Manchester United Greatest All Time Team Under Sir Alex Ferguson

This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

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Sir Alex Ferguson

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
Manchester United All-Time Team Under Sir Matt Busby
Manchester United All-Time Team
Manchester United Greatest All-Time Team under Sir Alex. 
Manchester United Greatest All-Time Team under Sir Busby
Manchester United All-Time team for British isles (excluding England)
Manchester United Academy All-Time Team

Manchester United All-Time Team for English Players 
Manchester United All-Time Team for Foreign Players.

Manchester United Academy All-Time Team

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for Manchester United under Sir Alex Ferguson.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.  

Sir Alex Ferguson is the most decorated manager in English football's history. He spent 26 years with Manchester United.  From 1986 to 2013, he won 38 trophies, including 13 Premier League titles, five FA Cups and two UEFA Champions League titles. 

Champions' League 2008

The Team
GK: Peter Schmeichel (Denmark)
Peter Schmeichel was regarded as one of the greatest keeper of all-time. He was voted the "World's Best Goalkeeper" in 1992 and 1993. He had a successful career at Manchester United, whom he captained to the 1999 Champions League to complete the Treble.  He is also the most capped player for the Denmark national team, with 129 games between 1987 and 2001. In addition to Euro 92, he played for his country at the 1998 World Cup and three European Championship tournaments.

Peter Schmeichel

GK: Edwin Van Der Sar (Netherlands)
Edwin Van Der Sar is the most capped player in Holland's history.  He was best remembered for being the Ajax keeper in 1995 that won the Champions' League. He also played for Juventus, Fulham and then, later for Manchester United for 6 seasons.  He won the Champions' League in 2007-2008. In between, he also played with Fulham and Juventus.

GK: Fabien Barthez (France)
Fabien Barthez  is France's most decorated goalkeeper.  He had 87 caps for "Les Bleus".   He won the World Cup in 1998 at home and then, the European Championship two years later. He is France's most capped player in the FIFA World Cup, with 17 appearances at the finals. For domestic football, he played with Toulouse, Marseille, AS Monaco, Manchester United and Nantes.  He also won Champions League medal with Marseille in 1993.  

RB: Gary Neville (England)
Along with his brother Philip, David Beckham, Paul Scoles, Ryan Giggs, and Nicky Butt, Gary Neville captained the Manchester United academy team that won the FA Youth Cup in 1991.  They all became fixtures for the senior team throughout the 1990's.  Gary Neville remained the team until 2011 and was the second, longest serving player.  For England, he was the most capped rightback in history.

CB: Rio Ferdinand (England)
Rio Ferdinand became the youngest defender to play for the Three Lions at the time in 1997.   He played 81 times for England  between 1997 and 2011, and was a member of three World Cup squads.  At one point, he was the most expensive British footballer and also broke the world's record transfer fees for a defender twice. He won the Champions' League with Manchester United in 2008. He also played for Leeds United and West Ham.

Rio Ferdinand 

CB: Nemanja Vidic (Serbia)
Nemanja Vidic spent 9 seasons as the starting center-back at Manchester United from 2006 and 2014, where he won every major trophy and established himself as one of the best center-backs of his generation.  He also played for Red Star Belgrade and Spartak Moscow.  He went to the WC Finals in 2006 and 2010.

CB: Steve Bruce (England)
Steve Bruce played for Gillingham and Norwich before joining Manchester United in 1987, where he would play until 1996.  Under Sir Alex Ferguson, he won three Premier League titles, three FA Cups, one Football League Cup and the European Cup Winners' Cup.  He also became the first English player of the 20th century to captain a team to the Double. Despite his success with his club, he was never selected to play for England. 

Steve Bruce

CB:  Jaap Stam  (Netherlands)
Stam became the most expensive Dutch player and the most expensive defender in the world when Manchester United bought him for 10.6 million pounds.  He also played for PSV Eindhoven, Manchester United, Lazio, AC Milan and Ajax. Sam was capped 67 times for Netherlands, scoring three goals. He was in their squads for three European Championships and the 1998 World Cup.

LB/RB: Denis Irwin (Ireland) 
Alex Ferguson considered him his greatest ever signing.  He played over 200 games for Manchester United, winning the Champions' League in 1999 and 7 Premiership titles. He also played for Leeds United and Oldham Athletic, and finished his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers. Irwin was capped by the Republic of Ireland national side 56 times, scoring four goals and featuring in the side that reached the second round (last 16) at the 1994 FIFA World Cup.

