ac milan fc

HISTORY:History
Further information: History of A.C. Milan
Herbert Kilpin, the first captain of AC Milan

The club was founded as a cricket club in 1899 by British expatriates Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin, who came from the British city of Nottingham. In honor of its origins, the club has retained the English spelling of its city's name, instead of changing it to the Italian Milano (though it was forced to do it during the fascist regime, like Genoa and Internazionale); it should be noted that the Italian pronunciation is actually MEE-lan, coming from the local dialect. Milan won their first Italian championship title in 1901, and then again in 1906 and 1907.

In 1908 the club experienced a split caused by internal disagreements over the signing of foreign players, which led to the forming of another Milan-based team, Internazionale. Following these events, Milan did not manage to win a single domestic title until 1950-51. In 1963 they ensured their first continental title, winning European Cup beating Benfica in the final. This success was repeated in 1969, and followed by an Intercontinental Cup title the same year. Following retirement of Gianni Rivera, Milan started a declining period, during which they were involved in the 1980 Totonero scandal and were relegated to Serie B as punishment, for the first time in their history. The scandal was centred on a betting syndicate paying players and officials to fix the outcome of matches. Milan quickly returned back to Serie A, but returned to Serie B only one year later as they ended their 1981-82 Serie A campaign in the relegation zone .

In 1986, entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi acquired the club, and immediately invested a lot of money in the team, appointing rising coach Arrigo Sacchi at the helm of the rossoneri and signing a Dutch trio of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. This was the beginning of the most successful time in the club's history, as AC Milan won seven domestic titles, five UEFA Champions League trophies, and three Intercontinental Cups.

More recently, Milan were involved in the 2006 Serie A scandal where five teams were accused of fixing matches by selecting favourable referees. Milan were initially punished with a 15 point deduction and consequently did not qualify for the UEFA Champions League. An appeal saw their penalty reduced to 8 points and allowed to retain their 2006-07 Champions League participation, where they won the competition.

Players

Current squad
No. Position Player
1 Flag of Brazil GK Dida
4 Flag of Georgia (country) DF Kakha Kaladze
7 Flag of Brazil FW Alexandre Pato
8 Flag of Italy MF Gennaro Gattuso (vice-captain)
9 Flag of Italy FW Filippo Inzaghi
10 Flag of the Netherlands MF Clarence Seedorf
11 Flag of Italy FW Marco Borriello
12 Flag of Italy GK Christian Abbiati
13 Flag of Italy DF Alessandro Nesta
14 Flag of Uruguay MF Mathías Cardacio
15 Flag of Italy DF Gianluca Zambrotta
16 Flag of Australia GK Željko Kalac

No. Position Player
18 Flag of the Czech Republic DF Marek Jankulovski
19 Flag of Italy DF Giuseppe Favalli
20 Flag of Uruguay MF Tabaré Viudez
21 Flag of Italy MF Andrea Pirlo
23 Flag of Italy MF Massimo Ambrosini (captain)
25 Flag of Italy DF Daniele Bonera
33 Flag of Brazil DF Thiago Silva
36 Flag of Italy DF Matteo Darmian
77 Flag of Italy DF Luca Antonini
80 Flag of Brazil MF Ronaldinho
84 Flag of France MF Mathieu Flamini

Out on loan
No. Position Player
Flag of Italy DF Massimo Oddo (to Bayern Munich)[7]
Flag of Brazil DF Digão (to Standard Liège)[8]
Flag of France FW Willy Aubameyang (to Avellino)[9]
Flag of Italy GK Marco Storari (to Fiorentina)[10]
Flag of France FW Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (to Dijon)
Flag of Nigeria FW Kingsley Umunegbu (to Portosummaga)
Flag of Italy DF Elia Legati (to Novara)

For all transfers and loans pertaining to AC Milan for the current season, please see; Summer 2008 transfers.

Retired numbers
Main article: Retired numbers in association football

3 – Flag of Italy Paolo Maldini, left back, center back (1984-2009)

6 – Flag of Italy Franco Baresi, sweeper (1977-1997)

Noted players
Main article: List of A.C. Milan players
For a list of all former and current Milan players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:A.C. Milan players.

