Andriy Shevchenko

The clinical finisher who turned penalties into history and became Milan's second-highest scorer with 175 goals.

Andriy Shevchenko arrived at AC Milan in 1999 for a then-record fee of $25 million, instantly becoming one of Europe's top strikers. Over seven years, he scored 175 goals in 322 appearances, securing his place as the club's second most prolific scorer behind Gunnar Nordahl. His tenure was defined by critical contributions to major trophies, including a Serie A title in 2004 and a Champions League victory in 2003 where he scored the winning penalty in the shoot-out against Juventus. He also claimed the Ballon d'Or in 2004, joining Oleg Blokhin and Igor Belanov as Ukrainian winners of the award.

Quick Facts

Birth name: Andriy Mykolayovych Shevchenko
Born: 29 September 1976
Birthplace: Dvirkivshchyna, Ukrainian SSR, Soviet Union (now Ukraine)
Office: President of the Ukrainian Association of Football
Took office: 25 January 2024
Predecessor: Oleh Protasov
Party: SDPU(u) (1998–2005); Ukraine – Forward! (2012)
Spouse: Kristen Pazik (2004)

Lore & Background

Shevchenko's time in Milan began in earnest on 28 August 1999, when he made his league debut in a 2–2 draw with Lecce. He quickly adapted to Italian football, finishing as the Serie A best goalscorer in his debut season with 24 goals in 32 matches, joining an elite group of foreign players that included Michel Platini and Gunnar Nordahl. His form continued into the 2000–01 season with another 24 league goals. The pinnacle of his early career came in 2002–03 when Milan won their sixth Champions League trophy.

Although he scored only five times in the domestic league that year, hampered by a slow start and frequent rotation, his impact was decisive: he netted an away goal against rivals Inter Milan in the semi-final and converted the winning penalty in the final shoot-out against Juventus after a 0–0 draw. He honored this victory by flying to Kyiv to place his medal at the grave of former Dynamo manager Valeriy Lobanovskyi.

Reader's Guide

Shevchenko's legacy at Milan is built on specific statistical milestones and trophy wins. He won the Serie A title in 2003–04, scoring 24 goals in 32 matches to help the club win their first Scudetto in five years. His goal-scoring record against Inter Milan stands out as a unique achievement; he is the all-time top scorer of the Derby della Madonnina with 14 goals. On 8 February 2006, he became Milan's second highest all-time goalscorer after netting against Treviso. His time at the club concluded in 2006 with a transfer to Chelsea for £30.8 million, though he returned on loan later to finish his career. He also won the UEFA Super Cup in 2003 and the Supercoppa Italiana in August 2004, where he scored three goals against Lazio.

Did You Know?

With 175 goals for Milan he is the second most prolific player in the history of the club, and the all-time top scorer of the Derby della Madonnina with 14 goals.
He was only the fifth player in history to score four goals in a single Champions League match, achieved against Fenerbahçe on 23 November 2005.
He won the Serie A best goalscorer award in his debut season (1999–2000), finishing with 24 goals alongside four other foreign legends: Platini, Charles, Nordahl, and Nyers.