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| Kaká, Clarence Seedorf, Andriy Shevchenko & Cafu |
Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.
AC Milan All-Time Team Under Silvio Berlusconi
AC Milan Brazilian Best XI
AC Milan All-Time Team
AC Milan All-Time Italian Team
AC Milan All-Time Foreign Player Team
This is my selection of a 25 member all-time team for AC Milan's foreign players. The number 25 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the Champions' League.
Nicknamed "I Rossoneri", AC Milan is the second most successful club after Real Madrid in Europe. At the time of writing, they have won the Euorpean Cup/Champions' league 7 times. They have a strong team in the 1960's, winning the 1963 and 1969. After many years of failure in the 1970's and early 1980's, Silvio Berlusconi bought the club in 1986. He turned the club into a dynasty. The Dutch trio of Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard was credited for the successes of that era. Later, Dejan Savicevic and Kaka helped the club to win the European Cup/Champions' League. Other notable foreign influence on the club incliuded the "Gre-No-Li" line consisted that consisted of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm.
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| Gre-No-Li |
Team
GK: Dida (Brazil)
Didi started his senior club career in Brazil in the early 1990s with Vitória before moving to Cruzeiro and Corinthians. 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.
GK: Mike Maignan (France)
Maignan came through the youth teams at PSG, where he often served as an unused substitute. In 2015 he joined Lille and became their first-choice in 2017. He was voted Ligue 1's goalkeeper of the year in 2018–19, and won the league title in 2020–21. He then moved to AC Milan. He was named Serie A Best Goalkeeper in 2022. In 2022, he picked up his cap for France. Since Hugo Lloris' retirement in 2023, he has been France's starting goalkeeper.
GK: Diego Lopez (Spain)
Lopez started from Real Madrid, but made his name first with Villareal and Sevilla. In January, 2013, he rejoined Real Madrid after Iker Casillas suffered a serious injury. He quickly established as the starter. He maintained his starting status the following year, despite the return of Casillas. He won Copa Del Rey that season as the starter while backing up Casillas in the Champions' League as Real Madrid won it. He was capped once in 2009.
RB: Cafu (Brazil) Lopez started from Real Madrid, but made his name first with Villareal and Sevilla. In January, 2013, he rejoined Real Madrid after Iker Casillas suffered a serious injury. He quickly established as the starter. He maintained his starting status the following year, despite the return of Casillas. He won Copa Del Rey that season as the starter while backing up Casillas in the Champions' League as Real Madrid won it. He was capped once in 2009.
Cafu is the all-time cap record holder for Brazil with 142 caps between 1990 and 2006. He is the only man to play in three World Cup finals, winning it in 1994 and 2002. He was the captain of the 2002 team. With Sao Paulo, he won two Copa Libertadores in 1992 and 1993. In Europe, he won a Cup Winners Cup with Real Zaragoza, and he also won a singe Champions League with AC Milan in 2006. He also played for AS Roma. Palmeiras, etc. He was South American Player of the Year in 1994.
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| Cafu |
The most prominent period of his career was his five years with AC Milan, with whom he won the 1999 Serie A championship and 2003 UEFA Champions League tournament. He was named 1994 Danish Player of the Year. He has participated in the 1996, 2000 and 2004 European Championship and the 1998 and 2002 FIFA World Cup tournaments. He also played for Udinese, Inter Milan, Norwich City and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
CB: Thiago Silva (Brazil)
Thiago Silva became the most expensive defender in history when he moved from Milan to Paris St. Germain. In Brazil, he played for Juventude and Fluminense, helping Fluminense to the Final of Copa Libertadores in 2008. In 2020, he moved to Chelsea. For the national team, he was the captain of Brazil ill-fated team in World Cup 2014, but did not play against Germany in the semifinal. He was an unused sub at the World Cup Finals in 2010.
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. He also played for Nantes and Chelsea. He ended his career in Qatar.