Presidents and Managers

Presidential history

Milan has had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club while others have been honorary presidents. Here is a complete list of them.[11]

Name Years
Alfred Edwards 1899–1909
Giannino Camperio 1909
Piero Pirelli 1909–1928
Luigi Ravasco 1928–1930
Mario Bernazzoli 1930–1933
Luigi Ravasco 1933–1935
Pietro Annoni 1935
Pietro Annoni
G. Lorenzini
Rino Valdameri 1935–1936

Name Years
Emilio Colombo 1936–1939
Achille Invernizzi 1939–1940
Umberto Trabattoni 1940–1944
Antonio Busini 1944–1945
Umberto Trabattoni 1945–1954
Andrea Rizzoli 1954–1963
Felice Riva 1963–1965
Federico Sordillo 1965–1966
Franco Carraro 1967–1971
Federico Sordillo 1971–1972

Name Years
Albino Buticchi 1972–1975
Bruno Pardi 1975–1976
Vittorio Duina 1976–1977
Felice Colombo 1977–1980
Gaetano Morazzoni 1980–1982
Giuseppe Farina 1982–1986
Rosario Lo Verde 1986
Silvio Berlusconi 1986–2004
Presidential Commission 2004–2006
Silvio Berlusconi 2006–2008

Managerial history

Below is a list of Milan coaches from 1900 until the present day.[12]

Name Nationality Years
Herbert Kilpin Flag of England 1900–1908
Daniele Angeloni Flag of Italy 1906–1907
Technical Commission Flag of Italy 1907–1910
Giovanni Camperio Flag of Italy 1910–1911
Technical Commission Flag of Italy 1911–1914
Guido Moda Flag of Italy 1915–1922
Ferdi Oppenheim Flag of Austria 1922–1924
Vittorio Pozzo Flag of Italy 1924–1926
Guido Moda Flag of Italy 1926
Herbert Burgess Flag of England 1926–1928
Engelbert König Flag of Austria 1928–1931
József Bánás Flag of Hungary 1931–1933
József Viola Flag of Hungary 1933–1934
Adolfo Baloncieri Flag of Italy 1934–1937
William Garbutt Flag of England 1937
Hermann Felsner
József Bánás Flag of Austria
Flag of Hungary 1937–1938
József Viola Flag of Hungary 1938–1940
Guido Ara
Antonio Busini Flag of Italy
Flag of Italy 1940–1941
Mario Magnozzi Flag of Italy 1941–1943
Giuseppe Santagostino Flag of Italy 1943–1945
Adolfo Baloncieri Flag of Italy 1945–1946
Giuseppe Bigogno Flag of Italy 1946–1949
Lajos Czeizler Flag of Hungary 1949–1952
Gunnar Gren Flag of Sweden 1952
Mario Sperone Flag of Italy 1952–1953
Béla Guttmann Flag of Hungary 1953–1954
Antonio Busini Flag of Italy 1954
Hector Puricelli Flag of Uruguay 1954–1956
Giuseppe Viani Flag of Italy 1957–1960
Paolo Todeschini Flag of Italy 1960–1961
Nereo Rocco Flag of Italy 1961–1963
Luis Carniglia Flag of Argentina 1963–1964

Name Nationality Years
Nils Liedholm Flag of Sweden 1963–1966
Giovanni Cattozzo Flag of Italy 1966
Arturo Silvestri Flag of Italy 1966–1967
Nereo Rocco Flag of Italy 1966–1972
Cesare Maldini Flag of Italy 1973–1974
Giovanni Trapattoni Flag of Italy 1974
Gustavo Giagnoni Flag of Italy 1974–1975
Nereo Rocco Flag of Italy 1975
Paolo Barison Flag of Italy 1975-1976
Giovanni Trapattoni Flag of Italy 1976
Giuseppe Marchioro Flag of Italy 1976–1977
Nereo Rocco Flag of Italy 1977
Nils Liedholm Flag of Sweden 1977–1979
Massimo Giacomini Flag of Italy 1979–1981
Italo Galbiati Flag of Italy 1981
Luigi Radice Flag of Italy 1981–1982
Italo Galbiati Flag of Italy 1982
Francesco Zagatti Flag of Italy 1982
Ilario Castagner Flag of Italy 1982–1984
Italo Galbiati Flag of Italy 1984
Nils Liedholm Flag of Sweden 1984–1987
Fabio Capello Flag of Italy 1987
Arrigo Sacchi Flag of Italy 1987–1991
Fabio Capello Flag of Italy 1991–1996
Oscar Tabárez Flag of Uruguay 1996
Giorgio Morini Flag of Italy 1996–1997
Arrigo Sacchi Flag of Italy 1997
Fabio Capello Flag of Italy 1997–1998
Alberto Zaccheroni Flag of Italy 1998-2001
Cesare Maldini
Mauro Tassotti Flag of Italy 2001
Fatih Terim Flag of Turkey 2001
Carlo Ancelotti Flag of Italy 2001–2009
Leonardo Flag of Brazil 2009–

Club statistics and records
For more details on this topic, see A.C. Milan records.

