When AC MIlan Was The GOLDEN Standard

AC Milan are one of the most successful teams to grace football. And there is a good reason for that. One of those reasons is 1988 to 1996.
A period of unprecedented success. A Golden age.
Transcript and sources: footballiconic.com
Twitter: / theofficial_fi
Instagram: / chips009
00:00 - Introduction
01:08 - “A Team Of Devils”
05:16 - A Polarising Saviour
10:25 - Arrigo Sacchi: “Mr Nobody”
17:26 - The Super League
20:06 - Fabio Capello: "Not your mate"
25:36 - Never the Same
Background music:
@pinkxo (Prod Pink)
Producer: Tinashe Chipako
-------------------
All non-licensed material used in this video falls under fair use for commentary, criticism, and educational purposes. No copyright infringement intended. If you are or represent the copyright owner of materials used in this video and have a problem with the use of said material, please send me an email at [e-mail] and we can sort it out

[@GIBBO4182]

One of the greatest club teams of all time. Simple as that

[@Freehardy]

I was born in 1970, and grew up here in Scotland. During the initial period of this domination by Milan, there was no cable/satellite TV, let alone internet. You would only know of this team through newspapers, radio, clips and chat on TV, and the only live games you would see, would be the European games against English opposition, or the European Cup final. The team, as you rightly say were mythical. This changed with the Champions League, with a lot more live games, on ITV at the time, as well as a highlights package every week, then a season or 2 later, Channel Four broadcasting live Serie A games, along with a fairly comprehensive highlights and round up/magazine show each week. This somewhat removed the mysticism, but i do feel honoured to have been around during this period, witnessing the latter 75% of this era on TV here in the UK. They were so fucking cool as well. The long sleeved Milan top of that era was truly revered. So stylish at the time, with the collar and long sleeve. Maldini very much personified this coolness. such a graceful, athletic, Adonis of a man, who was just so fucking good at football. I hadn't really considered Berlesconi's wider impact on the European game, and how football was consumed at the time. I guess when I talk about witnessing the latter 75% of this era, here in the UK (on terrestrial TV), i am clearly attesting to Berlesconi's immediate and clearly pioneering impact. Great Vid. This team were so revered at the time. Possibly more so than Pepe's Barcelona for fans of my vintage. For me, 2 reason's. the first i alluded to, in that there just wasn't access to watching their games during the early period, lending to this mythical aura they assumed, and secondly, there wasn't a stand out player. Yes, they were world great's, but no single player had the influence Messi had on Barcelona's period of eminence in Spanish and European Football.

[@jordanschlansky4093]

People talk about MSN, BBC etc as dominant trios. AC Milan had all 3 top spots on Ballon D'or with their players in 1988. I think it speaks for itself which trio is the best in history.

[@john-olivierlukama1548]

Tbf, 2 of the top 3 spots always seemed to be secured, so it's kinda hard for a trio to dominate when their direct competition are on their own level

[@dagitt5536]

what about barca in 2010

[@taracanyon1]

Red Star Belgrade were leading AC Milan 2--1 aggregate in 2nd leg of European Cup 1987/88 match was abandoned 2nd half due to thick fog in Belgrade..Red Star were just as good as Milan in this era; by 1990 they were even better won the World Club Cup before war in Yugoslavia

[@BIadelores]

Same for Messi Iniesta Xavi

[@ezraezra2928]

Fun Fact: If you don't know, all 3 top spots on Ballon d'Or for Barcelona in 2010 were actually La Masia products. This is the reason why it's the greatest football youth academy in the world.

