Skip to content
Milan Club Adelaide crestMilan Club Adelaide

Il Museo Rossonero · Archive

AC Milan in 1988

Era: The Sacchi Revolution

25 stories and 90 matches from the Milan Club Adelaide history museum, in the order they happened.

Open the interactive timelineRead the 1988 chronicle

The stories of 1988

Summer 1988

Frank Rijkaard Completes the Dutch Trio

In the summer of 1988 Sacchi completed his Dutch trident by signing Frank Rijkaard, who had spent a year in limbo, barred from playing for Sporting Lisbon and loaned to Real Zaragoza after walking out on Ajax. Deployed as a commanding half-back, he gave gli olandesi their spine, and the tifosi christened the trio the Tre Tulipani (three tulips). Rijkaard repaid the outlay by scoring the only goal of the 1990 European Cup final against Benfica, sealing back-to-back continental crowns.

Sources

Open the interactive timeline →

late 1980s

Carlo Ancelotti the player, 'Carletto', before he was 'Mister'

Long before his managerial fame, Carlo Ancelotti was known in Italy by the warm diminutive 'Carletto', the midfielder whose knees betrayed him but whose intelligence anchored Sacchi's side. Italian writers noted that his playing career was hampered by serious injury, yet his tactical brain earned early respect around Milanello. When he later returned as coach, the Italian press kept the affectionate 'Carletto' alongside the formal 'Mister', the title Italians give every manager.

Sources

  • La Gazzetta dello Sport
  • it.wikipedia.org — Storia dell'A.C. Milan

Open the interactive timeline →

first-team debut 1988

Demetrio Albertini: the vivaio's gift to the Grande Milan

Amid a Milan stocked with Dutch masters and costly internationals, Demetrio Albertini rose from the club's own youth sector to become the metronome of its midfield. Born in Brianza and schooled in the rossoneri nursery, he debuted as a teenager, was hardened by a loan to Padova, and returned to sit deep and dictate for the side that swept Serie A and Europe. Albertini stood as living proof that even in the era of galactic signings the vivaio could still mint a homegrown regista worthy of a team of champions.

Sources

  • Forza Milan!
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport

Open the interactive timeline →

1988

Giovanni Galli, the keeper of Sacchi's first revolution

Giovanni Galli was the goalkeeper behind Arrigo Sacchi's pressing masterpiece, the last line of the 1988 scudetto-winning side and the back-to-back European Cups of 1989 and 1990. Playing a high, aggressive line demanded a keeper comfortable acting as a sweeper, and Galli's alertness off his line suited the revolutionary system perfectly. A Fiorentina product and Italy international, he provided experienced calm behind the Dutch trio and the Baresi-Maldini defence during Milan's return to the summit of Europe.

Sources

  • Arrigo Sacchi memoirs
  • Forza Milan! contemporary coverage

Open the interactive timeline →

late 1980s

Kappa and the shirts of the Sacchi immortals

Through the late 1980s the Turin sportswear house Kappa, with its two little back-to-back seated figures, outfitted the greatest Milan side of the modern age: Baresi and Maldini alongside the Dutch trio of Gullit, Van Basten and Rijkaard. These were the shirts, carrying the Mediolanum sponsorship of Silvio Berlusconi's finance group, worn through the 1988 scudetto and the back-to-back European Cups of 1989 and 1990. To collectors, the Kappa rossonera of these years ranks among the most coveted of all Milan jerseys.

Sources

  • Guerin Sportivo
  • Forza Milan! magazine

Open the interactive timeline →

1988

La partita senza pallone — the match without a ball

Sacchi's most famous training method was 'la partita senza pallone' (the match without a ball), a form of shadow-play in which eleven men moved through an entire imagined game — pressing, shifting, covering — with no ball at all on the pitch. He would call out situations and the reparti (units) had to slide, compress and re-form as one, memorising distances and reference points until the movement became instinct. Milanello witnessed hours of this choreography, which Sacchi likened to a corps de ballet or an orchestra: everyone knowing precisely where the others would be. The drill embedded the collective geometry that made Milan's pressing and offside trap function like clockwork.

Sources

  • Arrigo Sacchi — 'Il calcio secondo me'
  • it.wikipedia.org — Storia dell'A.C. Milan
  • Guerin Sportivo

Open the interactive timeline →

1988

Milanello as a laboratory — the tape measure and the sticks

Sacchi turned the training ground at Milanello into a laboratory of space, drilling the team with poles, cones and marked-out zones to fix the exact distances between the reparti (units). He obsessed over the diagonal and horizontal spacing so that, at any instant, the team formed a compact block roughly 25 metres deep, sliding sideways as one to shield the ball's side of the pitch. Players recalled the relentless repetition — the same movements rehearsed until they surfaced without thought under match pressure. This meticulous geometry, more than any single star, was what let Milan defend high and press coherently, and it made 'lo spazio' (space) the central protagonist of Sacchi's football.