LB: Patrice Evra (France)
Evra began his career with Nice and then, Monaco. He played for the Red Devils from 2006 to 2014, where he became one of the best left backs in the world.  At the time of writing, he earned 81 caps and was a key player for France since 2008.  He was the captain of the national team.  At South Africa 2010, he led a player revolt against Raymond Domenech.

DM: Paul Ince (England)
From 1992 to 2000, Paul Ince was capped 53 times.  He was a key player for England at Euro 1996, WC 1998 and Euro 2000.  For his club career, he started with West Ham, but his best known stints were with Liverpool, Inter Milan and Manchester United.  He is one of the few players who played and starred for both Liverpool and Manchester United.

CM: Michael Carrick (England)
Michael Carrick started his career with West Ham and Tottenham Hotspurs before moving to Manchester United in 2006.  At Old Trafford, he won every major trophy for club football, including the Champions' League Title in 2008.  At the international level, he played 34 times for England between 2001 and 2015. He went to the World Cup Finals in 2006 and 2010.

CM/DM: Roy Keane (Ireland)
Roy Keane was the captain of Manchester United from 1997 to 2005, where he won one Champions' League, 7 Preimer League titles and 4 FA Cups.  He was the PWA Player of the Year in 2000.  At the international level, he had 67 caps.  He played for Ireland at the 1994 World Cup Finals in the USA, but was sent home 4 years later before the start of the World Cup Finals in 2002. He later played for Celtic in Scotland after leaving Manchester United.

Roy Keane

CM: Bryan Robson (England)
Bryan Robson was at one point the most expensive British player when he joined Manchester United.  He is considered to be one of England's best ever box-to-box midfielders.  He earned 90 caps for England. He went to three World Cup Finals, but he only played a major role in 1982.  He was injured in both World Cup Finals in 1986 and 1990.  He spent 13 years with Manchester United.


RW: David Beckham (England)
Beckham is the greatest ever icon to play the game. He started his career with Manchester United where he was a part of the famous team that won the 1992 FA Youth Cup. For the senior side, he won 6 Premiership titles and the 1999 Champions' League.  In 2003, he joined Real Madrid for the well-publicized "Galacticos" signing.  In 2007, he moved to LA Galaxy, where he kickstarted a soccer fever in the United States.  For England, he earned 115 caps and was a key part of the national team throughout his career.

David Beckham

LW: Ryan Giggs (Wales)
Giggs was Sir Alex's longest serving player at Manchester United, where he played from 1990 to 2014.  He also holds the club record for competitive appearances. During his time at United, he won 13 Premier League winner's medals, four FA Cup winner's medals, three League Cup winner's medals and two Champions League winner's medals. He is widely considered one of the greatest British wingers in modern history. He played 64 times for Wales.  He led Great Britain at the London Olypmpics in 2012.

Ryan Giggs

AM/CM: Paul Scholas (England)
Scholas was a member of Manchester United's Class of 1992.  He spent 20 years with Manchester United's first team.  He won 11 Premier League, three FA Cup and two UEFA Champions League winners medals.  He earned 66 caps for England before he retired from the Three Lions in 2004. His cap total was limited because of playing the same generation with Frank Lampard and Steve Gerrard.

FW/LW: Cristano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Cristano Ronaldo is one of the greatest forward of his generation.  He is the most expensive players in history from 2009-2013 when he moved from Manchester United to Real Madrid.  At the time of writing, he won the Ballon d'Or winner three times and won Champions' League titles with both Manchester United and Real Madrid.  In 2016, he helped Portugal to win the European Championship, a month after winning the Champions' League with Real Madrid. He won 5 Champions' League in total.

Cristano Ronaldo

FW: Eric Cantona (France)
Before joining Leeds United in 1992, Cantona was known as the bad boy of French football.  He moved to England to restart his career.  In England, he became a huge star.  He won the league title with Leeds United and moved to Manchester United.  At Manchester United, he became one of their best ever players. For the national team, he was a part of the ill-fated national team that failed to qualify for the World Cup in 1994. 

FW: Wayne Rooney(England)
In 2002, Rooney made his professional debut as a 16 years old with Everton.  Less than a year later, he became England's youngest international.  He made his big tournament debut at Euro 2004.  he scored 4 goals and named as a member of the tournament's best XI.  At the time of writing, he is England's key player for every major tournament since Euro 2004.  As for Manchester United, he has won 5 Preimer League titles.  In 2008, he formed a partnership with Cristano Ronaldo and won the Champions' League. 

