Berlusconi is the typical very well successful and corrupt big shot. Just like Florentino Perez.
He's for sure one of the most successful CEOs in the planet and I'm not talking about football, I'm talking business.
But why should we be grateful for him? Because he injected money on a company that he belived that he would have a great profit?
When you go shopping on the Wal Mart, do you think: "Omg, Sam Walton is a great man and I love him. I'll ever be greateful and respect him".
No, you probably don't. But still, you use his company to buy the food that keeps you alive, the lamps that will shine your house during the night, etc. Just like you use Berlusconi's company to satisfy your happiness of supporting a great football team.
Concluding, when you're praising Berlusconi, you're not praising Milan. You're praising a businessman, politic and mafioso that happened to have Milan as one of his companies.
But Berlusconi made this Milan.
I don't care if his motives were money, love of Milan, or a fetish for Brazilians. Point is, he rescued Milan. When he bought us, we were just out of Serie B, after relegating twice. I'm not 100% sure about this, but at the time Milan wasn't as big as Juve and Inter; hence the name derby d'Italia.
He bought the team, gave Sacchi a chance, brought a dutch trio and magic happened. He took a club that was just 3 seasons out of Serie B to become the most successful club in the world. You have the Sacchi era, followed by Capello, then some dark times, then Carletto... and the cycle is still going. His reign saw so many great players fight for our jersey, some were successful like: Baresi, Maldini, Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Costacurta, Tassoti, Ancelotti, Albertini, Savicevic, Boban, Weah, Sheva, Kaka, Rui Costa, Pippo, Cafu, Stam, Pirlo, Seedorf, Bierhoff, Desailly, Donadoni, Galli, Panucci, etc...
Some weren't as successful as the mentioned above, yet are celebrated as footballers who have left their mark on the game like: Baggio, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Vieira, Davids, Kluivert, Ayala, Redondo, etc...
He gave coaches their debuts. Some have cemented their place in history of football in general, like Sacchi and Capello.
I'm not saying Milan before him was shit, but we weren't what we are now: the best club in the world. 99% of current non-Italian Milan fans, are because of him. If it weren't for his money, and his guidance along with (to a lesser extent) Galliani, who knows where Milan would have been.
Not everyone should agree with his politics or like him as a person, but every Milanista should be grateful for what Berlusconi has given us. It's not all because of him, but it's highly doubtful that we would have been were we are now without him. He made the foundation, and he continues to give. While people think he lost interest, he is just making Milan function as a company without the need of outside investment, he is preparing us for the worst: life without him.
Grazie Berlu!
Forza Milan!
I don't even know how we ended up discussing Ronaldinho. I blame you. 
