🏟️ OFFICIAL CLUB PROFILE: SAN SIRO, Milan

AC Milan First-Team Squad

New head coach Rúben Amorim takes over a talented Milan side captained by world-class goalkeeper Mike Maignan. Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leão provide the attacking spark, veteran maestro Luka Modrić pulls the strings in midfield, and summer signing Gonçalo Ramos adds a cutting edge up front.

Squad correct as of the summer 2026 window, which runs until 1 September — numbers and personnel may change. Follow every Milan fixture and prediction at AI Pro Prediction and our Europa League predictions hub.

AC Milan: A Complete Guide to the Rossoneri

Origins and Identity

Associazione Calcio Milan was founded on 16 December 1899 by Englishmen Herbert Kilpin and Alfred Edwards, originally as the Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club. That English heritage is why the club retains the anglicised “Milan” rather than the Italian “Milano” to this day. From those origins in the industrial heart of Lombardy, Milan grew into one of the most successful and glamorous football clubs in the world, synonymous with elegance, tactical innovation and continental supremacy.

The club’s famous red-and-black striped shirts give rise to the nickname Rossoneri (the red and blacks), with the red said to represent the players’ fiery passion and the black the fear struck into opponents. Milan share the iconic San Siro — officially the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza — with fierce city rivals Internazionale, and matches between the two, the Derby della Madonnina, rank among the most spectacular and passionate fixtures in world football.

A Golden History of Domination

AC Milan’s history is decorated with an extraordinary collection of honours that places them among the true aristocrats of European football. Domestically, the club has won the Italian championship, the Scudetto, on eighteen occasions — a tally that ranks among the very highest in Italian football. But it is on the European stage that Milan have truly written their legend. With seven European Cup/Champions League triumphs, Milan are the second most successful club in the history of the competition, behind only Real Madrid.

The first great Milan side emerged in the 1960s, when legends such as Gianni Rivera and Nils Liedholm inspired the club to its first European Cups in 1963 and 1969. But it was the late 1980s and early 1990s that produced perhaps the greatest club side ever assembled. Under the visionary ownership of Silvio Berlusconi and the revolutionary coaching of Arrigo Sacchi and later Fabio Capello, Milan built an all-conquering team.

The Sacchi and Capello Dynasties

Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan of the late 1980s, powered by the Dutch trio of Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard alongside Italian greats Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini, revolutionised the game with their high-pressing, attacking style. They won back-to-back European Cups in 1989 and 1990, dismantling opponents with a brand of football considered decades ahead of its time. This side is frequently cited as one of the greatest club Teams in the history of the sport.

Fabio Capello then took the reins and built “The Invincibles”, a Milan side that went 58 league matches unbeaten between 1991 and 1993. They claimed four Serie A titles in five years and reached three consecutive Champions League finals, winning in 1994 with a breathtaking 4–0 demolition of Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona in Athens — one of the greatest performances in a European final ever seen.

The Ancelotti Era and Modern Triumphs

The new millennium brought another golden generation under Carlo Ancelotti. Featuring iconic names such as Paolo Maldini, Andrea Pirlo, Kaká, Andriy Shevchenko and Filippo Inzaghi, Milan won the Champions League in 2003 and again in 2007. The 2007 triumph was especially sweet, coming as redemption against Liverpool after the heartbreak of the 2005 final in Istanbul, when Milan had squandered a 3–0 half-time lead. These successes cemented Milan’s reputation as European royalty in the modern age.

After a period of decline and financial restructuring in the 2010s, Milan returned to the pinnacle of Italian football by winning the Serie A title in 2021–22 under Stefano Pioli, ending an eleven-year wait for the Scudetto and reawakening the sleeping giant. The triumph, built on the emergence of talents like Rafael Leão and the leadership of veterans, signalled Milan’s return to the elite.

Full Honours and Achievements

AC Milan’s trophy cabinet is one of the most decorated in the history of the global game:

• European Cup / Champions League: Seven-time winners (1963, 1969, 1989, 1990, 1994, 2003, 2007) — second only to Real Madrid.
• Serie A: Champions on eighteen occasions, among the most in Italian football history.
• UEFA Super Cup: Five-time winners, a European record shared with a select few.
• Intercontinental Cup / Club World Cup: Winners on multiple occasions, crowning them world champions.
• Cup Winners’ Cup: Two-time winners (1968, 1973).
• Coppa Italia: Five-time winners, plus multiple Supercoppa Italiana triumphs.