[@sameerk7151]

as a liverpool fan THESE DAYS i enjoy this type of content way more FROM FOOTBALL ICONIC 😅😅

[@romanleo8931]

Why is man posting during a game

[@takudzwazendera4881]

Broo 😂

[@Oripave]

He probably scheduled the video

[@sameerk7151]

PROBABLY tired of watching united playing like this 😭😭

[@darnellengelbrecht4400]

Porque esta historia está demasiado importante - this is way too important to be of ignored. No guesses for who I support…

[@ItzSinatraa]

LMAOO mud united

[@fnordywings1344]

For those wanting more Ancient Milan content, the channel balón has a great video

[@Hartwik]

Endorsing this a 100 times

[@ezraezra2928]

I even watched it. It's a great video. He covered the Milan's golden team up until the 2007 UCL triumph.

[@eichel4116]

The balon channel is fucking goated

[@ezraezra2928]

@@eichel4116 I just checked that channel. Not only he provided a full video about the greatest teams, but also the story of GOAT footballers (only CR7, Messi, and Cruyff that's already made right now).

[@eichel4116]

@@ezraezra2928 i watched every single video of him... its a bless

[@bramharms72]

Poor Costacurta doing double the work for a single paycheck. (16:26)

[@caddy8886]

I was looking for this comment 😅

[@kefakevin33]

He's so good in efootball 24 that I wouldn't be surprised if he played two positions 😂😂😂

[@Kamva-nm8bt]

I miss these type of videos bring them back this is why I subscribed to the channel BRING THEM BACK

[@evanwilliams3821]

ac milan in the 90s and the early 2000s was such an amazing era for the club. I'm an Arsenal fan but I'll always love milan for the rich history

[@nxymar-rosoccer8715]

this is me exactly

[@mazzae6084]

Miss these kinds of videos. Like the OG days.

[@SamWinchester000]

Yeah, there are still so many History videos to be made about so many different great clubs. Love, how he is slowly covering the history of world football, as well as always doing a little comprehensive guide to the full history of every club. Every iconic club deserves a video like this. I think I've actually waited for a long time for a video about an Italian club, as he has done several for the big Premier League clubs, for Barcelona and Madrid, and even for Bayern and Dortmund.

[@Nine5Vader]

AC Milans Team of 2005-06 still has highest FIFA Rating of all time, the lowest rated player in the team was 87🤏🏾🔥

[@tocomple243]

Imagine thinking FIFA ranking are a reliable source😢

[@SlickMaverick254]

the 05/06 Milan deserves a shout as well. Had unbelievable talent at the time as well.

[@chubbyboyalex7828]

Bro no joke I was just looking for videos about prime Milan yesterday

[@dudescrawny5859]

Check out Sylvio Berlusconi's Milan by Balon-english

[@PRCOM]

I remember when Italian football was the best league and every Sunday we would watch it on channel 4. Great memories

[@J3335]

Listening to that theme tune on youtube still makes me smile... Memories of coffee, newspapers, sun and 'exotic' football.

[@christiankabano8502]

I'm an AC Milan fan since I was a kid in the 2008-09 season which saw Kaka leave and Maldini retire😢. Luckily they won Serie A in 2011, but all went downhill between 2012 and 2020. There is a small revival since they won Serie A in 2022, but nothing like what they would have been between 1988-1996, they seemed to have absolutely been the clubs that brought football into the modern age. The period between 1988-1996 and 2003-2007, the club was also really good in the UCL. A big part of this success I think lies with the support Berlusconi gave the club that was about to be bankrupt, the revolutionary tactics of Sacchi and Capello and also an all-star side with guys like Maldini, Baresi, Tassotti, Costacurta, Ancelloti, Savicevic, Rijkaard, Guulit and Van Basten. As a Milan fan, I really hope such good days come back again in my lifetime.

[@bluefin39]

As an Ac Milan fan I feel you brother 🤝.

[@j.m.verlaat9449]

Milan isn’t my club, Madrid is, but I hold so much love and respect for your club as a European giant. I long for the day that Milan is front and center competing with us again in Europe, football is better that way

[@halamadridpatriotsnationgo1057]

@@j.m.verlaat9449 Real Madrid and AC Milan: The King and Prince of the UCL!

