Vincenzo Montella is taking Serie A giants AC Milan back to the future
SunSport take a look at how the Rossoneri are on the rise in Italy after recording a famous victory over Juventus
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ALL hail Vincenzo Montella and his fallen giants AC Milan rising from their ashes.
History goes in cycles.
And Saturday night’s famous win over Juventus courtesy of Milan youth academy starlet Manuel Locatelli, 18, could not be more symbolic.
When Silvio Berlusconi bought Milan and paid off their crippling debts 30 years ago he inherited what would become arguably the game’s greatest-ever backline.
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Right to left: Mauro Tassotti, Franco Baresi, Filippo Galli and Paolo Maldini. The over-40s among you must remember this quartet fondly.
With that backline sorted Berlusconi bought Dutch trio Ruud Gullit, Frank Rijkaard and Marco van Basten and the rest was history.
First boss Arrigo Sacchi, then Fabio Capello dominated on the Italian, European and world stage for a decade.
Carlo Ancelotti took it into a second decade.
Five of the club’s SEVEN Champions League titles were won in Berlusconi’s era.
Now, as Berlusconi sells up to a Chinese consortium, he leaves behind what could be another backline of stars.
Mattia De Sciglio, 24, is Milan and Italy’s left-back. Italy Under-21 starlet Davide Calabria, 20, is breaking into the first team at right-back.
Then we have the “new Gigi Buffon” aptly named Gigi Donnarumma in goal.
All are products of the Milan youth system. Like Baresi, Maldini and Galli.
And Antonio Conte can forget about bringing 21-year-old centre-half Alessio Romagnoli to Chelsea.
He is the pillar on which Montella is building the new Milan. How Roma rue selling him for £20million a year ago.
Incidentally, Locatelli in midfield is another Milan product. He struck the winner against Juve but Donnarumma made the save of the season.
At full stretch he denied Sami Khedira’s effort, bound for the top corner, with the last touch of the game.
Ref Nicola Rizzoli had earlier made a controversial call — disallowing a Miralem Pjanic strike for Juve for an offside on Leonardo Bonucci.
And so here we are.
With two Liverpool rejects starring in the side. Gabriel Paletta, who did not make his mark in a season at Anfield ten years ago, alongside Romagnoli at the back. And ex-Red Suso in the frontline.
Milan’s total of 19 points is their highest at this stage of the season in a decade.
Montella made ten appearances for Fulham scoring twice, after becoming a Roma legend as a striker.
Do not bet against him returning to the Prem as boss — but not for a few years yet.
We have missed Milan at the top of the tree. Now it seems, under Montella, they are on their way back.
PS: There is much concern about the precise make-up of the Chinese consortium acquiring Milan next month.
This week the names of the investors will be revealed. And knowing how serious Berlusconi is, I am confident they won’t prove to be charlatans.