Not that many people know that famous Italian club like AC Milan was founded by two English refugees, Herbert Kilpin and Alfred Edwards. The definite date was 13 November 1899. From the beginning, the club was partly a Cricket club at that time, the club was known as Milan Football and Cricket Club. But with time Football became popular, and the club would later renamed Milan FC in 1919 (the name would change again, first to Milan Associazione Sportiva and later to Associazione Calcio Milan). The British domination is the reason for the club being named Milan, not Milano.
Milan is one of the most successful football clubs in Italian, the club has won many trophies like 3 Champions League Winner, 4 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner, 1 FIFA Club World Cup Winner, 19 Italian Champion, 5 UEFA Super Cup Winner, 2 Cup Winners Cup Winner, 5 Italian Cup Winner, 7 Italian Super Cup Winner, 2 Italian Serie B Champion, 3 Intercontinental Cup Winner, 1 Mitropacup. Apart from Milan being successful, many great players have worn Jersey and contributed greatly towards Milan's achievements over the years, so we will take a look at ranked 10 of Milan's greatest players ever.
(10). KAKA (2003-2009) (2013-2014)
Kaka is a Brazilian former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. Kaka joined Milan in 2003 and helped the Rossoneri win the Serie A title in his first season, also winning the 2006/07 UEFA Champions League as the tournament's highest goal scorer. He was awarded the 2007 Ballon d'Or award and the UEFA club footballer of the year. Everyone know that Kaka would become someone important in world Football years later, but nobody expected him to make the exceptional impact he eventually made in world Football.
This is very rare for any Football player around the world, keeping and maintaining the level of performance that is only heard from talented players such as Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo today. Kaka was the only player in football history, who crushed both of these giants in a Ballon d'Or race. That happened when AC Milan captured the Champions League title with Kaka as their player, he formerly lost one in 2005 over Liverpool. Kaka is a great midfielder known for his creativity, awareness, discipline, excellent ball control, game vision, and superior passing ability. He made 223 appearances and scored 77 goals for Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
1 The Best FIFA Men's Player
1 Winner Balloon d'Or
1 UEFA Best Player In Europe
2 Player Of The Year
1 Too Goal Scorer
1 Champions League Winner
1 FIFA Club World Club Winner
1 Italian Champion
1 UEFA Super Cup Winner
1 Italian Super Cup Winner
(9). JOSÉ ALTAFINI (1958-1965)
José Altafini is a Brazilian retired footballer who was featured as a striker. During his seven seasons with Milan, Altafini was able to win two Serie A titles, and a European Cup, as well as the top scorer awards in Series A, the coppa Italia, and the European Cup. José Altafini is a world-class striker known for his composure technique, creativity, self-confidence, and goal-scoring ability.
Altafini joined Milan at the age of 20 years, and already boasting a World Cup Champion title won with Pelé's Brazil. Also known as "MAZZOLA" in his hometown, due to his similarity to Valentino, the legendary captain of great Torino, in his first season with AC Milan he won the 1958/59 League Title, netting 28 goals in 32 games. Then the 1961/62 League title win allowed the Rossoneri to take part in and conquer the next European Champion Clubs'Cup over Benfica, gratitude to the Brazilian forward's brace in the final at Wembley. He made 246 appearances and scored 161 goals.
Achievements with Milan :
1 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
2 Italian Champion
(8). ANDREA PIRLO (2001-2011)
Andrea Pirlo is a former Italian professional football player who most lately was head coach of Süper Lig Club Fatih Karagümrùk. Andrea Pirlo joined AC Milan on June 3O 2001, it was at Milan in particular under manager Carlo Ancelotti, where Pirlo made big strides in upgrading into a great player, and one of the best playmakers. Pirlo is a world-class midfielder known for his stamina and strength, superior passing ability, ability to read the game, and great leadership. Pirlo later remembered the time he had spent in Milan with Ancelotti: "He changed my career, putting me in front of the defense. We shared some unforgettable moments, we had a magnificent past together.
