A Team of Devils: Five times AC Milan shocked the footballing world | OneFootball

AC Milan were founded in December 1899 by Herbert Kilpin and Alfred Edwards, two Englishmen with a passion for football and cricket. While cricket fell into oblivion over the years, the football team wrote its name indelibly in football history. Let’s revisit some crucial moments of this historic club.

A Devilish Squad

Herbert Kilpin is the man behind the colours and themes of the AC Milan we know today. Kilpin wanted to form a “squad of devils”, also responsible for the red and black (Rossonero) uniform. Those colours weren’t chosen by chance. Kilpin envisioned “red like fire” players, with black stripes representing the fear they will inspire in their enemies.

The results usually achieved by the Rossoneri in national and international competitions suggest that Kilpin has somehow succeeded. The 2021-22 season of Serie A is getting closer to the end, and Milan are a strong contender for the title. It’s also getting closer to the top position, now taken by one of its major opponents, Inter. Check the latest odds for this incredibly exciting league at Fotball Odds – Unibet.

Five big moments in Milan history

It’s quite challenging to pick the very best moments from a history that spans over 120 years. Anyway, the moments below represent true landmarks in the club’s trajectory.

The beginning of a rivalry: A 7-1 defeat is very bitter to swallow; just ask any Brazilian. The superlative score was against Juventus in Turin, 1950. A gruesome rivalry started ever since. The tormentors of The Old Lady were Gunnar Nordahl, Nils Liedholm, and Gunnar Gren. Nordahl scored thrice in that game.

Stopping Maradona: AC Milan have won countless domestic titles, but few were so hard-fought than the 1979 Scudetto. Despite having a formidable side, led by Arrigo Sachi, they had faced Napoli with Maradona, Ciro Ferrara, and Careca. The Diavolo defeated Napoli and won that season, but with a meagre three-point advantage over Napoli.

First European Cup: The first time is always unforgettable. The first European Cup of many came in 1963 when the team faced the Portuguese Benfica at Wembley. Jose Altafini and Gianni Rivera secured a tight 2-1 result. The team also counted on Cesare Maldini, and his son, Paolo, would follow in his father’s steps many years later.

A Memorable Year: 1969 was a legendary year for AC Milan, and many fans daydream about that year until today. The team won two international competitions in the same year, the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup. Ajax (Holland) and Estudiantes (Argentina) weren’t enough to stop the Rossoneri that season.

Crushing an Old Enemy: Defeating a team like Inter 6-0 is no mean feat. The humiliation happened in 2001 when both teams were disputing the Serie A title. The score is memorable not only by its figures but because a clash of titles rarely ends so badly.

As one of the oldest teams in the world, the Associazione Calcio Milan has many traditional enemies and stories of incredible victories. The “team of devils” imagined by Kilpin did manage to instil fear in its opponents, as it does until today.

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