Sources

  • Arrigo Sacchi — 'Il calcio secondo me'
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport
  • Guerin Sportivo

Open the interactive timeline →

1987-1988

The Legendary Back Four Takes Shape

At the heart of Sacchi's machine stood a defensive quartet destined to become the most storied in football history: Mauro Tassotti and the teenage prodigy Paolo Maldini as full-backs, marshalled by captain and libero Franco Baresi, with Alessandro "Billy" Costacurta emerging to complete the line. Choreographing the offside trap with imperious anticipation, Baresi's unit conceded just fourteen goals across the title-winning campaign. For the next decade this back four would prove near-impregnable.

Sources

Open the interactive timeline →

1988

Zona contro Uomo: Sacchi's wall that moved forward

Arrigo Sacchi's revolution was, at heart, a war over how to defend. He swept away the sacred Italian marcatura a uomo (man-marking) for a fanatically drilled marcatura a zona, in which four defenders moved as one compact unit rather than each shadowing an opponent. The high defensive line became a weapon rather than a risk: anchored by Franco Baresi as the sweeper-turned-line-leader, the back four stepped up in unison to spring the fuorigioco (offside trap) and compress the pitch, letting the whole team hunt the ball in the opponent's half. The pressing was collective and coordinated by cues — the moment a back-pass or a poor touch signalled weakness, the nearest reparto attacked while the others shifted to close every passing lane. Purists raised on catenaccio and the deep-lying libero found it near-blasphemous, yet the sight of Milan winning the ball 40 metres from the opposing goal became the defining image of Sacchian pressing. Unanswerable on the pitch, Milan's zona became the template studied by coaches across the world, ending the long reign of the libero.

Sources

  • Arrigo Sacchi — Il calcio secondo me
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport
  • it.wikipedia.org — Storia dell'A.C. Milan
  • it.wikipedia.org — Zona (calcio)
  • Arrigo Sacchi — 'Il calcio secondo me'

Open the interactive timeline →

1988

The scudetto of 1988 and the Italian press's welcome of a new gospel

When Sacchi's Milan overhauled Maradona's Napoli to win the 1988 scudetto, the Italian press announced the arrival of a footballing revolution in its coverage of the title run-in. La Gazzetta dello Sport and Guerin Sportivo devoted features to the young manager's pressing and "zona" (zonal marking), initially met with scepticism from an Italian culture steeped in man-marking. The decisive spring form was written up as the moment Italy's press converted to Sacchi's creed, setting the tone for the adulation that the European nights of 1989 and 1990 would confirm.

Sources

  • La Gazzetta dello Sport
  • Guerin Sportivo
  • Arrigo Sacchi — Il calcio secondo me

Open the interactive timeline →

3 January 1988

Maradona's Napoli Swept Aside at San Siro

Serie A resumed from its winter break with the reigning champions Napoli, Diego Maradona and all, visiting San Siro — and Arrigo Sacchi's young side dismantled them 4-1. The relentless pressing and collective movement that would soon conquer Europe were unveiled in full against Italy's best, in a performance Sacchi long cited as the day his revolution proved itself. The rout announced that the scudetto would not be surrendered without a fight.

Sources

  • RSSSF – Serie A 1987/88
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archive
  • AC Milan official club records

Open the interactive timeline →

1 May 1988

Il Sorpasso: Milan Win 3-2 at the San Paolo

Il Sorpasso: Milan Win 3-2 at the San Paolo

The 1987-88 title came down to a duel between Arrigo Sacchi's rising Milan and Diego Maradona's reigning-champion Napoli, who led Serie A when the sides met. On 1 May 1988, before a delirious San Paolo, The result is remembered as the trigger for Napoli's infamous late-season collapse, and it was the day Sacchi's pressing, high-line football overturned the aura of Maradona's Napoli, carrying Milan to a first scudetto in nine years.

— MATCH SHEET — Coach: Arrigo Sacchi Scorers: Virdis 36', 68' and Van Basten 76' (Milan); Maradona 45' and Careca 78' (Napoli) The head-to-head showdown of the 1987-88 run-in: Sacchi's Milan beat reigning champions Napoli — Maradona and all — at a packed San Paolo to seize the title race, en route to the first scudetto since 1979.

Sources

Open the interactive timeline →

15 May 1988

The Point at Como: Scudetto Number Eleven

In May 1988 Milan were crowned champions of Italy for the eleventh time, their first Scudetto since 1979 and the founding triumph of the Berlusconi-Sacchi age. The Rossoneri finished on 45 points from 30 matches — 17 wins, 11 draws and only 2 defeats — conceding a miserly 14 goals, comfortably the meanest defence in the division. With Napoli in freefall, the title was effectively decided at the San Paolo and sealed in the season's closing weeks.