Paolo Maldini presently holds both records for number of total and Serie A appearances for Milan with a total of 1000 games played in total, and 600 in the Serie A (as of May 14, 2007, not including playoff matches), the latter being also an all-time Serie A record. [13]

Milan's all time top goalscorer is a Swede, Gunnar Nordahl who, in 268 games, managed to score 221 goals.[14] Andriy Shevchenko is in second place with 173 goals in 298 games for the club, and is the highest scoring present squad member, followed by Filippo Inzaghi, who has scored 101 goals in 220 games.

The club hold the unique record of having gone a whole season without losing a game during the 1991-92 season. In total, that unbeaten streak lasted 58 games, starting with a 0-0 draw with Parma on May 26, 1991 and ironically ending with a 1-0 loss at home to Parma on March 21, 1993. This unbeaten streak is a Serie A record and is the 3rd longest unbeaten run in top flight European football. It comes in behind Steaua Bucureşti's record of 104 unbeaten games and Celtic who went 68 games unbeaten.[15][16]

Currently, Milan along with Boca Juniors of Argentina, have the most FIFA recognised international club titles in the world.[17] Milan is also the number two team in Europe in line with UEFA Co-Efficient ranking system. This allows Milan to be in the number one spot for all European draws, which allows Milan to avoid other highly rated European teams in UEFA competitions.[18]

Colours and badge
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Team colours
Milan's third kit during the 07-08 Season

Throughout the entire history of the club, they have been represented by the colours red and black. The colours were chosen to represent the players' fiery ardour (red) and the opponents' fear to challenge the team (black). Due to Milan's striped red and black shirts, they have gained the nickname rossoneri.[19] White shorts and black socks are worn as part of the home kit.

Milan's away strip has always been completely white. The latter is considered by both the fans and the club as their "lucky" strip in Champions League finals, due to the fact that Milan won six finals out of eight in an all white strip (losing only to Ajax in 1995 and Liverpool in 2005), while they only won one out of three in their home strip. The third kit changes yearly and is black with red trim for the current season, but it is rarely used.

For many years, Milan's badge was just that of the flag of Milan; which was originally the flag of Saint Ambrose.[20] Another nickname derived from the club's colours is "the Devil". An image of a red devil was used as Milan's logo at one point with a Golden Star for Sport Excellence located next to it;[20] the star was awarded to the club when they won 10 league titles. Currently, the badge represents the club colours and the flag of the Comune di Milano, with the acronym ACM at the top and the foundation year (1899) at the bottom.[20]

Stadium
Curva Sud of the San Siro prior to match
For more details on this topic, see San Siro.

The team's current stadium is the 80,018 seat San Siro, officially known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza after the former player who represented both Milan and Internazionale. The name San Siro is taken from the district where it's located. The stadium is shared with Internazionale, the other major football club in Milan. The stadium is well known for its fantastic atmosphere due to the closeness of the stands to the pitch. There is the frequent use of flares by the fans which often cause trouble.

On December 19, 2005, Milan vice-president and executive director Adriano Galliani announced that the team is seriously working to move out from San Siro. He said that Milan's new stadium will be largely based on the Veltins-Arena and following the standards of football stadiums in the United States, Germany and Spain. It will likely be a stadium for football purposes only (with no athletics track). The new stadium is supposed to be named after a sponsor.[21] It remains to see if this plan will proceed or if this is just a ploy to force the owners (Comune di Milano) to sell the stadium to Milan for a nominal fee so as to proceed with extensive renovations. Rumours have also surfaced of Internazionale's intention to also build a new stadium which may also affect this decision.

Supporters and rivalries
Milan banner saying "Inter, the true comedy since 1908," with a caricature of Dante

Milan is one of the most supported football clubs in Italy, according to an August 2007 research by Italian newspaper La Repubblica[22]. Historically, Milan was supported by the city's working-class and trade unionists,[23] a section of whom were migrants from Southern Italy. On the other hand, crosstown rivals Internazionale were mainly supported by the more prosperous and typically Milanese middle-class.[23] One of the oldest ultras groups in all of Italian football, Fossa dei Leoni, originated in Milan.[24] Currently the main ultras group is Brigate Rossonere and has been since the mid-1970s.[24] Politically, Milan ultras have never had any particular preference,[24] but the media have traditionally associated them with the left-wing,[25] until recent times under Berlusconi's presidency where they are considered somewhat right-wing.[26]

