The very name of the Milan club stirs up warm feelings of nostalgia for those who rooted for them in their heyday.
With more than two dozen worldwide honours under the belt, the Rossoneri played their greatest campaigns in the UEFA Champions League, which resulted in seven titles earned from 1962 to 2007 and dozens of memorable matches that entered the history of football.
Milan has never ceased to search for European glory, and today, we are going to turn the clock back to uncover their most iconic Champions League campaigns.
1962–1963: First European Cup
It was the 8th season of the European Cup when AC Milan won their first title, beating two-time champions Benfica in the final match at Wembley Stadium in London. The first half was closed with a 1:0 defeat thanks to a goal from Eusébio.
However, things changed drastically in the second half after Altafini scored two times, bringing the Italian club their first win in the final. The squad scored 19 goals during the 1962-1963 season, raising AC Milan standings to the first position, followed by Dundee (12 goals) and Benfica (12 goals).
Top scorers:
- Paolo Barison – 6 goals
- José Altafini – 6 goals
- Bruno Mora – 3 goals
1968–1969: Second European Cup
The Diavolo earned their second title by getting a convincing 4:1 victory in the final match against AFC Ajax. Pierino Prati scored his first European Champion Cup hat-trick and started to hit the net already in the 7th minute. Angelo Sormani struck once in the middle of the second half, just a couple of moments after Velibor Vasović shot a consolation goal for Ajax.
Top scorers:
- Pierino Prati – 6 goals
- Angelo Sormani – 3 goals
- Gianni Rivera – 2 goals
1988–1989: Third European Cup
24 May 1989 was another memorable day in AC Milan history. The Casciavit destroyed their opponents, FC Steaua Bucuresti, by 4 goals – both Ruud Gullit and Marcel Van Basten struck twice in the first half, leaving no chance for the Romanians.
Milan demonstrated a powerful performance throughout the 1988-89 campaign and even took a 5-0 lead against Real Madrid in the semi-finals. The squad ended the season with 20 goals and 5 clean sheets, which cemented their status as one of the leaders in the European football scene.
Top scorers:
- Marcel Van Basten – 10 goals
- Ruud Gullit – 4 goals
- Pietro Virdis – 3 goals
1989–1990: Fourth European Cup
Just a year after their crushing victory over FCSB, The Red and Blacks reached the European Cup finals again. The match was played at the Praterstadion (now Ernst-Happel-Stadion) in Vienna against Portuguese Benfica, and AC Milan managed to successfully defend their title with a 1-0 victory. Franklin Rijkaard was the very hero, bringing the Italians the coveted trophy.
Top scorers:
- Marcel Van Basten – 3 goals
- Franklin Rijkaard – 2 goals
- Daniele Massaro – 2 goals
1993–1994: Fifth UEFA Champions League
Even though it was a one-sided encounter, the final match of the 39th UEFA Champions League season was a true spectacle. Barcelona seemed to be the favourites on paper but were outplayed by the Italians in a 4-0 win.
Daniele Massaro struck twice before the break, and Marcel Desailly and Dejan Savićević registered their goals already in the second half. As Fabio Capello described the performance of his team, “This is perfection”.
Top scorers:
- Daniele Massaro – 4 goals
- Jean-Pierre Papin – 4 goals
- Dejan Savićević – 3 goals
2002–2003: Sixth UEFA Champions League
On 28 May 2003, the Old Trafford stadium saw one of the most nail-biting matches in its history, when two Italian clubs – AC Milan and Juventus – were fighting for the trophy in the final.
No team managed to score a goal during regular and extra time, so a penalty shootout decided their fate. Every Milan fan remembers a great celebration after Andriy Shevchenko scored the decisive goal, bringing the Italians a 3-2 victory.
Top scorers:
- Filippo Inzaghi – 10 goals
- Andriy Shevchenko – 4 goals
- Jon Tomasson – 3 goals
2006–2007: Seventh UEFA Champions League
The last AC Milan Champions League title was earned on 23 May 2007, when the Italians beat Liverpool 2-1, with two goals coming from striker Filippo Inzaghi. Dirk Kuyt got the goal for Liverpool in the 89th minute, but this did not save the situation as Milan got revenge for Istanbul two years prior.
Top scorers:
- Ricardo Kaká – 10 goals
- Filippo Inzaghi – 4 goals
- Clarence Seedorf – 2 goals
Final thoughts
Looking back at Milan’s path to glory, we more deeply understand what makes the club great. Rest assured, the Rossoneri take their rightful place in the football pantheon, and all the remarkable moments they gave to the world throughout their brilliant UEFA Champions League campaigns will remain in our hearts forever.
About the Author: Julian Wasser
Julian is a skillful PDF Guru specialist dedicated to making the cutting-edge concepts of creating, converting, and editing files as simple as possible. With a passion for efficiency, he helps users boost their digital workflow and overall productivity. Julian is also an avid football fan, supporting AC Milan, and he was happy to investigate the brightest moments in the club’s history.