Sources

Open the interactive timeline →

Serie A 1987-88

1987-88: Sacchi's first miracle — the 11th Scudetto

Arrigo Sacchi's debut season delivered Milan's first Scudetto in nine years, built on revolutionary pressing, zonal defending and a high defensive line that changed Italian football forever. With new Dutch signings Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten (the latter limited by injury) alongside top scorer Virdis, Milan reeled in Maradona's Napoli, the decisive blow a famous 3-2 victory at the San Paolo on 1 May 1988. The title announced the arrival of a team that would soon rule Europe.

Sources

  • RSSSF Italian championship archives
  • Almanacco Illustrato del Calcio (Panini)
  • magliarossonera.it

Open the interactive timeline →

1988

'Milan Milan': Tony Renis writes the hymn of the Diavolo

Commissioned in the flush of the Berlusconi takeover, 'Milan Milan' — music and lyrics by Sanremo veteran Tony Renis (of 'Quando quando quando' fame) with Massimo Guantini — was adopted as the club's official inno at the end of the 1980s and boomed from the San Siro loudspeakers as the teams walked out. Its refrain, 'Milan Milan solo con te, Milan Milan sempre con te' ('Milan Milan, only with you, always with you'), was bellowed by the Curva Sud for a generation. It reigned as the matchday anthem until 2015, soundtracking the most decorated era the club has ever known. Commissioned by Berlusconi and written by Tony Renis with Massimo Guantini, it served as the club's official anthem from 1988 until 2015, when Emis Killa's '#Rossoneri' succeeded it.

Sources

  • Milan Wiki (Fandom), 'Milan Milan (canzone)'
  • Recording by I Fans (1989 12-inch)
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archive
  • Milan Milan (Tony Renis)

Open the interactive timeline →

25 June 1988

The Dutch masters conquer Euro 1988

Though a European Championship rather than a World Cup, Euro 1988 remains the international summit of the Dutchmen who defined Sacchi's Milan. Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten, already rossoneri, drove the Netherlands to their only major crown: Van Basten's hat-trick sank England, a late strike settled the semi-final against West Germany, and in Munich's final Gullit headed the opener before Van Basten's impossible volley from the right byline made it 2-0 over the USSR. Frank Rijkaard completed the trident at Milan weeks later, and the three would soon translate Oranje's glory into back-to-back European Cups.

Sources

  • Marco van Basten, Basta (autobiography, 2019)
  • UEFA Euro 1988 final report
  • Ruud Gullit, contemporary interviews

Open the interactive timeline →

7 September 1988

Return to Europe's summit: 2-0 in Sofia

Nine years after their last European Cup tie, Arrigo Sacchi's champions opened the 1988-89 campaign in Sofia against Levski, then competing under the state-imposed name Vitosha. Milan controlled the first-round first leg with the pressing game that would soon terrorise the continent and returned to Italy with a composed 2-0 win. The long exile was over; the reconquest of Europe had begun.

Sources

  • RSSSF – European Champions' Cup 1988-89
  • UEFA official archives
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archives

Open the interactive timeline →

5 October 1988

Van Basten's four-goal night against Vitosha

Milan completed the first round with a flourish at San Siro, Marco van Basten scoring four times in a 5-2 defeat of Vitosha Sofia that sealed the tie 7-2 on aggregate. The poker set the tone for the whole European reconquest: the Dutchman would finish the campaign as the competition's leading scorer, and Sacchi's side would not be stopped short of Barcelona.

Sources

  • RSSSF – European Champions' Cup 1988-89
  • UEFA official archives
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archives

Open the interactive timeline →

26 October 1988

Red Star hold Milan at San Siro

The second round paired Milan with Crvena Zvezda's dazzling young generation — Stojkovic, Savicevic, Prosinecki — and the Yugoslavs left San Siro with a precious 1-1 draw, Pietro Paolo Virdis supplying Milan's goal. The result sent Sacchi's men to Belgrade needing to score, and set the stage for one of the most dramatic ties in the club's history.

Sources

  • RSSSF – European Champions' Cup 1988-89
  • UEFA official archives
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archives

Open the interactive timeline →

November 1988

The fog of Belgrade and the shootout that saved Sacchi's Milan

Arrigo Sacchi's grand European adventure nearly died in its second round at the Marakana. After a 1-1 draw at San Siro, the return in Belgrade was swallowed by thick fog and abandoned with Red Star ahead and Milan reduced to ten men after Virdis's dismissal. Replayed the following afternoon, it finished 1-1, and Milan — Marco van Basten converting under crushing pressure — edged the penalty shootout to survive. The scare hardened the belief that would carry them to Barcelona.

Sources

  • La Gazzetta dello Sport
  • Arrigo Sacchi memoirs

Open the interactive timeline →

9 November 1988

The fog of the Marakana

Before a baying Marakana crowd the return leg descended into legend: Dejan Savicevic put Red Star ahead, Virdis was sent off — a dismissal that carried over to the replay — and Roberto Donadoni, knocked unconscious in a sickening collision, swallowed his tongue and was saved by desperate medical intervention on the pitch. Then a wall of fog rolled over Belgrade and West German referee Dieter Pauly abandoned the match, its score annulled. Milan, staring at elimination, had been reprieved by the weather.