Genoa fans consider Milan a hated rival after Genoa fan Vincenzo Spagnolo was tragically stabbed to death by a Milan supporter in January 1995.[27] Milan's main rivalry, though, is with intracity neighbor Inter; both clubs meet in the widely-anticipated Derby della Madonnina twice every Serie A season. The name of the derby refers to the Blessed Virgin Mary, whose statue atop the Milan Cathedral is one of the city's main attractions. The match usually creates a lively atmosphere, with numerous (often humorous or offensive) banners unfolded before the match. Flares are commonly present, but they also led to the abandonment of the second leg of the 2004-05 Champions League quarterfinal matchup between Milan and Inter on April 12, 2005, after a flare thrown from the crowd by an Inter supporter struck Milan keeper Dida on the shoulder.[28]

Honours

Milan is one of the most successful clubs in Italy, having won a total of 29 trophies, and the most winning team in the world for international competitions won together with Boca Juniors.[29] with a record of 14 European trophies and 4 World titles. Milan have earned the distinction of being allowed to wear a star on their shirt representing the fact that they have won more than 10 scudetti. Added to this Milan are allowed to wear the UEFA Badge of Honour on their shirt during Champions League matches as they have won more than 5 European Cups.[30]

National titles

Serie A / Italian Football Championship:

* Winners (17): 1901; 1906; 1907; 1950–51; 1954–55; 1956–57; 1958–59; 1961–62; 1967–68; 1978–79; 1987–88; 1991–92; 1992–93; 1993–94; 1995–96; 1998–99; 2003–04
* Runners-up (14): 1902; 1947–48; 1949–50; 1951–52, 1955–56, 1960–61; 1964–65; 1968–69; 1970–71; 1971–72; 1972–73; 1989–90; 1990–91; 2004–05

Serie B:

* Winners (2): 1980–81; 1982–83

Coppa Italia:

* Winners (5): 1966–67; 1971-72; 1972–73; 1976–77; 2002–03
* Runners-up (7): 1941–42; 1967–68; 1970–71; 1974–75; 1984–85; 1989–90; 1997–98

Supercoppa Italiana: (record)

* Winners (5): 1988; 1992; 1993; 1994; 2004
* Runners-up (3): 1996; 1999; 2003

European titles

UEFA Champions League (former European Cup)

* Winners (7): 1962–63; 1968–69; 1988–89; 1989–90; 1993–94; 2002–03; 2006–07
* Runners-up (4): 1957–58; 1992–93; 1994–95; 2004–05

UEFA Super Cup (record)

* Winners (5): 1989; 1990; 1994; 2003; 2007
* Runners-up (2): 1973; 1993

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

* Winners (2): 1967–68; 1972–73
* Runners-up (1): 1973–74

World titles

Intercontinental Cup (record)

* Winners (3): 1969; 1989; 1990
* Runners-up (4): 1963; 1993; 1994; 2003

FIFA Club World Cup

* Winners (1): 2007

Unofficial titles

Dubai Challenge Cup

* Winners (1): 2009

Latin Cup

* Winners (2): 1951, 1956
* Runners-up (1): 1953

Mitropa Cup

* Winners (1): 1981–82

AC Milan as a company

According to The Football Money League published by consultants Deloitte, in the season 2005–06, Milan was the fifth highest earning football club in the world with an estimated revenue of €233.7 million.[31] Currently the club are also ranked as the 6th richest football club in the world by Forbes magazine, making them the richest in Italian football.[32]

The Austrian on-line betting company bwin.com are currently Milan's main shirt sponsors after signing a 4 year deal at the start of the 2006–07 season.[33] Previous to this deal, the German car manufacturer, Opel had sponsored Milan for 12 seasons. For most of them, Opel was displayed on the front of the shirt, but in the 2003–04 and the 2005–06 seasons respectively, Meriva and Zafira (two cars from their range) were displayed.

The current shirts are supplied by German sportswear manufacturer Adidas, whose deal runs to the end of the 2017–18 season.[34] The deal makes Adidas the official manufacturer of all kits, training equipment and replica outfits. Prior to Adidas, the Italian sports company, Lotto produced Milan's sportswear.

On the 14th of January, 2008, AC Milan and Adidas renewed the sponsorship contract until 30th of June, 2018. According to the new contract, Adidas will be responsible for 3 separate areas of sponsorship: the sponsorship on the shirt, the merchandising and the distribution of all non-football related Milan products. [35]

AC Milan also sponsors the Scuderia Playteam in the new Superleague Formula race car series where teams are sponsored by football clubs. Robert Doornbos, formerly driving for Minardi and Red Bull Racing in the Formula One World Championship, will drive for AC Milan. Doornbos won his first race for the team at Nürburgring, Germany.