Wayne Rooney

ST: Mark Hughes (Wales)
Mark Hughes was best remembered for his spells with Manchester United.   He won two Premier League title medals, four FA Cups, three League Cups and two European Cup Winners' Cups. He was the first player to win the PFA Players' Player of the Year award twice, in 1989 and 1991. He also played with Chelsea, Southampton, Everton and Blackburn Rovers. He had 72 caps with Wales.

ST: Ole Gunnar Solskjær (Norway)  

Ole Gunnar Solskjær was nicknamed "The Baby-faced Assassin".  He played 12 seasons for Sir Alex at Manchester United.  He is known to be "super sub" on the team.  He often scored important goals coming off the bench.  He was probably best remembered for scoring the winning goal against bayern Munich at the 1999 Champions' league Final. He was capped 67 times for Norway.

ST: Ruud Van Nistelrooy (Netherlands)
Ruud Van Nistelrooy was a prolific goal scorer. He won the top scorer award in three different European domestic leagues. He started with PSV Eindhoven.  He spent 5 seasons with Manchester United where he was voted as their best player twice.  With Real Madrid, he finished second as the European Golden Boot. Van Nistelrooy earned 70 caps and scored 35 goals for the Netherlands. He played in 2006 World Cup and two European Championship.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy

Honorable Mention
Gary Pallister, John O'Shea, Darren Fletcher, Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Wes Brown, Phil Neville, Mikael Silvestre, Nicky Butt, Lee Sharpe, David De Gea, Jimmy Leighton, Alan Smith, Carlos Tevez.

Squad Explanation
-- This is my selection of the greatest ever team under Sir Alex Ferguson.  I never checked if Sir Alex himself ever came up his own selection of his greatest 25 member team.  This is my opinion of his greatest ever team.
-- Peter Schmeichel, Cristano Ronaldo, Ryan Giggs, David Beckham, Roy Keane, Bryan Robson, Mark Hughes, Edwin Van Der Sar, Eric Cantona, Gary Neville, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Denis Irwin, Wayne Rooney, Paul Scholas and Wayne Rooney are also on my Manchester United All-Time team.  
-- I read his autobiography. He is very fond of Cristano Ronaldo.  However, he could not get along with Roy Keane at the end of his stay and after Keane's retirement as a player.
-- There are not many choices for the third keeper. Jimmy Leighton, and David De Gea were considered. De Gea might one day replace Barthez on the team.
-- The fourth centerback was between Pallister and Bruce. Bruce seemed to be rated higher.
-- Gary Neville has locked down the rightback position for too long.  No other rightback was considered. Or I should say no one could be considered. Denis Irwin is my backup rightback.
-- Sir Alex considered Denis Irwin his greatest signing.
-- Paul McGareth played for Sir Alex, but was better known for his feud with him.  The prime of McGareth's career was not under Sir Alex.   I did not put him even on Honorable Mention.
-- Lee Sharpe got the Honorable Mention because his peak was amazing (although it was short).  He was one of Sir Alex's star players. He was voted PFA Young Player of the Year in 1991. He also won a Cup Winners' Cup. He was one of the earlier "Fergie's Fledglings".
-- Alan Smith transferred to Manchester United in 2004, whereupon manager Sir Alex Ferguson successfully converted him to a holding midfielder.  I thought it was weird at the time, but Sir Alex had his special way to spot a talent.  Alan Smith was very good as a defensive midfielder.  I named Alan Smith as a honorable mention because of how Sir Alex handled him.
--  In general, Sir Alex's "Class of 1992" was considered his greatest homegrown talents.  From that team, David Beckham, Ryan Giggs, Gary Neville and Paul Scholes made my all-time team. Nicky Butt and Phil Neville made honourable mention.
-- I always believed Paul Scholas was underrated. At Manchester United, he was often overshadowed by Ryan Giggs, Roy Keane and David Beckham earlier in his career.  For the national team, he played at the same time as Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard. He was actually as good as them.
-- Michael Carrick had a long career under Sir Alex.  He edged out Nicky Butt.
-- I should select both Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke as an unit. they were among the best, but Manchester United has too many legendary forwards: Cantona, Hughes, Rooney and Ronaldo.  
-- Brian McClair was the last player dropped. The team is loaded with his type of players, but he spent 11 seasons with the club.  Terry Sheringham was left off because of too many forwards. 
-- Wayne Rooney is Manchester United's all-time leading scorer and the only player to have scored 250 goals for the Reds.  I do not think the fans respected him as much as he deserved.

Formation
4-4-2

AC Milan's Greatest All-Time Team Under Silvio Berlusconi

Silvio Berlusconi

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.

