AC Milan
Italian football team.
AC Milan, officially Associazione Calcio Milan, is a professional football club based in Milan, Italy. The club competes in Serie A, the top division of Italian football. AC Milan is nicknamed "I Rossoneri" (The Red and Blacks) due to their distinctive red and black striped shirts. They play their home games at the iconic San Siro stadium, officially known as Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, which has a capacity of 80,018 and has been their home since 1926.
Founded in 1899 by English expatriates Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin, AC Milan is one of the oldest and most successful clubs in Italian and world football. The club has won 19 Serie A titles, 5 Coppa Italia trophies, and 7 Supercoppa Italiana titles. Their first major success came in 1901 when they won their first Italian championship.
In European competitions, AC Milan has been particularly successful, winning the European Cup/UEFA Champions League seven times, second only to Real Madrid. They have also won the UEFA Super Cup five times, the Cup Winners' Cup twice, and the Intercontinental Cup three times. This impressive record makes AC Milan one of the most successful clubs in European football history.
The club's golden era came in the late 1980s and early 1990s under the ownership of Silvio Berlusconi and the management of Arrigo Sacchi and later Fabio Capello. During this period, Milan won three UEFA Champions League titles and dominated both domestic and international competitions with a team that included legendary players such as Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard, and Paolo Maldini.
AC Milan's biggest rivalry is with their city neighbors Inter Milan, with whom they contest the Derby della Madonnina. This is one of the most famous and fiercely contested derbies in world football. They also have strong rivalries with Juventus and Roma.
The club has a rich history of developing and nurturing world-class talent. Many football legends have worn the red and black shirt, including Gianni Rivera, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, and Andriy Shevchenko. AC Milan is also known for its strong youth academy, which has produced many talented players over the years.
In recent years, AC Milan has faced some challenges, including financial difficulties and periods of underperformance. However, the club has shown signs of resurgence, winning the Serie A title in the 2021-22 season, their first league title in 11 years. This victory marked a return to the top of Italian football for the Rossoneri.
As of the 2023-24 season, AC Milan continues to be one of the top teams in Serie A, competing for domestic honors and representing Italy in European competitions. Under the ownership of RedBird Capital Partners and with a strong squad, AC Milan aims to build on their recent success and re-establish themselves as a dominant force in both Italian and European football.