Sources

  • UEFA official archives
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archives
  • RSSSF – European Champions' Cup 1988-89
  • AC Milan club records

Open the interactive timeline →

10 November 1988

The replay: Milan survive the Marakana shoot-out

Replayed from scratch at the Marakana the following afternoon, the tie again refused to yield: Marco van Basten struck for Milan, Dragan Stojkovic replied for Red Star, and extra time could not separate them. In the shoot-out Milan held their nerve to win 4-2, Giovanni Galli proving decisive, and squeezed through the narrowest door of the entire campaign. Every history of Sacchi's Milan treats Belgrade as the sliding door: without it, no Barcelona.

Sources

  • UEFA official archives
  • RSSSF – European Champions' Cup 1988-89
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archives

Open the interactive timeline →

December 1988 & December 1989

Van Basten Wins His First Ballon d'Or

Van Basten Wins His First Ballon d'Or

Freed at last from injury, Marco van Basten closed 1988 as France Football's European Footballer of the Year — the second Milan Dutchman in two years to claim the Ballon d'Or — after a summer in which he finished top scorer as the Netherlands won the European Championship, crowned by an impossible closing-angle volley against the Soviet Union in the Munich final. In a staggering show of rossonero supremacy, Milan players swept the entire podium: Van Basten first, Ruud Gullit second, Frank Rijkaard third — the Dutch trident Silvio Berlusconi had assembled was now, officially, the best in the world. A year later Van Basten retained the award, his 1989 Ballon d'Or built on a European Cup final in which he struck twice as Milan dismantled Steaua Bucharest 4-0 at the Camp Nou, with Franco Baresi and Rijkaard joining him in another all-Milan top three; never had a single club so thoroughly dominated the individual game. The back-to-back crowns were the first two of the Swan of Utrecht's unmatched hat-trick of golden balls, confirming his fusion of power and balletic precision as the fulcrum of Sacchi's machine. Forza Milan.

Sources

Open the interactive timeline →

1988–1989

France Football's Podium Turns Rossonero

France Football, the Paris weekly that created the Ballon d'Or in 1956, spent the late 1980s effectively chronicling Milan. Ruud Gullit took the 1987 award months after his world-record transfer from PSV, and in December 1988 the magazine announced a podium unlike any before it: Marco van Basten first, Gullit second, Frank Rijkaard third — three players from the same club, all Dutch, all in red and black. A year later the feat was repeated with an all-Milan podium of Van Basten, Franco Baresi and Rijkaard, and Van Basten would claim the award a third time in 1992. For French readers, the Ballon d'Or issues of those years doubled as portraits of Sacchi's Milan, the club France Football's pages could not escape.

Sources

  • France Football Ballon d'Or records, 1987–1992

Open the interactive timeline →

14 June 1989

Supercoppa Italiana 1988 — the First Edition, Won at San Siro

Milan won the inaugural Supercoppa Italiana in 1988, defeating Coppa Italia holders Sampdoria at San Siro as reigning Italian champions. The fixture was a brand-new addition to the calendar, pitting the scudetto winners against the cup winners, and Sacchi's emerging European powerhouse claimed it at the very first attempt. It was the opening flourish of a run that would make Milan the most decorated club in the competition's early history. A quirk of the calendar: the 1988 edition was postponed because of the Seoul Olympics and actually played on 14 June 1989 — Vialli put Sampdoria ahead before Rijkaard, Mannari and Van Basten turned it around, 3-1.

Sources

  • AC Milan official honours records
  • La Gazzetta dello Sport archives
  • Forza Milan! magazine
  • en.wikipedia.org — 1988 Supercoppa Italiana

Open the interactive timeline →

Every match of 1988

  1. Serie A: Juventus 0-1 Milan

    10 January 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 14: Milan beat Juventus 1-0 away on 10 January 1988. Venue: Comunale, Torino. Reti: 62' Gullit JUVENTUS. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni (87' Bortolazzi), Ancelotti, Virdis (70' Massaro), Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  2. Friendly: Parabiago 1-2 Milan

    14 January 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Parabiago 2-1 at Parabiago (MI) on 14 January 1988. Reti: 39' Mannari, 85' Magnifico, 87' Verga.

  3. Serie A: Milan 5-0 Como

    17 January 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 15: Milan beat Como 5-0 at San Siro on 17 January 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 30' Donadoni, 49' Virdis, 61' Gullit, 73' Ancelotti, 88' Gullit MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (65' Mussi), F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Virdis (70' Massaro), Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  4. Serie A: Milan 1-0 AC Pisa

    24 January 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 16: Milan beat AC Pisa 1-0 at San Siro on 24 January 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 27' An. Colombo MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Mussi (87' Costacurta), P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Virdis (85' Massaro), Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  5. Friendly: Verbania 0-6 Milan

    28 January 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Verbania 6-0 at Verbania (NO) on 28 January 1988. Reti: 11' An. Colombo, 24' e 45' Massaro, 70' Russo, 72' Ancelotti, 85' Massaro.