AC Milan All-Time Team
AC Milan All-Time Italian Team
AC Milan All-Time Foreign Player Team
AC Milan Brazilian Best XI

This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for AC Milan under the leadership of Silvio Berlusconi.  The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.  

AC Milan had a glorious history throughout the 1960's, winning two European Cups.  However, by the time Silvio Berlusconi bought the club in 1986, it had fallen into disarray. Berlusconi turned the club around. From 1986 to 2017, the club would win 5 European Cups, making it the second most successful club in Europe after Real Madrid.

2007 Champions League

Team

GK: Sebastiano Rossi (Italy)  
During a 21-year professional career, Rossi appeared in 346 Serie A games, most notably representing A.C. Milan (12 seasons) with which he won 12 major titles, including the 1994 Champions League.   Rossi held the record for the longest streak without conceding a goal in Serie A history. In an 11-match span, he kept a clean sheet for 929 consecutive minutes.  He was never capped by Italy.

GK: Dida (Brazil)

In the early 1990s, Dida played with Vitória before moving to Cruzeiro and Corinthians. He was mainly remembered for his 10 seasons with AC Milan. He was the hero of the 2003 Champions' League Final when he helped Milan to win the penalty shootout against Juventus. He became the first Brazilian keeper to be nominated for Ballon d' Or that year. He went to three World Cup Finals and started in 2006 for the Seleção. He was capped 91 times between 1995 and 2006.

Dida

GK: Giovanni Galli (Italy)
In a professional career which spanned nearly two decades, he played in 496 Serie A games, mainly with Fiorentina (nine seasons) and Milan (four).  He also started in Milan's back-to-back European Cup conquests, in 1989 and 1990.  Galli appeared with Italy in the 1980 European Championship; he was an unused member of the squad that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup and served as Italy's starting goalkeeper at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

RB: Mauro Tassotti (Italy) Sebastiano Rossi (Italy)  
After making his Serie A debut with Lazio, Mauro Tassotti went on to play with Milan for 17 years. He won 17 major titles with Milan, including five Serie A championships and three UEFA Champions League tournaments, reaching five finals in total.  He was a part of both Arrigo Sacchi's and Fabio Capello's AC Milan.  He also went to the World Cup in 1994, where Italy came second.

RB: Cafu (Brazil) 
Cafu is the all-time cap record holder for Brazil with 142.  He is the only man to play in three World Cup Finals, winning in 1994 and 2002.  He was the captain of the national team as they won the World Cup in 2002.  With Brazil, he also took part in four editions of the Copa América, winning the title twice, in 1997 and 1999. He played with Sao Paulo, Roma and AC Milan. He was South American Player of the Year in 1994.  

CB: Alessandro Nesta (Italy)
Alessandro Nesta is considered one of the best defender of his generation.  He was the Serie A defender of the Year for 4 times. He started his career with Lazio.  Later, he played with AC Milan where he won two Champions' league.  He also played in MLS.  For Italy, he earned 78 caps.   He played on the 2006 WC winning team, but injured in the third game of the tournament.  He also went to 1998 and 2002 World Cup Finals as well as the European Championship in 1996, 2000 and 2004.

Alessandro Nesta

CB: Alessandro Costacurta (Italy)
Alessandro Costacurta was Baresi's partner at central defense for both club and country. He was a part of 5 Champions' League winning team for AC Milan.  However, he only played 59 times for Italy because largely of injuries. He went to two World Cup Finals (in 1994 and 1998), as well as a European Championship in 1996. With Italy, he managed to reach the 1994 World Cup Final, which was lost against Brazil on penalties.

SW: Franco Baresi (Italy)
Franco Baresi was considered Italy's greatest libero.  He was capped 82 times between 1982 and 1994.  He led the Azzurri to the semifinal of the World Cup in 1990 and then, the Final in 1994.  However, he missed most of the tournament in 1994 through an injury, playing in the Final.  He was a part of the 1982 World Cup winning team, but he did not play a single match.  He was a one club man with AC Milan.  He is their captain for 15 years, where he won three European Cups and 6 Serie A titles. 

Franco Baresi 

LB: Kakha Kaladze (Georgia)
Kakha Kaladze started with Dinamo Tbilisi in Georgia.  He was also a part of Dynmamo Kyiv that dominated the domestic league and reached the semifinal of the Champions' league in the 1990's with Andriy Shevchenko.  He also played for AC Milan, where he won two Champions' League in 2003 and 2007.  He was Georgian Player of the Year for 5 times.  He played 83 timed for Georgia.  He is one of Georgia's greatest players.

