[Tennie]

(IMG:http://i34.tinypic.com/2la4fg8.jpg)

Picture of starting lineup of the European Cup final
from left, top row: Paolo Maldini, Marco Van Basten, Ruud Gullit, Carlo Ancelotti, Frank Rijkaard, Giovanni Galli
bottom row: Franco Baresi, Roberto Donadoni, Billy Costacurta, Angelo Colombo, Mauro Tassotti
This is the Milan club voted best club team of all time by World Soccer Magazine.

Here's the citation:

Arrigo Sacchi's Milan side of the late 1980s and early 1990s revolutionised Italian football with their attack-minded, pressing game.

Sacchi was making a name for himself with Parma in the mid-1980s when he was hired by Milan owner Silvio Berlusconi. At the time, Italian league rules allowed three foreigners in each team. Englishmen Ray Wilkins and Mark Hateley were shown the door and in their place Milan hired Dutchmen Ruud Gullit and Marco Van Basten. They were joined a year later by compatriot Frank Rijkaard.

The trio provided the flair, the Italian players provided the steel, Sacchi provided the tactical discipline. Together they changed the face of Italian and also European football.

A tight defence, marshalled by Franco Baresi and featuring youngsters Paolo Maldini and Alessandro Costacurta, provided a platform for a midfield that included Carlo Ancelotti and Roberto Donadoni alongside Rijkaard. They in turn provided the bullets for Gullit and Van Basten, who each scored twice as Milan destroyed Steaua Bucharest in the 1989 European Cup final, having beaten Real Madrid 6-1 on aggregate in the semi-final.

Sacchi's men retained the trophy in 1990 – the last team to do so – with a narrow victory over Sven Goran Eriksson's Benfica. They also enjoyed back-to-back World Club Cup success, against Atletico National of Colombia and Olimpia of Paraguay.

I'm probably one of the few boardmembers old enough to remember watching this team play. They were magnificent. Though they didn't become the Invincibles until a couple of years later, they were already very, very special.

Today's Milan is a good side - not perfect, but good. Even so, I wonder who, if any, of them would make Sacchi's starting XI and whose place they would take.

[Fillipo Simone]

25/11/2008 11:51

Sacchi Loses Faith In Milan's Scudetto Bid

Are Milan too sloppy for glory this term? That seems to be the view of a number of sceptics who are dismissing their chances - including a revered former Rossoneri coach...

Former Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi has expressed doubts about the Rossoneri's ability and consistency to pull results out of the bag week in, week out following the controversial 2-2 draw with Torino on Sunday.

Carlo Ancelotti's men have struggled to break down the lesser teams this season: they drew with both Lecce and Toro and only just managed to scrape past Chievo 1-0.

Sacchi, who coached at the club between 1987 and 1991, doesn't think Milan have what it takes this term even though they are just three points behind bitter city rivals Inter.

"Milan have an excellent tactical culture. Carlo Ancelotti has been there for seven years but he doesn't always find the equal motivation and determination," Sacchi told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

"The team has great technical qualities and they are brilliant at holding onto the ball but sometimes they over do it and they fail to find the same hunger and enthusiasm.

"A lot of players move without the ball and they only express their best football in the big games and this could cost them."

"I don't think it will be easy for them to win."

The Rossoneri take on Portsmouth in the UEFA Cup on Thursday night but their main aim this season remains the Scudetto.

Salvatore Landolina, Goal.com