  6. Serie A: Fiorentina 1-1 Milan

    31 January 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 17: Milan drew with Fiorentina 1-1 away on 31 January 1988. Venue: Comunale, Firenze. Reti: 49' Di Chiara II, 74' rig. Baresi II FIORENTINA. Milan XI: G. Galli, Mussi (55' Costacurta), P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni (70' Massaro), Ancelotti, Virdis, Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  7. Friendly: Stazzanese 1-2 Milan

    4 February 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Stazzanese 2-1 at Ponte San Pietro (BG) on 4 February 1988. Reti: Gullit, Massaro, .....

  8. Serie A: Milan 3-0 Cesena

    7 February 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 18: Milan beat Cesena 3-0 at San Siro on 7 February 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 13' Gullit, 72' Evani, 83' Massaro MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti (83' Bortolazzi), Massaro, Gullit (46' Mannari), Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  9. Friendly: Oggiona S. Stefano 0-10 Milan

    11 February 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Oggiona S. Stefano 10-0 at Santo Stefano Oggiona (VA) on 11 February 1988. Reti: Massaro (4), Virdis (4), Evani, Bortolazzi.

  10. Serie A: Ascoli 1-1 Milan

    14 February 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 19: Milan drew with Ascoli 1-1 away on 14 February 1988. Venue: Del Duca, Ascoli Piceno. Reti: 47' Destro, 66' Massaro ASCOLI. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (80' Costacurta), F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Massaro, Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  11. Friendly: Milan 1-1 Steaua Bucarest

    21 February 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan drew with Steaua Bucarest 1-1 at Milano on 21 February 1988. Reti: 18' Hagi, 63� rig. Gullit.

  12. Friendly: Milan 1-0 Solbiatese

    25 February 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Solbiatese 1-0 at Milanello, Carnago (VA) on 25 February 1988. Reti: Cappellini.

  13. Serie A: Milan 2-1 Sampdoria

    28 February 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 20: Milan beat Sampdoria 2-1 at San Siro on 28 February 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 7' Virdis, 16' rig. Bonomi, 70' P. Maldini MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Massaro (83' Cappellini), Evani, Virdis (88' Bortolazzi) — All.: Sacchi.

  14. Friendly: Villasanta 0-9 Milan

    3 March 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Villasanta 9-0 at Villasanta di Monza (MI) on 3 March 1988. Reti: Gullit (3), Donadoni (2), Ancelotti (2), Virdis, Massaro.

  15. Serie A: Milan 0-0 Hellas Verona

    6 March 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 21: Milan drew with Hellas Verona 0-0 at San Siro on 6 March 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, Massaro (72' Verga), F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Virdis, Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  16. Friendly: Sedrianese 0-8 Milan

    10 March 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Sedrianese 8-0 at Sedriano (MI) on 10 March 1988. Reti: Evani (3), Verga, Gullit, Ancelotti, Van Basten, Baresi II.

  17. Serie A: Torino 1-1 Milan

    13 March 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 22: Milan drew with Torino 1-1 away on 13 March 1988. Venue: Comunale, Torino. Reti: 77' Bresciani, 78' Ancelotti TORINO. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, Ancelotti, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Bortolazzi, Massaro, Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  18. Friendly: Cassese 1-5 Milan

    17 March 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Cassese 5-1 at Cassano d'Adda (MI) on 17 March 1988. Reti: Massaro (2), rig. Virdis, Mussi, Balesini, .....

  19. Serie A: Milan 2-0 Pescara

    20 March 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 23: Milan beat Pescara 2-0 at San Siro on 20 March 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 2' Massaro, 47' Gullit MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Bortolazzi, Massaro (78' Cappellini), Gullit (82' Verga), Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  20. Friendly: Cisanese 0-10 Milan

    24 March 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Cisanese 10-0 at Cisano Bergamasco (BG) on 24 March 1988. Reti: Massaro (4), Donadoni (2), An. Colombo, Van Basten, Ancelotti, .....

  21. Serie A: Avellino 0-0 Milan

    27 March 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 24: Milan drew with Avellino 0-0 away on 27 March 1988. Venue: Partenio, Avellino. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Massaro, Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  22. Friendly: Milan 1-2 Dinamo Zagabria

    4 April 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan lost to Dinamo Zagabria 1-2 at San Siro, Milano on 4 April 1988. Reti: 40' Virdis, 58' Kasalo, 88' Munjakovic.

  23. Friendly: Rimini 0-1 Milan

    7 April 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Rimini 1-0 at Rimini on 7 April 1988. Reti: 50' rig. Virdis.

  24. Serie A: Milan 1-0 FC Empoli

    10 April 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 25: Milan beat FC Empoli 1-0 at San Siro on 10 April 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 61' Van Basten MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, Mussi (74' Costacurta), An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Virdis (46' Van Basten), Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  25. Friendly: Trezzano 0-3 Milan

    14 April 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Trezzano 3-0 at Trezzano sul Naviglio (MI) on 14 April 1988. Reti: 40' Gullit, 70' Borghi, 80' Balesini.