CB/LB: Paolo Maldini (Italy)
Paolo Maldin was considered the greatest leftback of all-time.  He won 26 trophies in his 25 year career with AC Milan, including 5 Champions' league trophies. With the Azzurri, Maldini took part in three European Championships, and four World Cups. Although he did not win a tournament with Italy, he reached the finals of the 1994 World Cup and Euro 2000, and the semi-finals of the 1990 World Cup and Euro 1988, and was elected into the all-star teams for each of these tournaments. He was capped 126 times for Italy.  

Paolo Maldini 

CB/DM:  Marcel Desailly (France)

Marcel Desailly was considered to be one of the greatest defensive players during the 1990's.  He played 116 times for France, winning the World Cup in 1998 and the European Championship in 2000.  He was the first player to win the European Cup in consecutive seasons with different clubs, when he won it with Marseille in 1993 and AC Milan the following year.

DM: Gennaro Gattuso (Italy)
Gennaro Gattuso was a highly regarded destroyer in his prime. He spent 13 years with AC Milan, forming a famous partnership with Andreas Pirlo. At the club level, he also played for Rangers, Perugia and Sion. He won two Champions' League with the club.  For the Azzurri, he earned 73 caps between 2000 and 2010.  He went to three World Cup Finals, winning the 2006 World Cup Finals, playing along side Pirlo again.

CM: Frank Rijkaard (Netherlands)
Frank Rijkaard was one of Netherlands' most important player.  Capped 73 times.  He won the 1988 European Championship in West Germany. He notably played for Ajax and AC Milan. He spent 5 seasons with AC Milan when Milan was considered the greatest club team in the world.  He won two European Cup with them. In 1995, he led a young Ajax team to their famous Champions' League victory.  That team is also considered one of the greatest club sides ever.

CM: Carlo Ancelotti (Italy)
Carlo Ancelotti began his career with Parma, but he made his name with AS Roma where he played between 1979 and 1987. He won the Serie A title in 1982-1983 and 4 Italian Cup's with them.  In 1987, he joined AC Milan and became a part of the team that won two European Cup.  He retired in 1992 with Milan. He was capped 26 times for Italy.  He narrowly missed the World Cup Finals in 1982, but went to the World Cup Finals in 1986 and 1990.

Carlo Ancelotti 

CM: Demetrio Albertini (Italy)
Demetrio Albertini was the deep-lying playmaker of the great AC Milan team of the 1990's.  He won 5 league titles in the 1990's and the Champions' League title in 1994. He played for his country 79 times.  He went to the 1994 and 1998 World Cups, Euro 96, and Euro 2000. He was voted into the team of tournament at Euro 2000. He also played for Atletico Madrid Lazio, Barcelona and Atalanta after he left AC Milan.

CM: Andrea Pirlo (Italy)
Andrea Pirlo started as an attack midfielder with Inter Milan without success before becoming a regista.  He redefined the regista role in the modern game.  He had 116 caps for Italy.  He won the World Cup in 2006 and took Italy to the Final of Euro 2012.  For his club career, he was known for his career with AC Milan.  He played over 280 matches for them, winning two Champions' League titles.  He switched to Juventus late in his career and played for New York City FC.

CM/LM: Clarence Seedorf (Netherlands)
Seedorf is the first player to win three Champion League titles with 3 different clubs. He was a member of the Golden Generation from Ajax that won Champions League in 1995.  In 1996, he moved to Real Madrid, where he quickly established himself as a star.  He would win two Champions League title there.  He later played for both AC Milan and Inter Milan.  He would win two more with them. He was a key player for the Dutch national team.  he played 87 times for them.

LW: Roberto Donadoni (Italy)
Roberto Donadoni was one of Italy's greatest wingers.  He was a vital part of AC Milan's squad under both Arrigo Sacchi and Fabio Capello, winning six Serie A titles, three European Cups, four Italian Supercups, three European Super Cups, and two Intercontinental Cups during his time at Milan. Between 1986 and 1996, he earned over 60 caps for Italy.  He went to the World Cup Finals in 1990 and 1994, and the European Championship in 1988 and 1996.

AM/CM: Kaka (Brazil)
Kaka started his career with Sao Paulo in Brazil before moving to AC Milan in 2003.  He was the star player who helped Milan to win the Champions' League in 2007 and he himself won he Ballon d'or on the same year.  In 2009, he left Milan for Real Madrid.  At the end of his career, he played for Orlando City in the MLS. For Brazil, he was capped 92 times.  He was a young and seldom used player at the World Cup in 2002.  He was a key player after the World Cup Finals in 2002.

