen.

“In other countries the youth sectors work because they’re a way of reducing the club’s spending and who knows if the Ajax model couldn’t work in Italy.”

Ajax has a famed youth system and even back in the mid-1990s the club were spending two million euros a year on their youth development.

It has produced players such as Johan Cruyff, Dennis Bergkamp, Patrick Kluivert and Edgar Davids as well as more recently Wesley Sneijder and Rafael van der Vaart.

Rivera played in four World Cups including the 1970 final where Brazil beat Italy and was part of the European Championship winning team in 1968.

He was Ballon d’Or winner in 1969 and lifted two European Cups and three Serie A titles with Milan.