An Englishman founded AC Milan, which is why it isn't called Milano
Italy's most successful club in European competition was started in 1899 by an English expatriate, Herbert Kilpin, as the Milan Foot-Ball and Cricket Club. It still uses the English spelling of its city. Seven European Cups later, only Real Madrid has won that trophy more often.
The club says it was founded on 16 December 1899, though evidence points to a date a couple of days later, and the lost charter leaves it uncertain. Under fascism it was forced to adopt the Italian form Milano, but it later restored the English spelling. Early titles arrived in 1901, 1906 and 1907. Then in 1908 a dispute over signing foreign players split the club and produced its great rival, Internazionale. Milan did not win another official league title until 1951. Since 1926 it has played at the San Siro, built by its chairman Piero Pirelli and shared with Inter since 1947.
The Swedish trio of Gunnar Gren, Gunnar Nordahl and Nils Liedholm drove a golden 1950s, and Milan became the first Italian club to enter the new European Cup. Under coach Nereo Rocco, with Gianni Rivera, it won that trophy in 1963 and again in 1969, beating Ajax 4 to 1. The long chase for a tenth league title, which earns a star on the shirt, ended in 1979.
Then came a slump. In 1980 the Totonero match-fixing scandal sent Milan down to Serie B for the first time, and after bouncing back it was relegated again on sporting grounds. On 20 February 1986 the media entrepreneur Silvio Berlusconi bought the near-bankrupt club. Under his 31-year presidency, with coach Arrigo Sacchi and the Dutch stars Ruud Gullit, Marco van Basten and Frank Rijkaard alongside Paolo Maldini and Franco Baresi, Milan won 29 trophies. The three Dutchmen filled the whole 1988 Ballon d'Or podium. Fabio Capello's side then won Serie A in 1991 to 1992 without losing a match, stretched an unbeaten run to 58 games, and crushed Barcelona 4 to 0 in the 1994 Champions League final.
Carlo Ancelotti's teams added European Cups in 2003 and 2007, the second avenging a painful 2005 final in which Milan led Liverpool 3 to 0 at half-time and lost on penalties. In total the club has 19 league titles, and it has spent every season in Serie A apart from two.
Source: AC Milan