Kaka

AM/RM: Dejan Savicevic (Montenegro)
Dejan Savicevic was a part of the Red Star Belgrade team that won the 1990–91 European Cup before joining A.C. Milan in 1992. With Milan, he won three Serie A titles and the 1993–94 UEFA Champions League. His international career was limited due to sanction placed on his country.  He did not play in a major tournaments at the peak of his career.  However, he represented Yugoslavia at the 1990 and 1998 World Cups.  He had over 50 caps.

AM: Ruud Gullit (Netherlands)
Ruud Gullit was the iconic captain of Netherlands 1988.  In 1987,  he moved from PSV Eindhoven to A.C. Milan for a world record transfer fee.  He was an important player for AC Milan during the 1980's where they won two straight European Cups. He was the European Footballer of the Year in 1987 and the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1987 and 1989.  He spent one season with Sampdoria winning the Italian Cup in 1994.  He later played for Chelsea as a sweeper.

FW: George Weah (Liberia) 
In terms of individual awards, no African player wins more awards than George Weah.  He was was named FIFA World Player of the Year and won the Ballon d'Or in 1995.  He won African Footballer of the Year: 1989, 1994, 1995.  He was voted African Player of the Century in 1996.  He had great careers with AC Milan where he won two Serie A titles. He also played for Monaco, PSG, Chelsea, etc. In 2017, Weah was elected as the President of Liberia.

George Weah 

ST: Andrei Shevchenko (Ukraine)
Andrei Shevchenko is considered one of the greatest Ukrainian player in history.  He won the Ballon D'Or in 2004 and came 3rd on the World Player of the Year.  He started his career with Dynamo Kyiv. He was best remembered for his stint with AC Milan, winning the Champions' League in 2003.  He also played for Chelsea. He won 111 caps and scored 48 goals for the Ukraine.  He led Ukraine to qualify for the World Cup Finals in 2006, where they reached the quarterfinal.

ST: Filippo Inzaghi (Italy)
He is one of the most prolific goalscorers of all time, fifth in Italy, with 313 goals scored in official matches. He is currently the fourth-highest goal scorer in European club competitions with 70 goals.  With AC Milan, he won  two UEFA Champions League titles (2003, 2007).  he made his national team debut in 1997.  He went to all major tournaments from 1998 to 2006.  He won the World Cup in 2006, but only played in one match.

ST:  Marco Van Basten  (Netherlands)
Marco Van Basten was probably the second best Dutch player and among the best striker in football's history.  He won the Ballon d'Or three times.  He led Oranje to the victory at the European Championship 1988 scoring 5 goals at the tournament. It was Holland's first victory in a major tournament. His goal in the Final is considered one of the best in history of the tournament. He started his career with Ajax.  He also won two European Cups with AC Milan, a club side that was considered the best ever.  

Marco Van Basten

Honorable Mention
Christian Abbiati (Italy), Thiago Silva (Brazil), Cristián Zapata (Colombia), Filippo Galli (Italy), Leonardo (Brazil), Serginho (Brazil), Marek Jankulovski (Czech Republic),  Christian Panucci (Italy), Massimo Ambrosini (Italy), Angelo Colombo (Italy), Rui Costa (Portugal), Roberto Baggio (Italy), Alberigo Evani (Italy), Oliver Bierhoff (Germany), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark), Zlatan Ibrahimović' (Sweden), Daniele Massaro (Italy), Marco Simeone (Italy).

Squad Explanation
-- Kaka, Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, Marcel Desailly, Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Alessandro Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta, Andrei Shevchenko, Andrea Pirlo, Roberto Donadoni, Dejan Savicevic, Mauro Tassotti and Sebastiano Rossi are on my AC Milan All-Time Team.  That is sixteen out of 25 players on that team.

Ruud Gullit

-- In total, Silvio Berlusconi's AC Milan won eight Scudetto titles, one Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana seven times, five European Cups/Champions Leagues, two Intercontinental Cups, one FIFA Club World Cup and five European/UEFA Super Cups. Most players on this team has at least won a single European Cup/Champions league trophy.  George Weah was the only player who did not win this trophy over here, but he won two scudettos.

-- Silvio Berlusconi was in charge of the club for 31 years.  He took over the club in February, 1986 and sold it in 2017.
-- The rise of the club began in 1987 when Silvio Berlusconi hired Arrigo Sacchi, who was in charge of Parma in the second division. Sacchi was not well-known, but Parma did beat Milan in the Coppa Italia.  The fans did not endorse Silvio Berlusconi's hiring of him in the beginning.
-- In summer of 1987, Carlo Ancelotti, Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten joined the club. Alessandro Costacurta also came back from a loan return.  It was Silvio Berlusconi's second summer in charge of the club.  
--  Franco Baresi, Paulo Maldini, Alessandro Costacurta, Filippo Galli and Mauro Tassotti were playing for AC Milan before Silvio Berlusconi took over.