With Milan, Pirlo was positioned as a deep-lying playmaker in front of the defense. This allowed him to play alongside other great players such as Rivaldo, Rui Costa, and Kaka, replacing the gap left by Milan legend Demetrio Albertini in the midfield playmaking role. He would become an elemental part of Rossoneri's midfield, forming a formidable together with Gennaro Gattuso, as well as with Clarence Seedorf, and Massimo Ambrosini. Pirlo was nicknamed the Metronome during his period with Milan, for how the set the team's movement. He made 284 appearances and scored 32 goals for AC Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
2 Champions League Winner
1 FIFA Club World Cup Winner
2 Italian Champion
2 UEFA Super Cup Winner
1 Italian Cup Winner
1 Italian Super Cup Winner
(7). ALESSANDRO COSTACURTA (1986-2007)
Alessandro Costacurta is an Italian football pundit, manager, and former professional defender who usually played as a center-back. Alessandro Costacurta is a world-class defender known for his focused mentality, ability to think tactically, maintaining position, assertiveness, and technically proficient. Homegrown talent, Alessandro Costacurta became a first-team choice in the 1986/87 season, after a loan spell at Monza.
Under the teachings of Arrigo Sacchi, he finally expressed the full probable finding of his ideal position next to Baresi. He won many trophies during his very long career. He retired from football at 41 years leaving Milan fans unforgettable memories, including a goal on a penalty kick scored against Udinese in his last match played at San Siro. He made 663 appearances and scored 3 goals for AC Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
3 Champions League Winner
2 European Champion Clubs'Cup Winner
7 Italian Champion
3 UEFA Super Cup Winner
1 Italian Cup Winner
5 Italian Super Cup Winner
1 Coppa Italia Primavera Winner
2 Intercontinental Cup Winner
(6). ANDRIY SHEVCHENKO (1999-2006)
Andriy Shevchenko is a Ukrainian football manager, a former professional player, and a former politician. Andriy Shevchenko once played for Dynamo Kyiv, in which Shevchenko netted over 104 goals, and rose to the highest level of the national Championship five times. With Dynamo Kyiv, he won Ukrainian Cup three times. With the national team, Shevchenko played on the fields of the World Cup 2006 and the European Championship 2012. Milan discovered the talented guy in the Champions League Matches.
Shevchenko's career of seven years with Milan was successful, he gained outstanding love from fans and won many trophies. In the hungry bank of the striker, victories in the Championship and the Italian Cup, the Champions League, and the UEFA Super Cup. In 2004, Shevchenko was awarded the golden ball, the homeland awarded the competitor the small hero of Ukraine. Shevchenko is among the top 10 players who tried to bag 4 goals in one match, he is also one of the top scorers in the Italian Super Cup, and he is included in the names of the 100 best Football players of FIFA and the names of the greatest football players of the 20th century. He made 208 appearances and scored 127 goals for Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
1 Winner Balloon d'Or
4 Top Goal Scorers
1 Champions League Winner
1 Italian Champion
1 UEFA Super Cup Winner
1 Italian Cup Winner
1 Italian Super Cup Winner
(5). GUNNAR NORDAHL (1949-1956)
Gunnar Nordahl is a former Swedish professional footballer. Gunnar Nordahl joined AC Milan from IFK Nörrkoping in January 1949, a few months after winning gold at the Olympic matches in London with Sweden. Gunnar Nordahl is a great striker known for his creativity, strength, speed, game vision, teamwork, patience, and goal-scoring ability.
His first goal scored over Pro Patria was just the prelude to an endless series of goals: five-time Serie A highest scorer, he's still the most prolific scorer in Milan's history. And he held the record for most goals for a single club in the history of the Italian League, before being surpassed by Francesco Totti in January 2012. At the international level, between 1942 and 1948, he won 33 caps and netted 43 goals for Sweden's national team. He played for his country at the 1948 Summer Olympics, where he was the joint-top scorer alongside Denmark's John Hansen as Sweden won gold. He made 268 appearances and scored 221 goals for AC Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
5 Top Goal Scorers
3 Italian Champion
(4). MARCO VAN BASTEN (1987-1995)
Marco Van Basten is a Dutch former football manager and player who played for Ajax and AC Milan, as well as the Netherlands national team. A striker of unique elegance, Van Basten joined AC Milan in the summer of 1987, together with Ruud Gullit, having netted impressive 152 goals in 172 matches for Ajax. Winning the top title in the Eredivisie four times in a row, up until the 1986-1987 season. After winning the Cup Winner's Cup with Ajax in 1987.