In total, Milan have won more official international titles than almost any other club in the world, a testament to their sustained excellence across more than a century of competition. The San Siro trophy room stands as a monument to generations of legendary players and iconic teams.

Legendary Players and the Maldini Legacy

The Derby della Madonnina and San Siro

One of the defining features of AC Milan’s identity is the fierce rivalry with city neighbours Internazionale, known as the Derby della Madonnina after the statue of the Madonna atop Milan Cathedral. The two clubs share the San Siro, making this one of the few great derbies contested in a single stadium, with the ground transformed by breathtaking displays of tifo and colour. These matches routinely decide titles, European qualification and bragging rights across the city of Milan, and have produced countless unforgettable moments across more than a century of competition.

The San Siro itself is one of the cathedrals of world football. With a capacity of around 75,000, its towering, spiralling architecture and intimidating atmosphere on European nights have witnessed some of the greatest matches in the history of the game. For Milan supporters, the stadium is hallowed ground, steeped in the memories of the club’s seven European triumphs and countless legendary performances.

Global Fanbase and Cultural Significance

AC Milan command one of the largest and most devoted fanbases in world football, with supporters spread across every continent. The club’s blend of on-field success, glamour and its association with the fashion capital of Milan have given it a cultural cachet few clubs can match. For decades under Silvio Berlusconi, and now under new ownership committed to restoring the club’s greatness, Milan have remained one of the most recognisable and admired sporting institutions on the planet, their red-and-black colours instantly identifiable to football fans everywhere.

No club has been graced by more legendary figures than AC Milan. Paolo Maldini, the embodiment of the club’s values, made over 900 appearances across a 25-year career and is regarded as one of the greatest defenders of all time. Franco Baresi, the peerless sweeper, is another one-club icon whose number 6 shirt has been retired. The list of Milan greats reads like a who’s who of football history: van Basten, Gullit, Rijkaard, Kaká, Shevchenko, Pirlo, Nesta, Gattuso and many more.

This tradition of world-class talent continues into the modern era. Captain and goalkeeper Mike Maignan is among the best in the world in his position, while Croatian maestro Luka Modrić — a Ballon d’Or winner and Champions League legend — brought his genius to the San Siro, and American star Christian Pulisic and Portugal forward Rafael Leão provide the attacking spark for the current generation of Rossoneri.

The 2025–26 Season and the Amorim Revolution

The 2025–26 season was one of transition and frustration for Milan. Competing under pressure to return to the Champions League, the club ultimately fell short in the league, finishing fifth in Serie A — a result that secured qualification for the 2026–27 UEFA Europa League but fell below the club’s lofty ambitions. The failure to reach the Champions League cost manager Massimiliano Allegri his job at the end of the campaign.

In a bold statement of intent, Milan appointed the highly-rated Portuguese coach Rúben Amorim in June 2026 on a three-year contract. Amorim, renowned for his distinctive 3-4-3 system, arrives with a mandate to restore Milan to the summit of Italian and European football. His appointment has generated genuine excitement among the Rossoneri faithful, who believe his modern, aggressive tactical approach can unlock the potential of a talented squad and end the club’s absence from the Champions League. For all the latest Milan match previews, team news and score forecasts, follow our Europa League match predictions throughout the season.

Looking Ahead

As AC Milan enter the 2026–27 season, the objectives are unequivocal: to win the Europa League, to return to the Champions League via a top-four finish in Serie A, and to re-establish themselves among the elite where their history demands they belong. With Rúben Amorim shaping his project across a full pre-season, the leadership of Maignan and Modrić, and the attacking quality of Leão and Pulisic, Milan have the raw materials to mount a serious challenge. For a club of Milan’s stature — seven European crowns and eighteen Scudetti — anything less than a return to the very top would be a disappointment. The Rossoneri are determined to write the next glorious chapter in one of football’s greatest stories.