  26. Serie A: Roma 0-2 Milan

    17 April 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 26: Milan beat Roma 2-0 away on 17 April 1988. Venue: Olimpico, Roma. Reti: 25' Virdis, 85' Massaro ROMA. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni (79' Massaro), Bortolazzi, Virdis (72' Van Basten), Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  27. Friendly: Fontanellese 0-5 Milan

    21 April 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Fontanellese 5-0 at Fontanella (BG) on 21 April 1988. Reti: 2' Evani, 13' Donadoni, 39' Van Basten, 69' Lantignotti I, 86' Baldo.

  28. Serie A: Milan 2-0 Inter

    24 April 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 27: Milan beat Inter 2-0 at San Siro on 24 April 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 43' Gullit, 53' Virdis MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni (64' Van Basten), Ancelotti, Virdis, Gullit (84' Massaro), Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  29. Friendly: Baruccana 0-10 Milan

    28 April 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Baruccana 10-0 at Cesano Maderno (MI) on 28 April 1988. Reti: 6' e 15' Gullit, 36' Tassotti, 38' rig. Virdis, 64' Massaro, 81' Verga, 85' Cappellini, 85' Massaro, 86' Verga, 90' Cappellini.

  30. Friendly: Nervianese 0-6 Milan

    5 May 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Nervianese 6-0 at Nerviano (MI) on 5 May 1988. Reti: Massaro (2), rig. Virdis, Virdis, Ancelotti, Van Basten.

  31. Serie A: Milan 0-0 Juventus

    8 May 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 29: Milan drew with Juventus 0-0 at San Siro on 8 May 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, F. Galli, Costacurta, Donadoni (46' Van Basten), Ancelotti, Virdis (77' Massaro), Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  32. Friendly: Muggio' 0-4 Milan

    12 May 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Muggio' 4-0 at Muggiò (MI) on 12 May 1988. Reti: Van Basten (3), Massaro.

  33. Serie A: Como 1-1 Milan

    15 May 1988 · Season 1987-88, matchday 30: Milan drew with Como 1-1 away on 15 May 1988. Venue: Sinigaglia, Como. Reti: 2' Virdis, 46' Giunta COMO. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (79' Massaro), F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni (53' Van Basten), Ancelotti, Virdis, Gullit, Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  34. Friendly: Manchester United 2-3 Milan

    17 May 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Manchester United 3-2 at Manchester (Inghilterra) on 17 May 1988. Reti: 46' rig. Virdis, 59' e 67' Borghi, 79' Olsen, 92' McClair.

  35. Friendly: Milan 2-1 Real Madrid

    19 May 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Real Madrid 2-1 at San Siro, Milano on 19 May 1988. Reti: 46' Michel, 77' Borghi, 86' Gullit.

  36. Friendly: Viterbese 1-6 Milan

    4 June 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Viterbese 6-1 at Viterbo on 4 June 1988. Reti: 10' Virdis, 20' Balesini, 42', 54' e 73' Virdis, 65' Evani, .....

  37. Friendly: Casarano 1-3 Milan

    8 June 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan beat Casarano 3-1 at Casarano (LE) on 8 June 1988. Reti: 11' e 25' An. Colombo, 60' Verga, 88' rig. Torna.

  38. Friendly: Vicenza 0-0 Milan

    11 June 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan drew with Vicenza 0-0 at Vicenza on 11 June 1988.

  39. Friendly: Mantova 1-1 Milan

    15 June 1988 · Season 1987-88 (friendly match): Milan drew with Mantova 1-1 at Mantova on 15 June 1988. Reti: 77' An. Colombo, .....

  40. Departed: Claudio Balesini

    1988-89 season window · Claudio Balesini left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  41. Departed: Claudio Borghi

    1988-89 season window · Claudio Borghi left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  42. Departed: Daniele Limonta

    1988-89 season window · Daniele Limonta left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  43. Departed: Enrico Sala

    1988-89 season window · Enrico Sala left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  44. Departed: Giulio Nuciari

    1988-89 season window · Giulio Nuciari left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  45. Departed: Giuseppe Galderisi

    1988-89 season window · Giuseppe Galderisi left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  46. Departed: Mario Bortolazzi

    1988-89 season window · Mario Bortolazzi left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  47. Departed: Rufo Emiliano Verga

    1988-89 season window · Rufo Emiliano Verga left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  48. Departed: Simone Baldo

    1988-89 season window · Simone Baldo left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  49. Departed: Stefano Borgonovo

    1988-89 season window · Stefano Borgonovo left Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  50. Signed: Claudio Borghi

    1988-89 season window · Claudio Borghi joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  51. Signed: Corrado Giannini

    1988-89 season window · Corrado Giannini joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  52. Signed: Davide Pinato

    1988-89 season window · Davide Pinato joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  53. Signed: Demetrio Albertini

    1988-89 season window · Demetrio Albertini joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  54. Signed: Fabio Lago

    1988-89 season window · Fabio Lago joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  55. Signed: Fabio Viviani

    1988-89 season window · Fabio Viviani joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  56. Signed: Francesco Antonioli

    1988-89 season window · Francesco Antonioli joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  57. Signed: Frank Rijkaard

    1 July 1988 · Frank Rijkaard joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (exact date 1 July 1988, per Transfermarkt player records).