CB/DM: Victor Benitez (Peru)
Victor Benitez only played 11 games for Peru between 1957 and 1959. He was a part of the team that beat England in 1959. He was largely known for his career playing club football in Italy. He started with Alianza Lima. He then played for Boca Juniors between 1960 and 192 before heading to play in Europe. In Europe, he played for A.C. Milan, Messina, Roma, Venezia, and Inter Milan. In 1963, he won the European Cup with AC Milan.
CB/LB: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (West Germany)
In his prime, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was considered one of the best leftbacks in the world. He participated in 4 World Cup Finals, unfortunately sandwiched between West Germany's two World Cup winning tournaments. He was remembered one of the first German to star in Italy's Serie A. He had a remarkable stint with AC Milan and AS Roma. He won the European Cup in 1969 with AC Milan. At home, he played with Koln. He finished 3rd in the Ballon D'or in 1962.
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.
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, winning two European Cup. 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.
AM/CM: Zvonimir Boban (Croatia)
Zvonimir Boban was the captain of the national team that finished third at the World Cup in 1998. He played 49 times for Croatia. He was also an important player of the highly talented Yugoslavia under-20 team that won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was also remembered for his career with AC Milan with whom he won four Serie A and one UEFA Champions League titles. He also played Bari and Celta Vigo at the club level.
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 a single Champions League title there and then, two more with AC Milan. He later played for Inter Milan. He was a key player for the Dutch national team. For the Netherlands, He had 87 caps between 1994 and 2008.
AM: 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)
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.
AM: Rui Costa (Portugal)
Rui Costa was one of the best players in the 1990's Portugal's Golden Generation. He was a part of the team that won the 1991 U-20 World Cup. He starred for Benfica, Florentina and AC Milan. He won a Champions' League title with AC Milan in the 2003-2004 season. He earned 94 caps fpr Portugal. He represented the country in three UEFA European Championships and one World Cup. He led Portugal to the Final of European Championship at home, scoring a screamer against England.
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 the same year. In 2009, he left Milan for Real Madrid. For Brazil, he was capped 92 times between 2002 and 2016. He was a young and seldom used player at the World Cup Finals in 2002. He was a key player after the World Cup Finals in 2002.
AM: Nils Liedholm (Sweden)
Nicknamed Il Barone (The Baron), Nils Liedholm is probably one of Sweden's greatest players. He played for AC Milan between 1949 and 1961. He also won the Latin Cup in 1951 and 1956 and was captain of Milan in the 1958 European Cup Final that lost against Real Madrid. He was a part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" line for both club and country. He won a Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics and helped Sweden to finish second at the World Cup Finals in 1958.
SS: Juan Schiaffino (Uruguay)
At international level, Juan Schiaffino won the 1950 FIFA World Cup with the Uruguayan national team, and also took part at the 1954 FIFA World Cup; he later also represented the Italy national football team. He was considered one of the greatest Uruguayan players in history. For club level, he played in Uruguay for Penarol and in Italy with Milan and Roma.
FW: George Weah (Liberia)
In terms of individual awards, no African player wins more awards than him. 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.
Victor Benitez only played 11 games for Peru between 1957 and 1959. He was a part of the team that beat England in 1959. He was largely known for his career playing club football in Italy. He started with Alianza Lima. He then played for Boca Juniors between 1960 and 192 before heading to play in Europe. In Europe, he played for A.C. Milan, Messina, Roma, Venezia, and Inter Milan. In 1963, he won the European Cup with AC Milan.
CB/LB: Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (West Germany)
In his prime, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger was considered one of the best leftbacks in the world. He participated in 4 World Cup Finals, unfortunately sandwiched between West Germany's two World Cup winning tournaments. He was remembered one of the first German to star in Italy's Serie A. He had a remarkable stint with AC Milan and AS Roma. He won the European Cup in 1969 with AC Milan. At home, he played with Koln. He finished 3rd in the Ballon D'or in 1962.
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| Karl-Heinz Schnellinger |
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.
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, winning two European Cup. 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.