LEGENDS:Gunnar Nordahl

Gunnar Nordahl was the most effective striker that ever played for AC Milan. His style of play was based on his enormous strength. Nordahl had another four brothers who also played football in the Swedish first division. He played in the Swedish first division at Degerfors and IFK Norkopping. His career landmarks during his time in the Swedish championship are the four championships titles won during the time he played for Norkopping and the seven goals scored against Landskrona in a championship match. He was first called to the Swedish national team in 1945. In 1948 he became the top scorer of the Olympic Games football tournament with seven goals, where he helped Sweden to win the Olymipic gold medal. It seemed that his value was too big for the Swedish championship and so it was. After he scored in the Swedish first league 149 goals in 172 matches played, he took the way of Italy, signing a contract with AC Milan. This contract is the beggining of a great era for AC Milan because Nordahl will be one of the leading players of 'The Devils' in their way of winning the most of the 50's Scudetto's (1950, 1954, 1956 and 1958) and not only.

He arrived at AC Milan on the 22nd January 1949, and in his first season wearing the red and black strips shirt, he scored an outstanding 16 goals in 15 games. Later, in AC Milan arrived his national side team mates, Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm, all off them forming the well known GRE-NO-LI trio.

The transfer to the Italian championship was equal for him with the retirement from the Swedish national team as the Swedish had strict rules against professionalism in sports. In his national team career, he scored 44 goals in 30 matches, on of the highest average ever, almost 1,5 goals a match. He played for AC Milan in eight seasons, in five of them being the Serie A top scorer. He scored for Milan a total of 210 goals. At the end of his career he played in AS Roma for two seasons. For AC Milan, he scored in Serie A a total of 210 goals.

He also contributed in a 7-1 AC Milan win against Juventus Torino. Unfortunately, he died in 1995, and he will remain for ever in history as one of the most powerful and greatest players of the game.

Trophies won:
::4 x Swedish title
::1 x Swedish cup
::2 x Italian title
::2 x Coppa Latina
::1 x Olympic Gold Medal
::4 x Swedish Top Scorer
::1 x Olympic Games Top Scorer
::5 x Italian League Top Scorer

Gianni Rivera

He was nicknamed 'The Golden Boy' of Italian football. He is the product of Alessandria's youth soccer academy. He debuted in Serie A for Alessandria against Internazionale Milano. That was on the 2nd of June 1959. He was only 15 years old. He only played for his first club 26 matches in which he scored 6 goals. After one year, he was bought by AC Milan with a record transfer fee for that time, 200.000 $. For a player who was only 16 years old. In 1962 he wins the first Scudetto with AC Milan and on the 13th of May 1962, at 18 years, he plays his first match for the Italian national team against West Germany in Chile, a game that finished with a goalless draw, 0-0.

Due to the win of the 1962 Scudetto, AC Milan gets into the chase for the European Cup in 1962, a European Cup which they have finally won, beating Benfica 2-1 in the final with a Rivera in great form as he was awarded the second place in the famous 'France Football Player of the Year' award, won by the Russian goalkeeper Lev Yashin.

In the 1967/1968 season he won with AC Milan both the title and the Cup Winners Cup. Next season, Rivera takes AC Milan to win the Champions Cup as he finally gets the 'France Football Player of the Year' award.

He plays with the 'Squadra Azzura' (Italian national team) in the 1970 World Cup hosted by Mexico where they reach the final lost against Brazil with 4-1 and in the 1974 World Cup when the Italians were knocked-out by the Poland national team with 2-1. That was the end of Rivera's career at the national team for which he played in 60 games scoring 14 goals.

Rivera took AC Milan in two Cup Winners Cup finals, one in 1973 and another in 1974; the first one was won and the second one lost. He also won with the red-and-black team two consecutive Italian titles, in 1972 and 1973. AC Milan also won several Italian Cups in the 70's but without Rivera in most of them who was banned because of his statements against the Italian referees.

Rivera won his last Scudetto of his career as a player in 1979 with AC Milan, this also being the 10th title for 'The Devils'. In the summer of that year Rivera retires after some freindlies played against Argentina.

Totally, he played for AC Milan in Serie A 501 matches and scored 122 goals.

After retirement, Rivera entered the Italian political life, being one of the members of the Italian Parliament.

Trophies won:
::4 x Italian cup
::3 x Italian title
::2 x Cup Winners Cup
::2 x European Cup
::1 x European Player of The Year
::1 x European Player of The Year runner-up
::1 x World Cup runner-up
::1 x Italian League Top Scorer
::1 x Intercontinental Cup
::1 x European tournament




On the 31st of October 1964 Marco Van Basten was born in the Dutch city of Utrecht. As a child the young Van Basten dreamt, not of becoming a professional footballer, but rather a world class gymnast - a dream he would later transfer to the field with some of the most unbelievably agile goals ever seen in the football world.