  58. Signed: Giuseppe Galderisi

    1988-89 season window · Giuseppe Galderisi joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  59. Signed: Matteo Villa

    1988-89 season window · Matteo Villa joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  60. Signed: Stefano Borgonovo

    1988-89 season window · Stefano Borgonovo joined Milan in the 1988-89 season (window date approximate; fee as recorded by Transfermarkt).

  61. Friendly: Brescia 2-1 Milan

    31 July 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan lost to Brescia 1-2 at Brescia on 31 July 1988. Reti: 5' Cecconi, 15' Occhipinti, 60' aut. Chiodini.

  62. Friendly: Parma 1-1 Milan

    3 August 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan drew with Parma 1-1 at Parma on 3 August 1988. Reti: 44' Baresi II, 52' Turrini.

  63. Friendly: Verona 1-0 Milan

    7 August 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan lost to Verona 0-1 at Verona on 7 August 1988. Reti: 26' Troglio.

  64. Friendly: Atalanta 0-1 Milan

    10 August 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Atalanta 1-0 at Bergamo on 10 August 1988. Reti: 7' Cappellini.

  65. Torneo Di Wembley: Milan 1-0 Bayern Munchen

    13 August 1988 · Season 1988-89 (torneo di wembley match): Milan beat Bayern Munchen 1-0 at Wembley, Londra (Inghilterra) on 13 August 1988. Reti: 33' Virdis.

  66. Torneo Di Wembley: Milan 2-1 Tottenham Hotspur

    14 August 1988 · Season 1988-89 (torneo di wembley match): Milan beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-1 at Wembley, Londra (Inghilterra) on 14 August 1988. Reti: 12' Virdis, 14' Van Basten, 60' Fenwick.

  67. Friendly: Psv Eindhoven 0-2 Milan

    17 August 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Psv Eindhoven 2-0 at Eindhoven (Olanda) on 17 August 1988. Reti: 28' Van Basten, 90' Massaro.

  68. Trofeo 'Santiago Bernabeu': Real Madrid 0-3 Milan

    2 September 1988 · Season 1988-89 (trofeo 'santiago bernabeu' match): Milan beat Real Madrid 3-0 at Bernabeu, Madrid (Spagna) on 2 September 1988. Reti: 44' Donadoni, 75' Mannari, 82' P. Maldini.

  69. Friendly: Milan 0-0 Internazionale

    25 September 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan drew with Internazionale 0-0 at Milano on 25 September 1988.

  70. Departed: Daniele Massaro

    1 October 1988 · Daniele Massaro left Milan in the 1988-89 season (exact date 1 October 1988, per Transfermarkt player records).

  71. Serie A: Milan 4-0 Fiorentina

    9 October 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 1: Milan beat Fiorentina 4-0 at San Siro on 9 October 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 14' Donadoni, 78', 85' e 89' rig. Virdis MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, Mussi, An. Colombo (63' Viviani), F. Galli, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Van Basten (80' Mannari), Rijkaard, Virdis — All.: Sacchi.

  72. Friendly: Soragna 0-9 Milan

    13 October 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Soragna 9-0 at Comunale, Soragna on 13 October 1988. Reti: 6' e 26' Gullit, 13' e 40' rig. Van Basten, 31' Tassotti, 52' Ancelotti, 58' Mannari, 60' P. Maldini, 70' Evani.

  73. Serie A: Pescara 1-3 Milan

    16 October 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 2: Milan beat Pescara 3-1 away on 16 October 1988. Venue: Adriatico, Pescara. Reti: 30' Virdis, 63' Van Basten, 70' Ancelotti, 82' Edmar PESCARA. Milan XI: G. Galli, Mussi (73' Costacurta), P. Maldini, An. Colombo (52' Evani), Tassotti, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Van Basten, Rijkaard, Virdis — All.: Sacchi.

  74. Friendly: Gallaratese 0-8 Milan

    20 October 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Gallaratese 8-0 at Gallarate on 20 October 1988. Reti: Mannari (2), Gullit (2), Virdis, Evani, Viviani, Lantignotti I.

  75. Serie A: Milan 0-0 Lazio

    23 October 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 3: Milan drew with Lazio 0-0 at San Siro on 23 October 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Milan XI: G. Galli, Mussi, P. Maldini, Ancelotti, Tassotti, Baresi II, Evani, Rijkaard, Van Basten, Gullit (66' Lantignotti I), Virdis (69' Mannari) — All.: Sacchi.