AM/CM: Zvonimir Boban (Croatia)
Zvonimir Boban was the captain of the national team that finished third at the World Cup in 1998. He played 49 times for Croatia. He was also an important player of the highly talented Yugoslavia under-20 team that won the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was also remembered for his career with AC Milan with whom he won four Serie A and one UEFA Champions League titles. He also played Bari and Celta Vigo at the club level.
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 a single Champions League title there and then, two more with AC Milan. He later played for Inter Milan. He was a key player for the Dutch national team. For the Netherlands, He had 87 caps between 1994 and 2008.
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| Clarence Seedorf |
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)
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.
AM: Rui Costa (Portugal)
Rui Costa was one of the best players in the 1990's Portugal's Golden Generation. He was a part of the team that won the 1991 U-20 World Cup. He starred for Benfica, Florentina and AC Milan. He won a Champions' League title with AC Milan in the 2003-2004 season. He earned 94 caps fpr Portugal. He represented the country in three UEFA European Championships and one World Cup. He led Portugal to the Final of European Championship at home, scoring a screamer against England.
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 the same year. In 2009, he left Milan for Real Madrid. For Brazil, he was capped 92 times between 2002 and 2016. He was a young and seldom used player at the World Cup Finals in 2002. He was a key player after the World Cup Finals in 2002.
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| Kaka |
Nicknamed Il Barone (The Baron), Nils Liedholm is probably one of Sweden's greatest players. He played for AC Milan between 1949 and 1961. He also won the Latin Cup in 1951 and 1956 and was captain of Milan in the 1958 European Cup Final that lost against Real Madrid. He was a part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" line for both club and country. He won a Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics and helped Sweden to finish second at the World Cup Finals in 1958.
SS: Juan Schiaffino (Uruguay)
At international level, Juan Schiaffino won the 1950 FIFA World Cup with the Uruguayan national team, and also took part at the 1954 FIFA World Cup; he later also represented the Italy national football team. He was considered one of the greatest Uruguayan players in history. For club level, he played in Uruguay for Penarol and in Italy with Milan and Roma.
FW: George Weah (Liberia)
In terms of individual awards, no African player wins more awards than him. 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.
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| George Weah |
Gunnar Gren was part of the famous "Gre-No-Li" trio of forwards at AC Milan and the Swedish national team during the 1950's. He won a Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics and helped Sweden to finish second at the World Cup finals in 1958. He is considered one of the greatest footballers for both Sweden and AC Milan. In Sweden, he played for IFK Gothenburg, AC Fiorentina, Genoa, and Örgryte IS.
ST: Gunnar Nordahl (Sweden)
He is probably one of both Sweden and AC Milan's greatest players. He is played with Gunnar Gren and Nils Liedholm to form the renowned Gre-No-Li line at AC Milan. He was Serie A top scorer for 5 times. He is the all-time leading scorer at Milan. He won the Gold Medal at the 1948 Olympics but was not selected for the WC in 1950. He played two years with Roma before retiring. His brother Bertil and Knut also played for Sweden.
ST: Jose Altafini (Brazil)
In Brazil, Jose Altafini was known as Mazzola because of his resemblance with Italian attacking midfielder Valentino Mazzola. He started to use his real name Jose Altafini after he joined AC Milan in 1958. In the 1963 European Cup Final, he scored two goals to secure Milan's first European triumph He is the current 4th top-scorer in Italy's Serie A history. For the national team, he was the original starter on the 1958 World Cup team but was replaced in the semifinal and the Final.
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| Jose Altafini (R) |
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 later 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: 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 Netherlands' 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.
Honorable Mention
Zelijko Kalac (Australia), Hoberlin Hood (England), Leonardo (Brazil), Serginho (Brazil), Theo Hernández (France), Marek Jankulovski (Czech Republic), Jaap Stam (Netherlands), Cristián Zapata (Colombia), Fikayo Tomori (England), Philippe Mexès (France), Robinho (Brazil), Luther Blissett (England), Oliver Bierhoff (Germany), Ray Wilkins (England), Kurt Hamrin (Sweden), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark), Zlatan Ibrahimović' (Sweden), Mark Hateley (England), Olivier Giroud (France), Amarildo (Brazil), Rafael Leão (Portugal).