Marco began his career with a short lived spell at local side Edilwijk before being whisked off to Dutch super club Ajax in Amsterdam.

In 1980 at the Mundialito friendly-league in Milano, Johan Crujff the leader and coach of the team, introduce to Sandro Mazzola, the symbol-man of Inter, Marco Van Basten. Said Crujff: "Look at him, he's the new Crujff". Mazzola looked him with attention and so says now about that event: "Crujff showed us Marco, we understood immediately that we were in front of an amazing player". Marco had 16 years.


He played his first game for Ajax in the Eredivise on the 3rd of April 1982 in front of the Ajax faithful in the De Meer stadium against Nijmegen, fittingly replacing the reigning Dutch football legend Johan Cruyff and even managing to grab a goal in the process.

The following season he scored 9 goals in 20 games but in the 1983 - 84 season he set the Dutch league alight
and his consistency was evident immediately scoring an astonishing 28 goals in just 26 games.

By 1986 he had consolidated his position as the most lethal forward in European football, winning the European Golden Boot award with his 37 goal tally. In his time with Ajax Van Basten had filled his personal trophy cabinet with two Dutch Championships, two Dutch Cups and the European Cup Winners' Cup. He played his final game for Ajax (a game he won for Ajax), against Dynamo Dresden, in that European Cup Winners Cup final. He had scored 128 league goals in just 143 games at an unprecedented strike rate and was top scorer in Holland 4 times.

During this time Silvio Berlusconi was busy rebuilding AC Milan after corruption charges levelled at the preceding club president had left Milan relegated twice in three seasons. In 1987 Berlusconi set about his task by investing in world class players - namely Gullit and Van Basten and adding Rijkaard the following year to form an unforgettable Dutch triumvirate. Berlusconi had to choose a new striker to buy.Hhe had 2 choices: Marco Van Basten or Ian Rush. After having seen only 30 seconds of a VHS about Marco, Silvio decided to buy "The Flying Dutchman".


He made his debut for Milan on 13th September 1987 in Pisa and scored from the spot as Milan won 3 - 1. In his first season at Milan however he played just 11 games scoring 3 goals as the Rossoneri won their first Scudetto since 1979. His first season at Milan in 1987 - 1988 was plagued by an ankle injury that would haunt him for the rest of his career.

As a result of his lack of matches for Milan he started the 1988 European Championships in Germany as a substitute - but by the end of the tournament he was being hailed as the greatest player in the World. In the tournament Van Basten destroyed England on his own scoring a sensational hat trick, knocked out the hosts with a late winner and scored one of the most unforgettable goals ever seen with an amazing volley against the Soviet Union in the final. He had made his mark on the international scene but due to the desperate in-fighting and inconsistency that was to dog the Dutch side over the coming years it would be the only honour Marco would win for his country.

Marco returned to Milanello for the start of the 1988 - 89 season full of confidence and that autumn he was named the 1988 European Player of the year. He followed this up by scoring 19 goals in Serie A as well as being an integral part of the Milan team that ripped apart the hapless Romanian side Steaua Bucharest 4 - 0 in the Nou Camp to win the European Champions Cup final with Van Basten scoring two along with his compatriot Gullit who also scored a double. In the 1989 - 90 season Marco repeated his 19 goal haul in Serie A to become Capocannoniere and was once again heavily involved as Milan retained their European crown defeating Portuguese champions Benfica 1 - 0 in Vienna with a Frank Rijkaard goal. The 1990 World Cup finals in Italy were next on Marco's agenda and he went as he went in search of the ultimate prize. The Dutch side however had a tournament to forget before going out to Klinsmann's Germany 1 - 2 in what many describe as the match of the tournament for the right and wrong elements of football.

At the start of the 90 - 91 campaign Milan were attempting to win their third consecutive European crown. Their will to win however was overshadowed by their bad sportsmanship when vice president Galliani ordered the team off the pitch as they were losing when the floodlights failed in the semi-final second leg tie against the French side Marseille. Red Star Belgrade went on to take Milan's crown in a cynical final while Milan themselves received a one year ban from European club football. Van Basten scored 11 goals in Serie A that season but it was surprise side Sampdoria who took the Scudetto. Without European football to concentrate on in the 1991 - 1992 season Milan took Serie A by storm and reclaimed the Scudetto while managing to remain unbeaten in Serie A for the entire 34 game campaign - a record unlikely ever to be broken - With 'Marco Goalo' scoring 25 goals to earn his second Capocannonere title. it is worth to mention the game vs. Cagliari in Sardinia. The first half was over and Cagliari was leading 1-0. During the half-time break, Van Basten had a discussion with Capello. Noone knows what they have talked about but when returning on the pitch Capello showed to Marco the number "3" by making it with his fingers. Marco scored a hat-trick in 18 minutes and secured Milan the victory.