[@pequenodan1923]

I still can't believe that my grandpa's club, Vélez Sarsfield, won their (only) Intercontinental against this almighty AC Milan in 1994, 2-0... I don't know how much English people know about Carlos Bianchi, the manager of that humble team that won against all odds the Libertadores, the Intercontinental and even demolished the biggest teams of Argentina like River Plate and especially Boca Juniors. Such manager eventually went to Boca and made them win against the Galácticos of Real Madrid (2000) and Carlo Ancelotti's Milan (2003)

[@magnus9003]

To all my fellow Rossoneri, Forza Milan⚫️🔴, glory days are to come!

[@Wallacenawa]

Forza Milan ❤🖤

[@hankagura5355]

You are dead in the water and you know it Milan will never be the same, Forza Juve.

[@escape2nirvana]

@@hankagura5355lol you mean corruption fc

[@magnus9003]

@@hankagura5355 Your time literally tied 0-0 with Torino and threw away the 2nd place 🤥 Juve should try not breaking the rules

[@ludvighelt746]

Forza Milan, per sempre❤️🖤

[@prafulshrestha7980]

Loved the video. Ac milan were monsters

[@HolyPire]

Gullit, Baresi..... and so on... I was glued to the tv.... and I am from Dresden, Germany.... awsome fotball to watch

[@giodhuha6771]

Not only AC Milan but also Serie A were on the golden age and no one could rival it.

[@masmas6463]

true indeed .....I remember those days and I was pre teens lol the late 80's and 90's were just glorious .....3 euro cups and from 1989 - 1999 Italian clubs made nearly all the finals won them and sometimes with two Italian clubs in the finals which back then was just unheard of - 1990 was the 1st time ever one country won all the three euro cups and the year before we came close - I was born and raised in the UK to Italian parents . Great days indeed......now, sadly it is just not the same but Italy did win the Euro's even though Serie A has very few Italians playing in it lol so just goes to show that more Italians are needed....funny eh.

[@justvibingman496]

Some of my favorite players come from the 2000s era of AC Milan, they were THE team to beat

[@callumhayes7502]

What a team and what a CHANNEL! 🔥🔥🔥

[@petar.stoyanov]

When I started watching the 1995 CL final between Ajax and AC Milan - I was a neutral. By the end of the game I was a Milan fan. I've been one ever since, through highs and lows.

[@fivestarman5130]

If Liverpool didn't have such ridiculous plot armour in 2005 you could very much make the case that the 2002/03 - 2006/07 team would've been their golden age Two Ballon d'Or winners in Shevchenko and Kaka alongside 2 UCL's from 3 finals. Maldini still in the squad in the twilight years of their career, two Italian 2006 world cup winners at the centre of their midfield with two of the most prestigious footballing nations making up key parts of the team such as Kaka, Cafu, Dida for Brazil and Stam and Seedorf for the Netherlands

[@andrewwalledge6101]

Remember watching Football Italia on C4 (UK) every Sunday. Loved that Milan team, particularly Maldini. The fact Van Basten was forced out of the game by other players kicking the **** out of his ankles was criminal.

[@dondamon4669]

Every player gets kicked in the ankles he just had weak ankles and didn't change his game

[@andrewwalledge6101]

@@dondamon4669 he did have weak ankles, which was why they kicked him there. Not sure how you could change your game to avoid it as a striker though. Sad that he had to retire before he was even thirty.

[@dylanparker130]

Sunday afternoon Football Italia was magical. "Go-oooooooooo-lazo!" Or as child me heard it "Goal! Lazio!"

[@hankagura5355]

@@dondamon4669"didnt change his game" he is the biggest what if in history its not his fault he was bestowed with unlucky and horrible injuries dummy.