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 Netherlands' 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.
Honorable Mention
Zelijko Kalac (Australia), Hoberlin Hood (England), Leonardo (Brazil), Serginho (Brazil), Theo Hernández (France), Marek Jankulovski (Czech Republic), Jaap Stam (Netherlands), Cristián Zapata (Colombia), Fikayo Tomori (England), Philippe Mexès (France), Robinho (Brazil), Luther Blissett (England), Oliver Bierhoff (Germany), Ray Wilkins (England), Kurt Hamrin (Sweden), Jon Dahl Tomasson (Denmark), Zlatan Ibrahimović' (Sweden), Mark Hateley (England), Olivier Giroud (France), Amarildo (Brazil), Rafael Leão (Portugal).
Squad Explanation
-- I did a review of this team on June 2024.
-- Thirteen players on this team are also on my AC Milan all-time team. Almost all of them are offensive players. Only Cafu and Karl-Heinz Schnellinger were defensive players. The thirteen players are Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard, Kaka, Marcel Desailly, Dejan Savicevic, Jose Altafini, Juan Schiaffino, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm.
-- AC Milan boasts two legendary trios that have left an indelible mark on the club's history. The "Gre-No-Li" line consisted of three Swedes: Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. In the late 1980's, the three Dutchmen Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard played for AC Milan.
-- AC Milan boasts two legendary trios that have left an indelible mark on the club's history. The "Gre-No-Li" line consisted of three Swedes: Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm. In the late 1980's, the three Dutchmen Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten and Frank Rijkaard played for AC Milan.
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| The Three Dutchmen |
-- Almost all offensive players from my AC Milan All-Time team are foreigners. Nevertheless, I still have rooms to add more offensive players to this team. The new offensive players are Gunnar Gren, George Weah, Clarence Seedorf and Rui Costa.
-- As of 2024, 25 Argentine players had played for AC Milan. This Argentine contingent stands as the second-largest foreign group at the club, surpassed only by the Brazilian players. Unfortunately, none of them had a starring role. I found it odd. Hernan Crespo was only on loan here for a season while Fernando Redondo's career in Milan was limited by injuries. It is often overlooked or forgotten that Roberto Ayala and Jose Chamot had stints at AC Milan.
Goalkeepers
-- Not many foreign goalkeepers ever played for AC Milan. Dida was the only foreign goalkeeper who became a long-time starting goalkeeper. He was the only non-Italian goalkeeper on the honorable mention list of my AC Milan All-Time team.
-- Diego Lopez actually started for them in his first season, but manager Siniša Mihajlović dropped him in favour of 16-year-old Gianluigi Donnarumma in the second season. Nevertheless, he was still a starter, much is better than most of the other candidates.
-- In 2024, I replaced Zelijko Kalac with Mike Maignan. Since 2021, Maignan has already been a starter while winning the Serie A title in 2022. He also won the prestigious Serie A Best Goalkeeper award for the 2021-22 season. Additionally, he was also named in the Serie A Team of the Year for both the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons. Kalac was a long time backup for the team. Except for a single season, he seldom played.
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| Mike Maignan |
Defenders
-- Thiago Silva and Marcel Desailly were obvious choices for center backs. Thiago Silva was named twice on the UEFA Team of the Year as a Milan player. In the 1993-1994 season, Desailly was a big part of AC Milan's defensive unit that went undefeated, conceding a remarkable total of only 15 goals. They also won the Champions' League with a convincing victory over Barcelona. However, he mainly played as a defensive midfielder, but I needed him to play as a defender on this team.