With Milan Van Basten would form one of the most popular attacking partnerships in the history of football, together with 2 equally well-known Dutch players: Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit, who joined in 1988. The first season was not successful for Van Basten, playing only 11 games because of a severe ankle injury. The following season was incredible. Van Basten left the European Champion's Cup in 1989 while scoring twice in the last games against Steaua Bucuresti. Van Basten's years with Milan were successful, he made 201 appearances and scored 124 goals for AC Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
1 The Best FIFA Men's Player
3 Winner Balloon d'Or
2 Top Goal Scorer
2 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
3 Italian Champion
2 UEFA Super Cup Winner
2 Italian Super Cup Winner
2 Intercontinental Cup Winner
(3). GIANNI RIVERA (1960-1979)
Gianni Rivera is an Italian politician and former footballer who played as a midfielder. He played most of his club career with the Italian club AC Milan, after starting his career with his hometown club Alessandria in 1959. After joining Milan in 1960, he experienced a highly successful career in domestic and European football, winning three Serie A titles and two European Cups, and also serving as the team's Captain for 12 seasons. Rivera is a world-class midfielder known for his defensive skills, ability to read the game, always maintaining a high level of concentration, tactical awareness, superior passing ability, and great leadership.
Rivera made his Milan debut on 18 September 1960, in a 3-5 away victory against his former club Alessandria in the Coppa Italia, under manager Giuseppe Viani, who late nicknamed Rivera his famed Golden Boy. Rivera's Milan debut came in a 3-0 home victory over Catania on 25 September, and he later also showed up in a 5-1 win against Bologna on 9 October 1960, he netted his first goal with Milan on 6 November, the match-winning goal in a 4-3 away victory against Juventus, at the age of 17. Rivera contributed greatly to AC Milan, he made 501 appearances and scored 122 goals for AC Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
1 Winner Balloon d'Or
2 Top Goal Scorer
2 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
3 Italian Champion
2 Europapokal Der Pokalsieger Sieger
4 Italian Cup Winner
1 Intercontinental Cup Winner
(2). FRANCO BARESI (1977-1997)
Franco Baresi is an Italian football youth team coach and a former player and manager. He mainly played as a central defender, and spent his entire 20 years career with Serie A club AC Milan, captaining the club for 15 seasons. At first an AC Milan Youth product, Baresi went on to spend his entire 20 years professional career with Milan, making his League debut at the age of 17 during the 1977/78 season on 23 April 1978. He had at first been rejected by the Internazionale Youth team, who chose his brother Giuseppe instead, so the Milan Youth team signed Franco Baresi.
The two brothers ended up captaining their respective teams shortly after, with their image while exchanging color becoming the trademark of Milan's derby Della Madonnina throughout the 80s. Franco Baresi is one of the defenders in the history of football, well known for his focused mentality, ability to think tactically, composed on the ball, and great leadership. The following season, he was featured in the starting 11, playing as a sweeper or as a center-back, winning the 1978 Serie A title, Milan's tenth overall, playing alongside Fabio Capello, and Gianni Rivera. He made 532 appearances and scored 16 goals for AC Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
1 Top Goal Scorer
1 Champions League Winner
2 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
6 Italian Champion
3 UEFA Super Cup Winner
4 Italian Super Cup Winner
2 Italienischer Zweitligameister
2 Intercontinental Cup Winner
1 Mitropa Cup Winner
(1). PAOLO MALDINI (1984-2009)
Paolo Maldini is an Italian former professional footballer who played essentially as a left-back and center-back for AC Milan and Italy's national team. He is widely considered one of the greatest defenders of all time. At first an AC Milan Youth team product, Maldini also went on to play his entire club career with the senior side. He made his Serie A debut for Milan under the teachings of Nils Liedholm during the same season on 20 January 1985, replacing the injured Sergio Battistini in a match over Udinese at the age of 16. Then the following season, he was made a member of the starting 11, at the age of 17, at right-back being handed the number 3 jersey, which had previously also belonged to his father, Cesare.
Maldini made his Coppa Italia debut in 1985, on 21 August, although his debut in European competition also came later that same year, on 18 September. He netted the first of his 29 goals in Serie A on 4 January 1987 in a 1-0 victory over Como. Maldini is a world-class defender known for his assertiveness, composition on the ball, so strong, technically proficient, and great leadership. Maldini has contributed greatly to Milan countless times, he made 647 appearances and scored 29 goals for Milan.
Achievements with Milan :
3 Champions League Winner
2 European Champion Clubs' Cup Winner
1 FIFA Club World Cup Winner
7 Italian Champion
4 UEFA Super Cup Winner
1 Italian Cup Winner
5 Italian Super Cup Winner
1 Coppa Italia Primavera Winner
2 Intercontinental Cup Winner