[@iapple6496]

@@dondamon4669his game wasn’t even that physical, literally just being on the field made his ankles a target and it was bullshit lol, just means they could never defend him

[@simenstory3321]

Hope to see more of these! Underdog tips for a new video; a look back at Rosenborg (Norwegian club) during the 90s and early 2000s. Won the domnestic league 13 seasons in a row and punched well above their weight in the Champions League for the entirety of this period as well, beating the likes of Real Madrid, AC Milan, Dortmund, Blackburn etc. The legend of when Rosenborg knocked AC Milan out of the CL, beating them at San Siro is perhaps the biggest tale of legends in Norwegian club football. They also beat Dortmund 3-0 away, Real 2-0 at home etc. etc. Some insane results, and being able to qualify consistently (remember, there was never any direct qualification for Norwegian clubs) for so many years (11 times from 95-2007) is nuts. There's also some gorgeous footage of home games in the Norwegian winter. Anyways, it's a great story - hope to see you dive into it one day!

[@stdew07]

Milan is not just a club, it's an entire VIBE ❤🖤❤️🖤

[@k27ism]

Underrated comment

[@FootballDrawn]

As a Milan fan, I really appreciate this video. Thank you, and brilliant video, as always ⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽⚽

[@KuphelileSwira]

I love these videos so much.... Informative

[@robs9237]

I think 80s to 90s Serie A was the strongest league ever

[@ezraezra2928]

Agreed. Even though Italian teams had some underachieving performances in Champions League during that period, they still won some CWCs and UEFA Cups. There were at least 1 Italian club in every UEFA Cup Finals between 1989 and 1999, except the 1996, with 4 of them being Serie A affairs (1990, 1991, 1995, 1998).

[@sobrevalorado]

Strongest, sure, and the most doped, too

[@nightmare9815]

King Maldini 🤴 👑

[@avavybezrb7292]

big fan i learn so much from u dude keep up ur success and its my first time being so early

[@PCMT]

Amazing vid man.. Always appreciate the history

[@aayushpawar9937]

Finally. I was waiting for one these, a video on past legacies

[@klubnord7465]

That pronounciation really caught me off guard.. Made micah cry.

[@nikolamilivojevic6495]

Great work man. You're doing a fantastic job with these videos. Just continue to rock

[@mysteriousM8]

A great club that people now overlook

[@darnellengelbrecht4400]

No truer truth has ever been truthed

[@alvaradoarmando333]

awesome video bro , good shit

[@andresangarita3165]

Thanks for this video mate, this day and age tv broadcasters and people in social media seem to forget what we once were and seeing you take the dedication to make a piece reminding us, even to us the rossoneri, how big our team was and to my eyes still is maybe without the flare it used to be. Sempre Forza Milan!❤🖤💪

[@astr0neer.]

Loved this!

[@eojdaed96]

Great new format, hope you keep making these historic videos in the future. Cheers

[@AdityaVishweshwaran]

unfortunate van basten had ankles of sand, could have been one of the greatest of all time

[@Harry-tb8yo]

He IS one of the greatest of all time. Key player in one of the greatest squads of one of the greatest clubs of all time, key player of perhaps the best Dutch squad ever, winning three Balon d'Ors as a striker in a league with the best defenders. Fortunately for him the very best defenders were his teammates. Yes, he IS one of the greatest.

[@adamaalto-mccarthy6984]

Your best video yet

[@NikhilRakesh]

Please more videos like this. I Love this bro. Thank you

[@fenixdelapenumbra]

This was an amazing video. Enjoyed watching such a well constructed summary of this Milan period. Thanks

[@smerfmerf9102]

God damn it I love the vids

[@SleEp1nGoD]

From AC Milan Hardcore Fan ...Thank you for this video . Made my day . Milan, Tu Sei Tutta La Mia Vita !

[@badasstasticusbadass4908]

Milan nowdays might not be even a shadow what they used to be, but... looking back at what they did and achieved, probabbly this is the club that influenced the Football world the most. Sure, Real Madrid might be the one with most Trophies, but that Milan side was something else entirely.

[@marianogorostiaga8549]

Excelente laburo!!!

[@mob_798]

As a Milan fan I have to say that this video is really well done!