  76. Serie A: Juventus 0-0 Milan

    30 October 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 4: Milan drew with Juventus 0-0 away on 30 October 1988. Venue: Comunale, Torino. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, Rijkaard, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Van Basten, Gullit (69' Virdis), Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  77. Friendly: Biellese 1-3 Milan

    3 November 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Biellese 3-1 at Biella on 3 November 1988. Reti: 15' Mussi, 25' Van Basten, 43' Gullit, 66' Francisca.

  78. Serie A: Hellas Verona 1-2 Milan

    6 November 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 5: Milan beat Hellas Verona 2-1 away on 6 November 1988. Venue: Bentegodi, Verona. Reti: 23' Gullit, 67' Caniggia, 80' aut. Sold� HELLAS VERONA. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (87' Costacurta), Rijkaard, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Van Basten, Gullit (31' Virdis), Evani — All.: Sacchi.

  79. Friendly: Somma Lombardo 1-6 Milan

    17 November 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Somma Lombardo 6-1 at Somma Lombardo on 17 November 1988. Reti: Cappellini (3), Virdis, Mannari, rig. Marta, .....

  80. Serie A: Milan 1-2 Atalanta

    20 November 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 6: Milan lost to Atalanta 1-2 at San Siro on 20 November 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 75' aut. Baresi II, 78' Rijkaard, 90' Bonacina MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo, Rijkaard, Baresi II, Cappellini (65' Mannari), Ancelotti (71' Costacurta), Van Basten, Evani, Virdis — All.: Sacchi.

  81. Friendly: Lissone 1-3 Milan

    24 November 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Lissone 3-1 at Lissone (MI) on 24 November 1988. Reti: Van Basten (2), Cappellini, .....

  82. Serie A: Napoli 4-1 Milan

    27 November 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 7: Milan lost to Napoli 1-4 away on 27 November 1988. Venue: San Paolo, Napoli. Reti: 42' Maradona, 45' Careca, 48' Francini, 65' rig. Virdis, 78' Careca NAPOLI. Milan XI: G. Galli, Mussi, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (61' Mannari), Tassotti, Baresi II, Costacurta (77' Viviani), Rijkaard, Van Basten, Evani, Virdis — All.: Sacchi.

  83. Serie A: Milan 2-0 Lecce

    4 December 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 8: Milan beat Lecce 2-0 at San Siro on 4 December 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 11' aut. Righetti, 68' rig. Van Basten MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (76' Mussi), Rijkaard, Baresi II, Mannari, Ancelotti, Van Basten, Evani, Virdis (52' Costacurta) — All.: Sacchi.

  84. Friendly: Iris Borgoticino 1-6 Milan

    8 December 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Iris Borgoticino 6-1 at Borgo Ticino on 8 December 1988. Reti: Russo (2), Tassotti, Mannari, .....

  85. Serie A: Milan 0-1 Inter

    11 December 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 9: Milan lost to Inter 0-1 at San Siro on 11 December 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Reti: 26' Serena MILAN. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, An. Colombo (70' Mussi), Rijkaard, Baresi II, Donadoni (52' Mannari), Ancelotti, Van Basten, Evani, Virdis — All.: Sacchi.

  86. Friendly: Milan 12-0 Castanese

    15 December 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Castanese 12-0 at Milanello, Carnago (VA) on 15 December 1988. Reti: Virdis (3), Evani (2), Donadoni (2), .....

  87. Serie A: Torino 2-2 Milan

    18 December 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 10: Milan drew with Torino 2-2 away on 18 December 1988. Venue: Comunale, Torino. Reti: 6' Van Basten, 38' e 83' Muller, 89' Van Basten TORINO. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, Mussi (43' An. Colombo), Rijkaard, Baresi II, Donadoni, Ancelotti, Van Basten, Evani, Mannari (67' Virdis) — All.: Sacchi.

  88. Friendly: Pro Patria 0-7 Milan

    21 December 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Pro Patria 7-0 at Busto Arsizio (VA) on 21 December 1988. Reti: 19' Cappellini, 33' rig. e 36' Van Basten, 56' e 76' Cappellini, 78' Rijkaard, 81' Cappellini.

  89. Friendly: Pavia 1-6 Milan

    28 December 1988 · Season 1988-89 (friendly match): Milan beat Pavia 6-1 at Pavia on 28 December 1988. Reti: 2' Massara, 11' Gullit, 16' Donadoni, 45' Gullit, 50' An. Colombo, 60' Van Basten, 85' Cappellini.

  90. Serie A: Milan 0-0 Sampdoria

    31 December 1988 · Season 1988-89, matchday 11: Milan drew with Sampdoria 0-0 at San Siro on 31 December 1988. Venue: San Siro, Milano. Milan XI: G. Galli, Tassotti, P. Maldini, Rijkaard, Costacurta, Baresi II, Donadoni, An. Colombo (46' Ancelotti), Van Basten, Gullit (76' Virdis), Evani — All.: Sacchi.