Nereo Rocco and Cesare Maldini with the European Cup won at Wembley (1963)
Minggu, 12 April 2009

History: 1960/1970

While the previous years had been marked by foreign players (Gre-No-Li, Schiaffino-Altafini) leading the way, between 1960 and 1970, Italian players would not only take over as protagonists in the club's history but come to prominence in the world game and gain fame at an international level. From the Rome 1960 Olympic side arrived players such as Trapattoni, Trebbi, Alfieri and Noletti along with a young boy named Gianni Rivera who played his first game for the club when he was only 17 against Alessandria, his previous team, in a 5-3 win for Milan. The Rossoneri were in the title race right down to the wire but two defeats in the last two games, against Bari and Fiorentina, gave them only a runners-up spot.

When Nils Liedholm left, 'Paròn' Nereo Rocco arrived as the new coach to herald a new era, marked by success both at home and abroad. The first trophy was the league title in the 1961-62 season, but the most exciting and memorable success was the first European Cup. The final against Benfica, played at Wembley Stadium on May 22, 1963, was a fascinating match: Milan raised the cup after defeating the Portuguese side 2-1 (Altafini scored twice for Milan and Eusebio scored for Benfica). The iconic image of captain Cesare Maldini raising the cup together with Nereo Rocco is still imprinted in the memory of all Rossoneri supporters..

Nereo Rocco and Cesare Maldini with the European Cup won at Wembley (1963)

Milan were unable to repeat their success in the Intercontinental Cup, where Milan lost the decisive match 1-0 at the Maracanà Stadium against Santos. At the end of the season, president Andrea Rizzoli left the club after nine years of great successes including four league titles, one Latin Cup and the prestigious European Cup. He is remembered not only for his sporting achievements, but also for establishing the training centre of Milanello which would become an important asset down through the years..

Gianni Rivera in action at the San Siro (1968)

After a number of disappointing seasons where the team played well below their potential, Milan returned to the top of the table in the 1967-68 season, winning their ninth league title and the prestige of the club grew further with the victory of the European Cup Winners' Cup, the first in Milan's history. Having been crowned champions meant a return to the European Cup the following season and the Rivera-Prati partnership turned on the style in the final at the Bernabeu stadium where they defeated Dutch side Ajax, which included a young Johan Cruijff, 4-1. Milan goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini had already earned the nickname 'The Black Spider' following his exploits in keeping Manchester United at bay in the semi-final. Milan were also finally crowned World Champions after a 3-0 win at the San Siro was followed by a 2-0 defeat at the Bombonera Stadium in Buenos Aires against Estudiantes. The class and style of Gianni Rivera earned the midfield playmaker the Golden Ball for the European Footballer of the Year in 1969, earning this wonderful tribute: 'in a barren world of football, Rivera is the only one to possess a sense of poetry.'

Fabio Cudicini (first on the right) celebrates winning the European Cup along with his team-mates (1967-68).