The European Championships in Sweden saw some great attacking football from the Dutch but they went out to late entrants and eventual winners Denmark in a penalty shootout where Van Basten, after his customary jump, missed from the penalty spot.
It was Marco's last international tournament.

In the Autumn of the 1992 - 1993 season Marco was on top of the footballing World. He was leading the Serie A goalsorers charts with 13 goals and included in his extraordinary start to the season came an incredible couple of games in the month of November.
In a league game in Naples he scored four goals as Milan demolished Napoli 5 - 1. He followed this up by scoring all four as Milan thrashed Goteborg 4 - 0 in the Champions League which Milan were dominating. Allied to this he was voted European Player of the Year for a record equalling third time and he was also playing his part as Milan smashed all unbeaten records in Serie A, a record which would eventually see them remain unbeaten for 58 matches.

For a joke of the destiny, Marco scored his first and last goal of his Italian experience to the same goalkeeper, Nista. Ferron is the goalkeeper that got more goals by Marco.


His extraordinary start to the season however was destroyed with a recurrence of the ankle injury which had plagued his career.

When in the first months of 1993 Marco was operated for the 4th time at the ankle, the medical staff of Milan AC disagreed with the operation, because they thought that another operation could be extremely dangerous.


He missed the vast majority of the remainder of the season playing only a couple of games before he was thrust back into action in the European Champions League final against Marseille. A tired looking Milan side lost 0 - 1 with Van Basten, who created numerous chances for Massaro and Papin, playing his last game for AC Milan.

18th August 1995, Luigi Berlusconi trophy, Milan-Juventus. In this usual great classic of the summer there is a special event: Marco Van Basten, the greatest european striker of last 20 years, leaves the football. 85.000 people at San Siro satnd-up and clap him as last wave.

Adriano Galliani so said when Marco left football: "The football lose his Leonardo Da Vinci"


In the six years he had played with Milan he had played a major part in catapulting them back to the pinnacle of World football, removing them from the shadow of neighbours Inter and laying down a solid foundation for future success.

He scored an incredible 90 goals in 147 Serie A games. He picked up 3 Scudetto's, 2 European Cups, 2 World Club Cups, 2 European Super Cups. Personally Marco claimed 3 European Footballer of the Year awards, 2 World Player of the Year awards, FIFA World Player of the year and 2 Capocannonere awards as Serie A top marksman. Not to mention that he has a 92.3% percentage rate at penalty kicks.

Van Basten had made a legend of himself before his injury dramatically shortened his brilliant career.

In the end he realised was fighting a futile battle against one opponent he knew he could never get the better off - his own body.
These days Marco, his wife Elisabeth (whom he married in 1992) and their 3 children Alexander, Angelica and Rebecca have two homes - one in Elisabeth's home village of Badhoevedorp and another in Monaco. Marco spends a great amount of time practising his golf handicap and is also a keen fan of tennis - hobbies he enjoys a lot more than the pressure cooker atmosphere of management which he says he will never try.

Marco Van Basten carried the torch of legends during his time with AC Milan. A torch passed on to him by Maradona, Cruyff, Pele, Puskas, Di Stefano et al.

He carried it with grace, dignity and a great love for the game. In return the footballing World had taken Marco into their hearts forever.


Marco is UNIQUE because he express alone that philosophy that Dutch football made at the beginning of 70s. The universality of one team is expressed only by one player that hasn't weak points. Marco is able to shoot with both feet, is great with head and he has a play vision of a real director, like Rui Costa or Gianni Rivera.

With Franco Baresi and Gianni Rivera, Marco has been the most loved player of AC Milan, that's because he talked little and communicated more with the actions and the goals on the field rather than with the words.

"Van Basten the divine!" wrote Gianni Brera, one of the greatest Italian football journalists.

Trophies won:
::3 x Dutch title
::3 x Dutch Cup
::3 x Dutch League top scorer
::3 x Italian title
::2 x European Super Cup
::2 x European Cup
::2 x Intercontinental Cup
::1 x Cup Winners Cup
::2 x Italian League top scorer
::1 x World Player of the Year award
::1 x Golden Boot award
::3 x European Footballer of the Year award
::2 x World Soccer Player of the Year award


Frank Rijkaard

Considered as one of the best defensive midfielders in history, Frank Rijkaard could play in any midfield position.