-- Jaap Stam only spent a season and half in Milan. He only had one good season in Milan. Roberto Ayala's career in Milan was uneventful. Herbert Kilpin was one of AC Milan's founders and an important player at the beginning of the club. He was selected for his historical roles for the club. In 2024, I made the decision to replace Kilpin with Víctor Benítez who was part of the 1963 European Cup winning team. Benítez had already established himself as a true icon during his illustrious career with Boca Juniors. While I am not well-versed in his time at Milan, I relied on his reputation elsewhere to make the choice. Additionally, I felt that Kilpin's amateur status didn't match the caliber of a club like Milan
-- Kilpin came to Italy from England in 1891 to work for Edoardo Bosio, an Italian-Swiss textile merchant. Bosio founded Internazionale Torino, believed to be the first Italian football club. Kilpin played for the team, becoming the first-ever Englishman to play football abroad. In 1898, he moved to Milan and became one of the founding members of AC Milan. Her spent 9 seasons with the club as a player,winning 3 national titles.
-- Both Karl-Heinz Schnellinger and Frank Rijkaard could also play as the centrebacks so the position would be well-covered. So I only included three centerbacks on this team. I left off Cristián Zapata and Fikayo Tomori. Roque Junior was mainly a backup.
-- Cafu was selected for my All-Time AC Milan team. He is one of the greatest ever rightback in history. Then, I took Tomas Helveg (Denmark). He was a starter for most of his career in Milan,
-- For the left side, Karl-Heinz Schnellinger also belonged to my All-Time AC Milan team. He was almost undisputed, but the younger fans might have rated Kakha Kaladze higher. Kaladze succeeded Maldini as Milan's starting left-back, which was a very hard act to follow. I also placed Serginho, Theo Hernández and Marek Jankulovski on honorable mentions.
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| Kakha Kaladze |
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. As a defensive midfielder, he played a vital part in Milan's triumphs, 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. Ideally, this team needed another extra defensive midfielder. Ray Wilkins who played as a regista in Italy could have been an excellent choice, but I ultimately opted to choose players from different positions. 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. My alternative selections were Rui Costa and George Weah, who were legendary players.
-- 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.
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| Zvonimir Boban |
-- Kaka's outstanding performances in the 2006-2007 Champions' League led to him winning the prestigious Ballon d'Or award. Nils Liedholm carried the team in one of their most successful domestic periods. Ruud Gullit could also be considered as an attack midfielder. So this team is overloaded with five attacking midfielders.
-- Dejan Savicevic and Rudd Guilt also operated on the right. So I did not need a true winger. I left Kurt Hamrin whom I considered to be a Fiorentina All-Timer off the team.
-- Rafael Leão won the Serie A of the Year in 2022, but he still has a long way before he would be considered. Ronaldinho was a shadow of himself during of his time in Milan, but he did have a single good season. Leonaldo played on the left in Milan, but he was a playmaker. Instead, I selected Clarence Seedorf. He was a big part of that "Diamond" midfield formation under Carlos Ancelotti that also included Gattuso, Pirlo, and Kaká. He also played 10 seasons in Milan winning two Champions League titles.
Forwards
-- Jose Altafini is the joint-fourth highest scorer in history of Serie A, with 216 goals, sharing this position with Giuseppe Meazza. He also holds the distinction of being the fifth-youngest player in Serie A history to reach 100 goals, accomplishing this milestone at the age of 24 years and 239 days. In Brazil, he was also known as "Mazzola" because he resembled the Italian legend Valentino Mazzola. Valentino Mazzola's son Sandro was playing with Inter Milan when Jose Altafini was playing with AC Milan.
-- Gunnar Nordahl held the prestigious title of AC Milan's all-time leading scorer. Gunnar Gren was left off my AC Milan All-Time team. So I have to select him over here. He was the third member of the renowned "Gre-No-Li" trio.
-- 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.
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| 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.
-- Zlatan Ibrahimović played two seasons before leaving for PSG in 2012. He returned in 2020. He won two league titles and finished as the league top scorer once while in Milan. But the players selected were more decorated.
Formation
Ruud Gullit has played on the right side earlier in his career. So he needed to adjust his game (he is very versatile). Kaka also played on the right side for Brazil, but I started him in the middle. Liedholm also played on the left side, but the role and formation was different in his in era.
Altafini wasn't the first foreign star of Milan, remenber the Gre-No-Li guys.
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