AC Milan

History of AC Milan: The Rossoneri, Seven European Cups and the Sacchi School

Founded by Englishmen and heir to a European tradition unmatched in Italy, AC Milan have won seven European Cups — the second-highest total in history, behind only Real Madrid. From Gre-No-Li to Capello's Invincibles, the Rossoneri have written some of football's finest chapters.

1. Kilpin, Red and Black (1899–1945)

On 16 December 1899, Nottingham-born Herbert Kilpin and his compatriot Alfred Edwards founded the Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club. Kilpin chose the colours: "red, because we will be devils, and black, for the fear we will inspire". The club won three championships before 1907, then saw some of its members, who wanted to admit foreign players, break away in 1908 to found Inter. The club still keeps the English spelling of its name today: Milan, not Milano.

2. Gre-No-Li, Rocco and the First Two European Cups (1946–1979)

After the war, the Swedish trio of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm — "Gre-No-Li" — brought the title back to Milan. Nordahl remains the club's all-time leading Serie A scorer. Under Nereo Rocco, with the prodigy Gianni Rivera, 1969 Ballon d'Or winner, Milan became the first Italian club to be crowned European champions, beating Eusébio's Benfica 2–1 at Wembley in 1963, and added a second crown in 1969 by crushing Cruyff's Ajax 4–1.

3. The Fall and Berlusconi's Arrival (1980–1986)

In 1980 the Totonero illegal-betting scandal led to the club's relegation to Serie B, where it would drop again in 1982. In 1986 businessman Silvio Berlusconi bought the club and announced his ambition to make it the best in the world.

4. Sacchi, Capello and the Tactical Revolution (1987–1996)

Berlusconi made a bold bet by entrusting the team to Arrigo Sacchi, a coach who had never played professionally. With the Dutch trio of Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard and a legendary defence — Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Mauro Tassotti — Sacchi imposed zonal defending, high pressing and a compact line: Milan won back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990, including a 4–0 final win over Steaua Bucharest. Fabio Capello followed, went 58 league matches unbeaten between 1991 and 1993 and won the 1994 Champions League by humiliating Barcelona's Dream Team 4–0 in Athens.

5. Ancelotti, Istanbul and Athens (2001–2011)

Under Carlo Ancelotti, with Andriy Shevchenko, Kaká, Andrea Pirlo and Paolo Maldini, Milan won the 2003 Champions League on penalties against Juventus at Old Trafford. In Istanbul in 2005 the Rossoneri, 3–0 up at half-time, saw Liverpool come back and win on penalties. Revenge came in Athens in 2007 (2–1): the club's seventh European Cup, and Kaká won the Ballon d'Or. An eighteenth scudetto followed in 2011.

6. Rebuilding and a Nineteenth Title (2012–2026)

After a difficult decade and several changes of ownership, Milan returned to the top in 2022 under Stefano Pioli: a nineteenth scudetto, the first in eleven years. The club reached the 2023 Champions League semi-final, lost to Inter. Owned by the RedBird fund since 2022, it pursues a project built on recruiting young talent. The 2025–26 season saw the title go to rivals Inter, who completed a double; a Milan–Como league match planned for 8 February 2026 at Perth Stadium in Australia, because San Siro was unavailable during the Winter Olympics, was ultimately cancelled.

7. Looking to 2026–27: A New Stadium and European Ambition

Since the restart, Milan have been pursuing two major projects: returning to the domestic front rank against Inter, and building a new stadium to replace the mythical San Siro. With seven European Cups, nineteen scudetti and a tactical identity that marked the history of the game, the Rossoneri remain among the most prestigious clubs in the world.

Honours, Stadium and Legends

Main honours: nineteen Italian championships, five Coppa Italia titles, eight Italian Super Cups, seven European Cups and Champions Leagues (1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007), two Cup Winners' Cups (1968, 1973), five UEFA Super Cups, three Intercontinental Cups and one Club World Cup (2007). The club shares the Giuseppe Meazza stadium, known as San Siro, one of the most famous arenas in the world, with Inter, and trains at the Milanello centre.

The legends: Paolo Maldini, with twenty-five seasons and more than nine hundred matches in the same shirt, and Franco Baresi have had their numbers 3 and 6 retired. Gunnar Nordahl remains the club's all-time leading scorer. Milan also count several Ballon d'Or winners: Gianni Rivera (1969), Ruud Gullit (1987), Marco van Basten (1988, 1989, 1992), George Weah (1995), the first and only African winner, Andriy Shevchenko (2004) and Kaká (2007).

Rivalry and identity: the Derby della Madonnina against Inter, born of the 1908 split, has divided Milan for more than a century and is one of the few city derbies played between two European champions sharing the same stadium. The Curva Sud, home of Milan's most fervent supporters, is renowned for its choreographies. Milan's red and black stripes, chosen by Herbert Kilpin, and the devil nickname "il Diavolo" remain among the most recognisable symbols in world football, and the club's museum at Casa Milan traces a history rich in European nights.

Rivalries and Supporter Culture

The Derby della Madonnina against Inter, with whom Milan has shared San Siro since 1947, is one of the few derbies played between two European champions in the same stadium. The Curva Sud, beating heart of the Rossoneri support, and the red-and-black "Devil", the symbol chosen by Herbert Kilpin, embody an identity forged since 1899.