[@saianurag2781]

16:21 Costacurta has been repeated in the illustration. Thanks for the video. Hope you do more of these

[@dennisgodman9732]

That jockey quote 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

[@garbge8910]

I needed to cope, thanks for the vid 🥲

[@sethvanpelt5707]

The vibes from this era are unmatched

[@EduardAlexandruStanciu]

awesome video, one of the best teams of all time.

[@humanbeing654]

as a Milan fan, i see what we are lacking today to come back at those levels... it's not only the manager or players, we lack a solid management doing the background job. Despite as an italian i feel disgust for the figure of Berlusconi, i must admit is ability on certain things. PS: thank you for remembering that we were great before the '80s as well

[@flankspeed]

Channel 4's 'Football Italia' programme on Sunday afternoon in the mid-90s was just bliss. In 94, I saw Milan beat Fiorentina 7-3 in one of the most spellbinding games ever played. It was Peak Football.

[@thesheepofdeath1890]

LESGOOOO MILAN EPISODE❤️🖤

[@davidfisher6356]

The team of the century. The players in the squad would walk into any team in their position. Iconic,.epic all the fancy nouns imaginable. Loved watching channel four and Italian football was peak. Take me back.

[@kyriakos02]

Yet again my man's cooking

[@MrZaricnak]

This is well done. Kudos from a pro writer 😉😎

[@DanutPaul]

Between 1987 and 2007 this club rocked! 20 years of glory!

[@yanholliday8876]

i'm not italian, i'm not even a rossonero, but capello's milan is my favorite team of all time, no question. gullit, van basten, rossi, maldini, baresi, costacurta, albertini, papin, desailly, savicevic, boban, massaro, simone, lentini, donadoni, tassotti, panucci (which capello would take with him at real).....this team was *scary* ... they were the galacticos of their time, a time *before* the bosman ruling.

[@sobrevalorado]

You are mixing eras, Sacchi and Capello

[@gavomorg762]

My childhood dream team and Idol im Mr Marco Van Basten What a goal scrorer..This team had everything

[@abcsteamerc5597]

A 30 min video 🫠🫠 what did we do to deserve this

[@alfredlear4141]

Baresi and Maldini jr are the outstanding partnership of defence

[@AnthonyWoods-yh8wp]

Of all time 👍

[@joseperes2184]

Finally, thanks for throwing light on to some more SERIE A history. People need to know FORZA JUVE

[@darnellengelbrecht4400]

This is a great video. I’m very biased as an AC Milan fan, but still

[@joshuamendoza1493]

YES SIRRR

[@catmink]

Growing up in the UK in the 90’s, we had Gazetta football on channel 4 to watch every Sunday. Serie A was by far the best league in the world at the time, and people of my generation generally had an Italian team that they adopted as their second, if not favourite team. The Milan team of the early to mid 90’s will always be one of my favourite teams ever, (Second only to Barnsley 96/97) 🙏😘

[@lollol-uz4xn]

The true best trio of football, it changes everything even how we still play football today (tanks Sacchi)

[@_Justin_Case]

2:53 You didn't have to do him like that.😂

[@gm2407]

@16:29 Tassoti being eclipsed by Costacurta. So good he plays two positions at once.

[@dylanparker130]

20:02 "Terrible... yes.... but great" 😂

[@onstructures]

Golden age of hair too

[@darnellengelbrecht4400]

😂

[@petergmred2005]

My favourite team to watch. Dutch players played at milan whilst 2 or 3 big name germans played for inter(rudi at roma). Great days

[@nabeel426]

Tinashe don’t one on Marseille and Sampdoria in the 90’s

[@Austin077]

Legendary

[@Yami1300]

Gianni Rivera is one of the most forgotten greats

[@saidhammar5006]

I started watching football in the early 2000s and back then, and even up until the end of the decade, AC Milan was considered the biggest team in the Champions League, ahead of Real Madrid and Bayern Munchen.

