Jean-Pierre Papin is one of the several Ballon d’Or winners to have played for AC Milan and the Frenchman looked back on his time with the club in his autobiography.

Milan and the Ballon d’Or is not a link that is uncommon. Throughout the club’s history, there have been several players to win the award or to have joined after winning the award, like Luka Modric, for example.

Indeed, the Golden Ball is synonymous with a club whose history has boasted so many legends of the sport.

Papin’s winning of the award came in 1991, a year before his move to San Siro and unfortunately, he couldn’t replicate the form that won the award in Italy, departing after only 40 matches in 1994, but that never dampened his thoughts on the club.

Papin reminisces

Some of his new autobiography has been relayed by Gazzetta dello Sport this evening, speaking about a few key events of his time with the Rossoneri.

“One day Berlusconi called me, wanting me to join AC Milan, but it was Napoli’s executives who came to my house, very ceremoniously.

“Then I was invited to Villa d’Este on Lake Como by Berlusconi, who sent me by helicopter to take us to Arcore, to a villa of a luxury I’ve never seen anywhere else, with a Rembrandt and a Caravaggio hanging on the wall, as well as replicas of all AC Milan’s trophies.

“Berlusconi sat down at the piano to sing a piece by Gilbert Becaud in French. Then we took a helicopter to San Siro to watch AC Milan vs. Lazio, and he announced my signing for the following season.

“He gave me a watch and a silver orchid for my wife, as well as some AC Milan ties: I signed the contract, and we returned to Marseille.”

Capello’s rotations and the exit…

“I’m sorry that it wasn’t explained to me at the time; otherwise I would have stayed at Milan forever, but we clarified things with Capello years later. Then I met Giovanni Trapattoni, who was coaching Bayern Munich, and he convinced me to move to Germany. And since I wasn’t playing enough, I decided to leave.

“But I was wrong to leave Milan; it is the club of a lifetime, and while I was there, I discovered Italian culture.”