Could a return to glory be on the cards for AC Milan?
When AC Milan won the Champions League in 2007, with iconic captain Paolo Maldini raising the European Cup yet again for the Italian side, you would never have believed that in the 13 years that would follow, the club’s only major trophy would be a single league title in 2010-11, with a couple of Supercoppa Italiana victories thrown in.
But that has been the reality for Milan, as the club have failed to rebuild since the departure of all those legends that made the Italian giants such a European superpower in the 2000s, where they competed in three Champions League finals, winning two of them. Milan’s stature in Italy has slowly dwindled, as the likes of Napoli and Roma have risen to greater ascendency, leaving this once European giant crumbling to its knees in mid-table obscurity.
This season, however, it looks as though a return to glory could well be in the offing for the famous club, with Milan sitting top of Serie A after 11 games, three points clear of city rivals Inter in second, and heavily fancied in the football betting at Betfair. Coach Stefano Pioli has clearly found his groove at the club after joining in 2019, and now it seems as though a return to the good times could be on the cards for the Milan supporters who have suffered greatly over the last decade or so since the club’s last Scudetto.
Milan are unbeaten in all competitions so far this season, testament to the improvement made under Pioli, and now the club have serious aspirations of another Serie A title, and a deep run in the Europa League. The aim will be to get back into the Champions League, with Milan having failed to qualify for the competition since they last played in it in the 2013-14 season. As one of Europe’s most successful clubs, Milan supporters will feel that the Champions League is where they belong, and the celebrations would be big if they were to return to Europe’s premier club competition.
Of course, the Scudetto itself will be a major target for the Rossoneri now, even if winning the title was perhaps not a realistic expectation at the beginning of the campaign. This is the tenth season since Milan last won Serie A, when the likes of Ronaldinho and Zlatan Ibrahimović made up their attack. Indeed, Ibrahimović has now returned to the club, and it would be fitting if the Swede was to help fire the club towards another Scudetto.
Milan also qualified from their Europa League group with a game to spare, and it would delight supporters to see the club lift another European title, even if it is the secondary UEFA competition. The fans have been so starved of success in recent seasons that any kind of silverware would bring them much delight.
There is a long way to go this season if Milan are to enjoy success across different competitions. The likes of Inter and Juventus will push the Rossoneri hard when it comes to the league title, and the Europa League is a notoriously difficult tournament to win, such are the demands it requires. But the early signs are there that this season could represent a turning point for Milan, and a catalyst for a more successful coming decade than the one just past.
Image: “AC Milan” by VanDammeMaarten is licensed under CC BY 2.0