In Italy, they either play football or cheer for it. Sometimes, in a Catholic church, they pray that their favourite stadium survives and, naturally, that their favourite team wins. Winston Churchill also said that Italians lose football matches like wars. Italians passionately support their favorite team and make bets with the same passion for Milan.
Betting is a great hobby for Italians. Thus, the day after a match, all conversations in a bar, subway, or work come down to whether the bet worked. The most popular betting system in Italy is Totocalcio. If you guess 13 match outcomes in a row, you can win several million euros!
However, bets on Milan matches occur not only in Italy but worldwide. So, international online bookmakers and $1 deposit casino NZ sites seem most welcome. Milan is the most popular Italian team in Europe and the most internationally titled Italian squad.
According to FIFA, Milan took seventh place among the best football clubs of the 20th century. Who are those legendary players who glorified Milan at the beginning of the last century?
Franco Baresi: Lifelong loyalty
Franco Baresi collected many trophies and medals with the Devils. Milan permanently assigned him a 6 number. Franco was born in the small Italian town of Travagliato and played football from the age of 10.
The boy lost his parents early – his mother died when he was 11, and 3 years later his father died in a plane crash. Brothers Franco and Giuseppe Baresi adored football since childhood and decided to go together to try out for the Inter academy.
Giuseppe was accepted, but Franco was rejected because of his thinness. Franco was accidentally noticed by Milan scout Italo Galbiati who brought him to the club.
In the 1977/78 season, Baresi played only 3 matches for Milan. For a defender, he was really short and undersized. But Franco did not give up! He worked hard on his physical abilities and tried to compensate for his shortcomings by playing ahead.
In 1979, together with Baresi, Milan won the Scudetto for the first time in 11 years. At the age of 22, he became the captain of Milan. Baresi received many offers from Serie A, but he remained loyal to Milan.
After finishing his career, he worked on the coaching staff of his native Milan. Nevertheless, he could not turn into a top coach. Franco is still respected in Milan and holds the post of vice-president here.
George Weah: Ballon d’Or winner
Having started playing football in his native Liberia, Weah attracted the attention of EU specialists after moving to Cameroon. Arsene Wenger, who headed Monaco, paid attention to him, and in 1988 Weah ended up in Monte Carlo.
In the mid-90s he signed a contract with Milan. Weah received one award after another for an amazing 1995 year. The main one, of course, was the Ballon d’Or from France Football. So, the Liberian became the first non-European to receive this prize. He was, of course, lucky – just in 1995, France Football changed the terms of the competition.
The era of globalisation was beginning. Before then only Europeans could claim the Ballon d’Or. Currently, Weah is the only African to win the Ballon d’Or. Well, the Diamond Ball from FIFA was a nice addition.
Weah almost always scored beautifully. The attacker, due to his speed, jump, and choice of position easily outran the defenders. If it was not possible to get ahead, he started dribbling. Weah also had excellent field vision.
In the 1990s, his style became revolutionary. Weah’s popularity in Liberia was tremendous. Even during his football career, he was actively involved in humanitarian aid to people worldwide, paying special attention to his country.
Weah fought against racism and sponsored educational and football programs for children. As a result, such activities brought the ex-football player into politics. Following the end of the second Liberian civil war, Weah ran for president in 2005.
Having won in the 1st round, he lost in the 2nd. However, in 2018, he became the state’s head. In November 2023, he decided to leave this post of his own free will.
Marco van Basten: The Swan of Utrecht
Marco van Basten, or as fans call the football coach, San Marco, or the Utrecht Swan, was born in the small Dutch community of Utrecht on October 31, 1964. At the age of 14, doctors forbade Marco from prolonged physical activity, warning that he might end up in a wheelchair.
But the young football player, on the instructions of his father, happily forgot about these orders. In 1981, for one season, he played for the Ajax youth team and became an excellent striker with brilliant assists. That same year, the club’s management offered him a professional contract.
Over the next 6 years, which passed in performances for Ajax, Marco van Basten played 133 matches, in which he scored 128 quality goals.
In 1987, he moved to Milan, where he also played for 6 years (147 matches and 90 goals). Over the years, Van Basten has transformed from a pure scorer into a smart and subtle tactician. He was capable of delivering a decisive blow, playing a combination, organising an attack, and giving an accurate pass.
However, he suffered serious injuries that forced him to retire early. He underwent 3 operations on his right leg, returning to action each time. Marco played his last match for Milan at the age of 29. In 1993, he decided to finish his football career.
Paolo Maldini: The GOAT
During his brilliant career, he won the UEFA Champions League 5 times with Milan, making 100+ appearances. Paolo Maldini followed in the footsteps of his father Cesare, who won the European Cup with Milan in 1963.
Twenty-two years later, at the age of 16, his son Paolo made his debut for Milan. He played very gracefully as a left-back and then as a central defender. At the beginning of his career, Maldini played with the great Franco Baresi. In 1997, Maldini succeeded him as captain of the Rossoneri. Baresi set the standard of play and Maldini took it to a new level.
He retired from playing in 2009 at the age of 41. Over 3 decades, he won 5 European Cups, 7 championships, and 1 Italian Cup, played 902 matches for Milan and another 126 for the Italian national team.
Maldini has amazing authority, fighting spirit, and athleticism. In August 2018, Maldini was appointed director of club development, and a year later received the position of technical director. He won the category Best European Manager at the Golden Boy Awards 2022. In June 2023, Maldini left the post of Milan’s technical director.
Of course, since its founding (1899), various successful athletes have played in Milan – Alessandro Costacurta, Frank Rijkaard, Ruud Gullit, Kakha Kaladze, etc. Their names went down in football history for a long time. Each of them is a skilled football player with many positive qualities, an extraordinary mind, and a strong character.
Great players, leaving a legacy 2nd to none. They have set the bar high and the current crop have a responsibility to respond to that call of excellence, pride and joy. Forza Milan.