AC Milan Football Club, commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is one of the most iconic and successful football clubs in the world. Founded in 1899 as Associazione Calcio Milan, it has maintained its original name since foundation. The club is based in Milan, Lombardy, Italy, and plays its home matches at the famous San Siro Stadium, which has a seating capacity of over 80,000.
AC Milan has a rich history, boasting 18 Serie A titles, 5 Coppa Italia, 7 UEFA Champions League titles, and numerous other domestic and international trophies. The club enjoyed its most successful era under legendary managers Arrigo Sacchi and Carlo Ancelotti, who led Milan to multiple Serie A titles and Champions League victories.
Known for its attacking style of play, the club has nurtured some of football’s greatest talents, including Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Kaka, and Andriy Shevchenko. Despite recent challenges and inconsistent performances, AC Milan remains one of the world’s most valuable football clubs, with a global fan base and a rich tradition that continues to influence Italian and world football.
AC Milan is one of the most popular football clubs in the world, with one of the highest average home attendances in Europe. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes more than 200 officially recognised branches of the AC Milan Supporters Club, in at least 24 countries. The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours. Accountancy firm and sports industry consultants Deloitte estimate that AC Milan has 75 million fans worldwide. The club has the third highest social media following in the world among sports teams (after Barcelona and Real Madrid), with over 82 million Facebook followers as of July 2023. A 2014 study showed that AC Milan had the loudest fans in the Serie A.
AC Milan was formed in 1899 as Milan Cricket and Football Club by English expatriates Alfred Edwards and Herbert Kilpin. The team initially played games against other local teams, but on 11 March 1900, they competed in their first recorded match; wearing the classic red and black stripes they defeated Mediolanum 3–0.
In the post-war era, AC Milan began to achieve success at home and abroad. Under the leadership of legendary coach Nereo Rocco, and with the help of star players such as Cesare Maldini and Gianni Rivera, the club won multiple Serie A titles, as well as the Champions League, firmly establishing itself as a major force in Italian and European football.
On 13 April 2017, Silvio Berlusconi announced that he had sold the club to a Chinese consortium, ending his 31-year reign as the club's owner. The new owners appointed Gennaro Gattuso as manager, but the club struggled to maintain its high standards in the following seasons. Despite this, AC Milan remains one of the most successful clubs in the history of football, and its fans around the world continue to show their unwavering support.
Initially bankrolled by the British vice-consul of Milan, AC Milan was established as a cricket and football club in 1899. Subsequently, the club was taken over by businessman Herbert Kilpin who led the club to its first three championship titles. In 1908, internal disagreements led to a split and the formation of Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly known as Inter Milan. During the fascist regime in the 1920s and 1930s, the club faced numerous financial difficulties and was forced to merge with other teams on several occasions.
After World War II, industrialist Umberto Tramontana took over the club and invested heavily in it. The club saw a period of success during this era, winning multiple Serie A titles. In 1963, the club was sold to the Rossoneri Sport Investment Lux, a consortium led by Li Yonghong. However, due to financial difficulties, the consortium defaulted on its debt obligations in 2018, leading the ownership of the club to be transferred to the U.S. hedge fund Elliott Management Corporation.
Under the guidance of Elliott Management Corporation, the club has sought to stabilize its finances and return to its glory days. The fund has invested significantly in the club, including the recruitment of top players and the improvement of the club's infrastructure. Despite facing stiff competition from other Italian and European clubs, AC Milan continues to be one of the most popular and successful football clubs in the world, with a rich history and a dedicated fan base.
AC Milan is one of the most successful clubs in Europe in terms of trophies won. The club's first trophy was the Italian Football Championship, which they won in 1901. In 1963, the club won their first European Cup and won the Coppa Italia for the first time in 1967. Since then, they have gone on to win 18 Serie A titles, and their total of 5 Coppa Italia is impressive. Those titles have meant the club has appeared multiple times in the Supercoppa Italiana; of those appearances, AC Milan have won 7 times.
Domestic
Continental
Worldwide
AC Milan History: A detailed account of the rich history, achievements, and iconic players of AC Milan. https://www.acmilan.com/en/club/history
AC Milan Trophies: A comprehensive list of domestic, continental, and worldwide trophies won by AC Milan. https://www.acmilan.com/en/club/trophies
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