Goalkeepers

-- Sebastiano Rossi, despite receiving two call-ups, never made an appearance for the national team. However, he played a crucial role as a vital player in Fabio Capello's "Invincibles" team, which remained undefeated and won the Champions League. He once held the league record for the longest streak without conceding a goal (929 minutes). He currently holds the Serie A record for fewest goals conceded in a single 34-game season (11). He spent over a decade with the club

-- Dida was an easy choice for the second keeper. He played over 300 games for Milan. Giovanni Galli beat out Christian Abbiati as the third keeper. Abbiati made more appearance for Milan than any other goalkeeper in history, but Galli won back-to-back European Cups. He also spent 15 seasons with AC Milan.  I selected him because of his service to the club.

-- In 2015, Gianluigi Donnarumma became the second-youngest goalkeeper ever to debut in Serie A, aged 16 years and 242 days.  But his career did not really start until the departure of Silvio Berlusconi.

Defenders

-- In the 1993-94 season, Milan accomplished an extraordinary feat by securing their third consecutive Serie A title, conceding a remarkable total of only 15 goals. They also won the Champions' League that season with a convincing victory over Barcelona. Their defense during this era is widely regarded as the best in the history of the game. Individually, Paulo Maldini is known as the greatest ever leftback , while Franco Baresi is recognized as one of the finest liberos ever to grace the sport. Alessandro Costacurta primarily played as a center back but exhibited versatility across the entire defensive line.  Mauro Tassotti might not be the greatest rightback ever.  But he had a long service to the club. He spent 17 seasons during Milan's greatest eras.  Marco Desailly mainly played as a defensive midfielder, ad he was one of the greatest ever in this position.  

Alessandro Costacurta 

--Alessandro Nesta was another undisputed selection for a central defender, forming a formidable unit alongside Baresi and Costacurta. However, this team boasted not just three, but five players capable of excelling in that position. Towards the end of his career, Maldini adapted to the role while Desailly also possessed the ability to perform admirably in that position.  

-- Thiago Silva was named twice on the UEFA Team of the Year as a Milan player.  In his time, Filippo Galli was overshadowed by his teammates Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta, Tassotti, Panucci, etc.  During his 15 seasons with the club, he won five Serie A titles and three UEFA Champions League titles, among other trophies.  They made honorable mentions.

-- Cafu and Mauro Tassotti kept Christian Panucci off the team. For the left-back position, my choice fell upon Kakha Kaladze as the backup. Paulo Maldini had firmly established himself in that role for a significant duration, making it an arduous task to fill his shoes. Nonetheless, Kaladze rose to the challenge and successfully assumed the role of Milan's starting left-back.  I also placed Serginho and Marek Jankulovski on honorable mentions.

Midfielders/Wingers

-- For the deep defensive position, I first took Frank Rijkaard and Marco Desailly.  Frank Rijkaard played a crucial role in the team's success during the late 1980s and early 1990s, including winning back-to-back European Cups.  Marcel Desailly, on the other hand, joined Milan in 1993 and became an integral part of the team's defense.  Both were two of the greatest defensive midfielders ever played in the game. 

-- Andreas Pirlo is one of the most underrated players in history.  He was critical to the successes of AC Milan.  His departure to Juventus changed the balance of power in Serie A.  And I have to reunite him with Gennaro Gattuso.  Their complimentary playing styles allowed them to control the midfield effectively. Pirlo's ability to find pockets of space and distribute the ball seamlessly was supported by Gattuso's relentless energy and defensive work rate.  This pair was perhaps the most iconic midfield duet in the history of AC Milan. I had to reunite them here even through I already have Desailly and Rijkaard who could cover the midfield defensively. The inclusion of Gattuso kept Massimo Ambrosini off the team.  He spent 18 years with the club. His longevity certainly played a big role.

Andrea Pirlo 

-- Demetrio Albertini won five league titles and two UEFA Champions League titles with the club.  He would be the perfect backup for Pirlo. Carlos Ancelotti was a box-to-box midfielder.  The team might need his type of player. He was the unsung hero of the team during the late 1980's. 