[@bradmup2543]

Validddddddd

[@boghianvalentin7687]

16:24 WOW! I knew Alessandro Costacurta was very good, but good enough to play two positions at the same time . 🤣🤣🤣

[@mostafanabil97]

Berlusconi is the perfect personification of Two Face's saying in Dark Knight (You either die a hero lr live long enough to see yourself become the villain). He was a hero for the most of his time as Milan's owner but his ending was sad

[@09empyre]

LEEESGOOOOO

[@marcuspierantozzi]

That final between Milan and Barca was my first champions league final.

[@willcomrie2853]

Sacchi and Capellio's teams were something else.

[@M..n..M]

I'd have plenty of (mostly bad) things to say about Berlusconi, but one thing you got wrong that is important to point out is that his television is not just Canale 5. Mediaset is a huge media group with 3 main public TV channels (Rete 4, Canale 5 and Italia 1) and multiple premium channels. They are a big part of the Berlusconi family business empire and they had a huge role in his business and then political carrier.

[@invicius2153]

1988 to 1986 small typo in Ur description fam

[@funtik6662]

How do you produce a decent amount of content without sacrificing quality? Sterling job as always (no pun intended)

[@kahhengyeong7947]

16:26 I think the typo should be replaced by either Marcel Desailly or Christian Panucci instead of Costacurta

[@miztyck6335]

Thanks for the video, it was awesome to know more about it and it was greatly scripted

[@john-olivierlukama1548]

My top 10 football teams ever: 1. Pep's Barca (2008-2013) 2. Sacchi's Milan (1988-1996) 3. Zidane's Madrid (2016-2018) 4. Jupp's Bayern (2012-2013) 5. Ferguson's United (2006-2011) 6. Flick's Bayern (2019-2021) 7. Enrique's Barca (2014-2017) 8. Pep's City (2017-present day) 9. Ancelotti's Milan (2001-2009) 10. Mourinho's Madrid (2010-2013) These are for me, the greatest football teams ever. Honorable mentions: Ancelotti's Madrid (2013-2015) Ferguson's Treble Team (1998-2001) Mourinho's Inter Milan (2008-2010) Mourinho's Chelsea (2004-2007) Wenger's Arsenal (2001-2006) Klopp's Liverpool (2017-2024) Edit: I forgot about Madrid (1997-2002)

[@saadhasan2518]

That's a really solid lineup, I would also say that Lippi's Juve (1995-1999) were also a great team just unlucky in UCL finals

[@john-olivierlukama1548]

@@saadhasan2518 yeah, 1 UCL in 3 years is kinda crazy. Then again, Juve isn't really a club that does good in UCL finals

[@saadhasan2518]

@@john-olivierlukama1548 yeah, I'll agree but I'm not even a fan in the UCL, but they did great in those years

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

Nah what about early 70s ajax. They were invincible and won trebel ucl. Had greatest season in 72 ans 73. Then ajax repeated this in 96/97 again when they lost 1 game in all competition done by no one. But early 70s ajax is greatest team. Then i think bayern Munich too when they won ucl trebel in mid 70s

[@ShubhamMishrabro]

Your list is full of receny bias.

[@rammypastrami]

5:17 does anyone what the music here is? It’s in so many of Tinashe’s videos and it’s fire

[@KaloStoyanov]

There are too many comments since the video was posted so I'm not sure if this was mentioned, but Milan is actually the name of the city in the local language / dialect. Milano is the name in Standard Italian

[@mktf5582]

Please do more GOLDEN AGE/STANDARD series/episode, Man UTD - Paisley's Liverpool - Mourinho's Chelsea - Wengers Arsenal.

[@BALHAM69]

AC Milan with Kaka were very good 😮

[@rafikz77]

16:29 Wow Costacurta is everywhere

[@aadityapandey805]

GOAT Nathan Aké playing since last 40 years 🙏

[@babibau2781]

Good old days 😊. Everything was about Seri A back then.

[@gangang69]

Barça fan but gotta say I love AC Milan