He started his career in the Dutch club Ajax Amsterdam in 1978, then he moved to Real Zaragoza and then, of course, to AC Milan. Later, he finished his career in Ajax Amsterdam.

He played in the 1990 and 1994 World Cups and in the 1998 European Championship.

His personals awards includes a 'Dutch Player of the Year' award in 1988 and a medal for merits gifted to him by queen Beatrix.

He made his international debut in 1981, on the 1st of September, in a match which opposed the Netherlands against Switzerland. He collected a total of 73 caps for the national team.

Rijkaard formed with another two Dutchmen, Gullit and van Basten, the three Dutchmen trio who played in AC Milan at the end of the 80's and at the beggining of the 90's.

As a coach, he managed to play a semi-final vs. Italy with the Netherlands national team in Euro 2000. The Netherlands lost on penalties after a dramatic game, the Dutch missing two penalty kicks in the first 90 minutes, and the Italians playing most of the game with 10 men. Imediately after the match, Rijkaard resigned.

Trophies won:
::5 x Dutch title
::3 x Dutch cup
::2 x Italian title
::1 x Cup Winners Cup
::3 x European Cup
::3 x European Super Cup
::3 x Intercontinental Cup
::1 x European tournament
::1 x Dutch Player of the Year
::1 x Medal of Merits for Holland

Roberto Donadoni

Roberto Donadoni is one of the best wingers who ever existed. He came in AC Milan from Atalanta Bergamo and he only left the red and black club for a two years journey in the United States of America, where he played for New York Metrostars, scoring 6 goals in 49 matches. Then he came back to AC Milan.

He was born in Cisano Bergamasco on the 8th of May 1960 and he debuted in proffesional footbal first in Serie B for Atalanta Bergamo on the 12th of September 1982 in a match between Atalanta and Pistoiese, finished 1-0. He came in Milan in 1986 and he helped the club to rise from the ashes of Serie B where it stayed for two seasons in the early 80's.

With the national side he played in the European Championship in Germany in 1988 and in England in 1996, the World Cup in 1990 and 1994.

He had no problems in winning trophies. He won with AC Milan everything he could possibly win.

He retired at AC Milan in the 1997/1998 season.


Trophies won:
::5 x Italian title
::3x European Super Cup
::3 x European Cup
::2 x Intercontinental Cup


Paolo Maldini

Paolo was born in Milan, on the 26th of June 1968. He was the son of a great Milan player, Cesare Maldini, ex-coach of the Italian national team, currently searching talents for AC Milan. That's one of the reasons that he played for AC Milan and not for Juventus Torino, the team he loved in his childhood. As he grew up he started to dislike Juve and like AC Milan. His mother's name was Maria Luisa.

Maldini cam play on the left wing or as a central defender. The debut in the Italian Serie A took place on the 20th of January 1985 for AC Milan in a match against Udinese. He took advantage of the fact that most of the players who were starting in the first eleven were injured. The great player of the 50's for AC Milan, who also formed the GRENOLI trio, the Swedish Nils Liedholm, introduced the young Maldini on the pitch in the second half of the match at only 16 years. Since then and until now, he is a regular in Milan's first eleven.

In November 1986 he debuted in the Squadra Azzura U21 (U21 Italian National team). After one year and almost four months of playing for the U21's he finally debuted in the senior team on 31st of March 1988 in Split, on the pitch of the Hajduk stadium, in a friendly against the Former Republic of Yugoslavia, that finished 1-1. He entered the match in the second half. He is the most capped Italian player with more than 126 appearances in the blue jersey, most of them as captain.

Paolo Maldini had the opportunity to lift Milan's sixth Champions League title in May 2003 in Manchester, after we've defeated Juventus on penalties. Unfortunately for him, Milan lost next year's Champions League trophy against Liverpool in Istanbul, despite Paolo's goal from the first minute. The team more than made up for that slip by winning the 17th title in Italy.

He enjoys rap music artists such as 2Pac or Will Smith. He's also an advertising figure, especially for Opel and Adidas.

The Trophy Room

SERIE A TITLES << SCUDETTO >>
1901 1906 1907 1950 1954 1956 1958 1961 1967 1978 1987 1991 1992 1993 1995 1999 2004

ITALIAN CUP
1967 1972 1973 1977 2003

CHAMPIONS LEAGUE
1963 1969 1989 1990 1994 2003

CUP WINNERS CUP
1968 1973

EUROPEAN SUPER CUP
1989 1990 1995 2003

INTERCONTINENTAL CUP
1969 1989 1990

LEAGUE SUPER CUP
1989 1992 1993 1994 2004

COPPA LATINA
1951 1956