GK:  Fabio CUDICINI 1
RB:  Cesare MALDINI  2 CB:  Giovanni TRAPATTONI  3 LB: Karl-Heinz SCHNELLINGER  4
RM: Gianni RIVERA   6 RCM:  Giovanni LODETTI  5 LCM: DINO SANI  7 LM:  Romeo BENETTI 8
RCF: Jose ALTAFINI 11 CF: Angelo SORMANI 10  LCF:  Kurt HAMRIN  9

SUBS:
Angelo ANQUILLETTI 14,  Roberto ROSATO 13,  Romeo BENETTI 15,  Albertino BIGON 16,
Mario DAVID 18, Pierino PRATI 25, Gino PIVATELLI 20

Manager: Nereo ROCCO
Home ground: San Siro

Meanwhile, at AC Milan, Inter’s rivals hired an innovative coach named Nereo Rocco. While Helenio Herrera used a modified version of Catenaccio, it’s Rocco who is credited with inventing the system in the first place. AC Milan where a very strong and very talented team that unfortunately lived in the shadow of Herrera’s Inter for much of the 60’s. The squad featured a young Gianni Rivera and Jose Altafini, legendary defender Cesare Maldini, and Giovanni Trappatoni, who would go on to have a succesful managerial career. Milan’s enthasis on local players contradicted their earlier focus on foreign players as seen during the Gre-No-Li period. Under Rocco, Milans first trophy was the 1952 Serie A, but their most exciting success was yet to come. In 1963, AC Milan witnessed a dissapointing response to the first European Cup Final held in England, playing Benfica in a half empty Wembley Stadium. Milan won the game 2-1, becoming the first Italian team to win the trophy. The white kit they wore in the final would become known as Milans lucky European kit, as they would go on to win more finals in this kit that their traditional red and black stripes. 

​

Milan contended the Intercontinental Cup, but were unable to replicate their success, losing the decisive match to Santos by a goal to nil at the Maracana Stadium. At the end of the season, Milans president Andrea Rizzoli left the club, leading to a number of dissapointing seasons where Milan played well below their potential, but things looked up again in 1968 when Milan won their ninth league title. The club expanded their prestige by winning the European Cup Winners Cup. Becoming champions of this tournament qualified them for a return to the European Cup. Milan made it to another final appearance, knocking out defending champions Manchester United along the way, playing Ajax Amsterdam who were the first Dutch team to make it to the decider. Ajax had the legendary Johan Cruijff in their ranks, but depite this, Milan dominated and won the match 4-1.

 

In addition to becoming European champions, they became world champions by winning the Intercontinental Cup at last, defeating Estudiantes 2-0 in Buenos Aires. This fixture became infamous as the “Bombonera Massacre”, due to the dirty tactics and violent conduct exhibited by the Estudiantes players against AC Milan. Before it even kicked off, Milan players had footballs kicked at them and hot coffee poured on them and supporters wielding machetes hung around their changing room threatening them. While Milan’s Nestor Combin was layed up on a stretcher, he was arrested for draft dodging by the Argentine police. He was born in Argentina but played for France. Estudiantes goalkeeper, who punched Gianni Rivera leaving him with a broken nose, kicked Combin and clashed with away supporters, was handed a life ban. The match was referred to as “a war, not a football game”, and a “90 minute manhunt”, and was blamed for the subsequent boycott of the Intercontinetal Cup by European teams. 

​

Milan appeared in the 1972 European Cup semi-final, losing to eventual winners Tottenham Hotspur. They added another Cup Winners Cup to their collection in 1973, but the Rossoneris real goal was to win the Scudetto, which would have bestowed upon the team their first Stella (Star). They had a strong season that year, but ultimately failed to achieve this ambition by losing to Hellas Verona on the last day of the season. However, the club did have a silver lining in the form of winning back-to-back Copa Italias in 1972 and 1973. The latter was Nereo Roccos last achievement for the club. He left for Fiorentina following a rollercoaster term at the helm of Milan, and the following period was one of the darkest in Milans history, in which they had little to celebrate. Milan never reached the same standards until a major overhaul of the club occurred in 1986.

​

Achievements:
Serie A- Champions x2
Coppa Italia – Winners x2
Cup Winners Cup – Winners x1

​

Star player: Cesare Maldini, 5 Feburary 1932, PoB Trieste, Italy

​

The Maldinis are another of Italys famous family dynasties. Cesare was born in Trieste to Slovenian parents. Their original surname was Maldic but they Italianised this to Maldini just before Cesare was born. He is the father of the current AC Milan star and perhaps even more legendary Paolo Maldini. Both father and son played as defenders. Cesare was the captain of the European Cup winning AC Milan team in 1963, and made 347 appearances for the team in total, along with 25 appearances for Italy. Maldini went on to become one of the most renowned managers in Italian football. He was assistant coach of the Italy team that won the 1982 FIFA World Cup, on which his son was captain. and coach of the national team in the 1998 World Cup. He spent a decade coaching the Italy under-21 national team, winning the European Under-21 Football Championship a record three times. His former protoges include Fabio Cannavaro, Gianluigi Buffon and Francesco Totti, all of whom went on to win the 2006 World Cup. At age 70 he took over the Paraguayan national team and guided them through the 2002 World Cup, making him the oldest coach in the tournament. His team where eliminated by the eventual finalists Germany by a single goal in the 89th minute in the round of 16. After this, Maldini returned to Italy and became a scout for AC Milan. He currently makes a living as a sports analyist for Al-Jazeera Sports.