A young Franco Baresi in action during a derby game against Inter in the 1978-79 season.
Minggu, 12 April 2009

History: 1970/1985

One of the darkest periods of Milan's history that left the club with little to celebrate. The only bright spot came when the team were bestowed the honour of wearing 'the Star' on their jerseys after winning a 10th league title, in 1979. The team also lifted the Italian Cup on three occasions along with one European Cup Winners’ Cup.

The Italian champions were coached by Nils Liedholm, who gave a debut to a young player who would go on to captain the side and become one of the best defenders in the world: Franco Baresi. The great Franco played his first competitive game for Milan on April 23, 1978 in a 2-1 victory at Verona.

A young Franco Baresi in action during a derby game against Inter in the 1978-79 season

These years also saw numerous coaches come and go and the retirement of the legendary midfield general Gianni Rivera who moved on to take a position as club vice-president.

The first eight years of the 1980s saw a decline in the previous high standards, with the team playing two seasons in Serie B. However, it was not all bad news as Paolo Maldini stepped onto the football stage when he made his debut on January 20, 1985 in a 1-1 draw at Udinese. Paolo, of course, would go on to follow in Baresi's footsteps and captain the side to success both at home and abroad.

posted by Fian Allonso @ 08.46,