-- Ray Wilkins who played as a regista in Italy could have been an excellent choice, but I ultimately opted to choose other players. Wilkins' years in Milan occurred during a period when AC Milan faced financial difficulties, with the club being on the verge of bankruptcy before its rescue through Silvio Berlusconi's purchase. He played for just one season under Berlusconi's ownership and missed out on the subsequent glamorous periods that followed after his departure.  He went "trophyless" in Milan.  

-- Zvonimir Boban and Dejan Savicevic were instrumental in AC Milan's victory in the 1994 Champions' League. In the momentous Final, Milan positioned Boban on the left side of midfield while Roberto Donadoni occupied the right. Savicevic, on the other hand, took up a prominent position at the forefront alongside Daniele Massaro. This tactical arrangement resulted in a resounding 4-0 triumph over Barcelona's "Dream" team.  Savicevic's performance in the Final was considered to be one of the greatest individual performances in the history of the tournament.   Despite his exceptional talent, he remained underrated, primarily due to his inability to participate in a significant international tournament during his prime due to the ban on Yugoslavia. This unfortunate circumstance resulted in him being overlooked as one of the all-time greats of the game.   One can't help but speculate about the immense potential that would have unfolded if Yugoslavia, with Boban and Savicevic in their lineup, had participated in the 1994 World Cup FinalsYugoslavia, with Boban and Savicevic in their lineup, had participated in the 1994 World Cup Finals just a month after the Champions League Final.

 -- Kaka's outstanding performances in the 2006-2007 Champions' League led to him winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. Rudd Guilt was also an attack midfielder so this team had four attack midfielders.

-- Dejan Savicevic and Rudd Guilt also operated on the right.  So I did not need a true winger.  Being a major contributor to AC Milan's greatest era in history, Roberto Donadoni was an undisputed selection on the left.  He also played on the right.  Alberico Evani played 393 official matches for Milan. He won 3 Serie A titles, 2 UEFA Champions League titles and 2 Intercontinental Cup titles.  He played as a leftback until the emerge of Paulo Maldini, where he was transformed into a left winger.  He scored the winning goal in the 1989 Intercontinental Cup.  However, I decided to pick Clarence Seedorf who was a left midfielder and playmaker.  He also played 10 seasons in Milan winning two Champions League titles.  He was not a wide player, but he played on the left side of the "Diamond" midfield formation under Carlos Ancelotti that also featured Gattuso, Pirlo, and Kaká.  

-- Roberto Baggio is probably Italy's greatest trequartista, but his career with AC Milan was uneventful.  While he won a Serie A title in his first season, he had a series of disagreement with different managers in his second season.  His playing time was limited as a result.  

Forwards

-- Unlike most of my other selection squad, this team is not loaded with strikers.  I only took Inzaghi, Shevchenko and Van Basten.  My squad was loaded with midfielders.

-- Filippo Inzaghi is the All-time Milan's top goal scorer in Europe. He also spent over 10 seasons in Milan.  He also won many trophies including the 2007 UEFA Champions League where he won the Man of the Match in the Final.

-- Daniele Massaro probably should belong to this team. He had a decorated career with the club, but his career was overshadowed by his strike partners.  I only put him on honorable mention.

-- During his time at AC Milan, Marco van Basten achieved numerous individual awards. He won the Ballon d'Or award in 1988, 1989, and 1992.  In addition, he was named FIFA World Player of the Year in 1992.  His teammate Ruud Guilt also needed no introduction.  He was named World Soccer Player of the Year twice, and the 1989 award was related to his performance in Milan. 

-- Andriy Shevchenko, also enjoyed a remarkable career and garnered numerous individual accolades during his time in Milan. In 2004, he was honored with Ballon d'Or award. In Serie A, he was recognized as the Foreign Footballer of the Year in 2000. He also clinched the Serie A top scorer title in the 1999-2000 season with 24 goals and repeated the feat in the 2003-04 season.

Andriy Shevchenko

-- George Weah became the first and only African player to win the Ballon d'Or, the Onze d'Or, and the FIFA World Player of the Year accolades while he was a Milan player. However, it is important to note that his remarkable accomplishments were primarily attributed to his exceptional performances during his previous tenure at PSG. Nevertheless, Weah was one of the best players in the world while in Milan.

Formation
The formation is the Christmas tree used by Carlos Ancelotti. The starting lineup is almost the same as the one on my AC Milan All-Time team. Shevchenko and Kaka were added to the starting lineup. Dejan Savicevic could have started instead of Kaka. On Ancelotti's team, Seedorf played on the left, but I put Gullit on the right.  Gullit played on the right side before.  He is versatile enough to play a deeper role. Rijkaard adopted the role of Gattuso.