AC Milan
One of the most successful clubs in world football, with seven European Cup titles and a legacy of legendary players.
Associazione Calcio Milan (Italian pronunciation: [assotʃatˈtsjoːne ˈkaltʃo ˈmiːlan]), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan (Italian pronunciation: [ˈmiːlan]) mainly outside of Italy, is an Italian professional football club based in Milan, Lombardy. Founded in 1899, the club competes in Serie A, the top tier of Italian football. In its early history, Milan played its home games in different grounds around the city before moving to its current stadium, the San Siro, in 1926. The stadium, which was built by Milan's second chairman, Piero Pirelli, and has been shared with Inter Milan since 1947, is the largest in Italian football, with a total capacity of 75,817. The club has a long-standing rivalry with Inter, with whom they contest the Derby della Madonnina, one of the most followed derbies in football.
- character
- Historic European Rivalry
- Affiliation
- Liverpool FC vs. AC Milan
- First appears
- 1970s (European competitions)
- Status
- Legendary / Active in European history
- Key Arena
- San Siro, Anfield, and various neutral venues
- Primary Competition
- UEFA Champions League & European Cup
Lore & Background
Milan has spent its entire history in Serie A with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seasons. Silvio Berlusconi’s 31-year tenure as Milan president was a standout period in the club's history, as they established themselves as one of Europe's most dominant and successful clubs. Milan won 29 trophies during his tenure, securing multiple Serie A and UEFA Champions League titles. During the 1991–92 season, the club notably achieved the feat of being the first team to win the Serie A title without losing a single game. Milan is home to multiple Ballon d'Or winners, and three of the club's players, Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, and Frank Rijkaard, were ranked in the top three on the podium for the 1988 Ballon d'Or, an unprecedented achievement in the history of the prize.
In Their Own Story
The air in Istanbul was thick with tension on May 25, 2005. Three goals down at half-time against a Milan side featuring Maldini, Nesta, and Kaká, Liverpool's dressing room felt like a tomb. Yet, as the second half began, the roar of the Kop shifted from despair to electric hope. In six frantic minutes, Gerrard, Smicer, and Hyypia tore through the Italian defense. The pitch was a blur of red shirts and desperate tackles, culminating in a penalty shootout where Jerzy Dudek's 'spaghetti legs' saved the day against Andriy Shevchenko. It wasn't just a win; it was a resurrection.
Reader's Guide
Milan is one of the most successful football clubs in the world in terms of total trophies won. Domestically, Milan has won 19 league titles, 5 Coppa Italia titles and 8 Supercoppa Italiana titles. In international competitions, Milan is Italy's most successful club. The club has won seven European Cup/Champions League titles, making them the competition's second-most successful team behind Real Madrid, and further honours include five UEFA Super Cups, two UEFA Cup Winners' Cups, a joint record two Latin Cups, a joint record three Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA Club World Cup.
Did You Know?
- Milan was founded as Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club in 1899 by English expatriate Herbert Kilpin.
- The club has retained the English spelling of the city's name, as opposed to the Italian spelling Milano.
- Milan won its first Italian championship in 1901, interrupting a three-year hegemony of Genoa.
- In 1908, a split led to the forming of Internazionale.
- Milan was the first Italian club to take part in the European Cup in the 1955–56 season.
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