Success on the Pitch
The 1950s and 1960s marked a period of significant international success for AC Milan, with the club’s focus shifting to European competitions. Under the guidance of coach Nereo Rocco, Milan became an international powerhouse, particularly in European club competitions. Rocco's tactical innovations, such as the introduction of the "catenaccio" system, which focused on defensive solidity and swift counter-attacks, revolutionized Italian football. AC Milan's greatest achievement in this era came in 1963 when the club won the European Cup (now the UEFA Champions League) for the first time in its history. Milan defeated the mighty Spanish club, Real Madrid, 2-1 in the final, showcasing the club’s growing influence on the continental stage. The club followed this success with further victories, including a 1967 Coppa Italia win and a series of Italian league titles, solidifying its place as a dominant force in European football.
Milan entered the 1970s with nine Serie A titles, and fought throughout the decade for the tenth title and along with it the Scudetto star. Milan was the runner up for three years in a row between 1971 and 1973 before finally earning their tenth title in 1979. After this title, Milan entered a period of decline. In 1980, Milan was involved in the Totonero scandal which resulted in its relegation to Serie B. The scandal was a case of match fixing which plagued many Italian teams in both Serie A and Serie B. Criminal investigations were conducted, and the league administration moved to punish those involved. When the dust settled, Milan and Lazio were relegated to Serie B, and other punishments were leveled against the remaining guilty teams, players, and administrators. Milan quickly rose back to Serie A in its first attempt winning the 1981 Serie B title. They were then relegated a year later as they ended the 1982 season third from last place. In 1983 Milan won the Serie B title once again and was promoted back to Serie A where they have remained to this day.
The team found much more success after 1986 when it was acquired by entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi. He invested a large amount of money and saved the club from bankruptcy. He appointed rising manager Arrigo Sacchi and signed Dutch internationals Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard. This restructured team under new ownership went on to win the Clubs first Scudetto in nine years in 1988 and in 1989 Milan won its first European cup in 20 years. The 1988-1990 Milan team nicknamed the "Immortals" in the Italian media, has been voted the best club side of all time in a global poll of experts conducted by World Soccer magazine.
Sacchi was replaced in 1991 by former player Fabio Capello who led his team to three Serie A titles in consecutive years between 1992 and 1994. Their success included a 58-match unbeaten run in Serie A, earning them the nickname “the Invincibles”. They also appeared in back to back Champions League finals in 1993, 1994, and 1995. They won the Champions League in 1995 securing their fifth title.
​
They continued their dominance into the 21st century under the management of another former player, Carlo Ancelotti. He took Milan to the 2003 Champions League final, where they defeated Juventus on penalties to win the club's sixth European Cup. They would do it again in 2007 beating Liverpool to earn their seventh Champions league title. The Club then suffered decline in the 2010s and went through several coaches. The club recently found new management entering 2025 with the hiring of Portuguese coach Sérgio Conceição. They currently consistently rank towards the top of the Italian Serie A, and have competed in the Champions League the past three seasons.