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MN: Assessing the Serie A and UCL squad rules as Milan eye January signings

Credit to Serie A and UEFA

AC Milan are looking to reinforce their team this month, with several players linked so far, but there are some important squad rules to take into consideration. Indeed, to register new players, some will have to leave. 

As highlighted by MilanNews in a brilliant breakdown of the situation, the squad rules are usually forgotten by fans in these times. Just like the regulations for English players, stopping Milan from signing both Kyle Walker and Marcus Rashford, these rules make a big difference.

Take a look at the current situation for Milan, it’s clear that they would need to part ways with some players – or at least remove them from the squad list – to register signings on the Serie A and Champions League lists. Even for Walker, one must leave first.

Milan’s current squad lists

The rules are almost the same in Serie A and Champions League, with a maximum of 17 foreign players allowed and 8 academy-raised or association-raised  (in another Italian academy) players for a total of 25 players.

In Serie A, players under the age of 22 are exempt from all of the squad rules while u21 players – who from the age of 15 onwards have spent two consecutive seasons at the club – can be registered on List B in the Champions League.

Milan’s current Serie A squad list (foreigners)

  1. Mike Maignan
  2. Emerson Royal
  3. Theo Hernandez
  4. Strahinja Pavlovic
  5. Malick Thiaw
  6. Fikayo Tomori
  7. Ismael Bennacer
  8. Youssouf Fofana
  9. Tijjani Reijnders
  10. Ruben Loftus-Cheek
  11. Christian Pulisic
  12. Samuel Chukwueze
  13. Noah Okafor
  14. Rafael Leao
  15. Tammy Abraham
  16. Alvaro Morata
  17. Luka Jovic

Milan’s current Champions League squad list (foreigners)

  1. Mike Maignan
  2. Emerson Royal
  3. Theo Hernandez
  4. Strahinja Pavlovic
  5. Malick Thiaw
  6. Fikayo Tomori
  7. Ismael Bennacer
  8. Youssouf Fofana
  9. Yunus Musah
  10. Tijjani Reijnders
  11. Ruben Loftus-Cheek
  12. Christian Pulisic
  13. Samuel Chukwueze
  14. Noah Okafor
  15. Rafael Leao
  16. Tammy Abraham
  17. Alvaro Morata

Milan’s current academy/association players 

  1. Davide Calabria (academy)
  2. Matteo Gabbia (academy)
  3. Marco Sportiello (association)
  4. Alessandro Florenzi (association)
  5. Filippo Terracciano (association)

It should be noted that the likes of Alex Jimenez and Yunus Musah are exempt from the Serie A rules due to their age, but only one of them has been included in the UCL list. This is because Jimenez hasn’t been at the club long enough to go on List B, while Paulo Fonseca preferred the American for that final List A slot.

In terms of changes, they can be made at any time for Serie A but Sergio Conceicao will only be able to change the Champions League squad after the league phase (before the knockout phase starts). That is, of course, if Milan make it through.

The key thing to note, as such, is that Milan need to offload some of their players to register new signings – unless they want to take someone off and still keep him on the club’s books. Luka Jovic and Noah Okafor are the main suspects, but it has been quiet regarding them lately.

Tags AC Milan Champions League Serie A

13 Comments

  1. They will excluded okafor from squad list.
    That boy is unfortunate.

    Bit Milan is paying huge price for not investing in Italian players.

  2. It really makes me laugh when people keep firing off all these names we should bring in. Almost none of them are Italian trained. So it is mostly just playing ‘whack a mole’. Solve one problem but create another. As someone else has to drop off the list.

    The key to solving our depth issues is adding some quality players to the national/academy trained list.

    This article does highlight how the new UCL schedule makes the January window harder. If you make list changes now you still have 2 games to get through before you can make list adjustments.
    E.g. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia won’t be able to play for PSG I’m their final 2 group games. Which I think are must win for them.

  3. This drives home how we should have found the extra money to buy either Buongiorno or Calafiori last term. Instead of low 20 mil on Pavlovic.

    As much as I love Maignan. Italy has so many good goal keepers. We should consider selling him and replacing with a good Italian GK to better use that list place elsewhere.

    A player like Pobega is worth keeping on the list as an academy trained bench player. For midfield depth.

      1. I don’t want to sell him either. His ability combined with attitude is elite amongst our experienced players.

        But we have a massive issue to solve of no depth in Italian players. It is costing us depth.
        We cannot solve depth issues by trying more international players. Mike as a GK would be the easiest to replace with a quality Italian player. Italy has an abundance of top keepers.

  4. And pay whatever it takes to buy Ricci.

    If you can build a core of GK, defenders and midfield from national trained. You then have a platform to add international players around this. Allowing you to compete at the top.
    Our national/academy core has been in decline for a long time. To the point where it is bordering on pathetic.

    1. Have a look at the lists in this article.
      We will never have depth until we have a solid core of Italian trained players.
      That is what the list rules demand.
      Therefore our list strategy needs to fill these 8 spots with quality.
      Then use the other 17 open spots to build a top squad around your core.

      There is no point bringing in Walker or so many of the other names mentioned until we have a core of Italian list players.

      It’s all shuffling the deck chairs on the Titanic.

  5. Acmilan should sign quality players in attack that’s my own is because we don’t have attacking midfielders that’s why we are unfortunate to win matches this is too sad and irritating Acmilan management is a disappointment at all cost.

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