10. Kakha Kaladze
Milan paid 16 million to Dynamo Kiev for him in 2001. He won eight trophies with Milan for nine seasons and can play in any part of the defence. That what makes him such an important part of Ancelotti's team.
He played 194 times for Milan before moving to Genoa where he was one of the best defenders during the 2010-2011 season. Such a class player and always give 100% to the team.
9. Serginho
Serginho was an incredibly fast and hard-working, offensive-minded player, who could play either as left back, or on the left wing. He maintained his extraordinary pace and stamina well into his mid-late 30's. He was also an excellent crosser of the ball, which allowed him to regularly contribute to his team's offence with several assists. The apex of Serginho's Milan career was when he scored a goal and contributed three assists in a 6–0 thrashing of crosstown rivals Internazionale on May 11, 2001. He also contributed to Milan's 2003 UEFA Champions League victory over Juventus, scoring the first of Milan's three penalty scores in the shootout.
8. Gianluca Zambrotta
On 31 May 2008, Zambrotta signed a 3-year contract with
Milan. The club paid €9 million to FC Barcelona. Zambrotta is regarded by
pundits as one of Italy's greatest attacking full-backs/wing-backs. Although
naturally right-footed, he was an ambidextrous player who excelled both at
offensive and defensive play, which made him tactically versatile, allowing him
to be deployed on the left as well as on the right side of the pitch, as a
full-back or wing-back in a 4 or 5-man defence. In the 2008 and 2009 season
Zambrotta played more games than any other Milan player. He was excellent in
the 2010-2011 season which led Milan to win their last scudetto with Max
Allegri as their manager.
7. Leonardo
In the summer of 1997 he signed with A.C. Milan, for 8.5 million euros from PSG. With Milan he became a prominent part of a star-studded lineup. He played four full seasons, winning the 1998-99 Serie A title, and scoring 22 goals in 177 games for Milan, before returning to Brazil with Sao Paolo and Flamengo. He later returned to Milan and finished his career with them in 2003. During the season 1998/99, when there was Zaccheroni as a coach, Leonardo won the League Title after an exciting match against Lazio; a victory reached thanks to his goals. Leonardo is one of the best-loved players by the rossoneri fans for his intelligence and his liking, both outside and on the field.
6. Cafu
The most capped player for Brazil has a brief but successful four years with Milan. A player with a fast pace which earns the nickname 'Pendolino'. Join Milan in 2004 and from there won almost all the major trophies. Play an important role in the 2004 scudetto winning team. Then went on to win the Supercoppa Italiana and through the 2005 UCL finals in Instanbul where Milan lost to Liverpool. Help the team to get revenge in 2007 and won his first UCL trophy. End his Milan career by winning the UEFA Supercup and FIFA Club World Cup in 2008. In Cafu's last game of his Milan career, and maybe his footballing career, he scored a goal in their 4–1 victory over Udinese. Milan's vice-president Adriano Galliani has opened the doors to him to return to work for the club.
5. Jaap Stam
Sold to Lazio by then Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson due to his decreasing tackling statistics, according to Soccernomics, Jaap Stam showed he still had a few years left in the tank when he arrived at AC Milan in 2004. Stam signed from Lazio for €12.9 million and quickly made the centre-back position his own. In his first season with the Rossoneri, the 32-year-old Stam helped lead the team to the Champions League final. That 2004-05 team could be considered as one of the “last” great AC Milan sides as Stam played beside the likes of Cafu, Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta and Andriy Shevchenko.
AC Milan under Carlo Ancelotti would play bridesmaids in
Serie A and in the Champions League that season. Despite the superb squad and
Stam’s no-nonsense approach, the Rossoneri only secured one trophy in 2004-05:
the Supercoppa Italiana. Later sold to Ajax in 2006, Stam played 42 times for
AC Milan during his two-year stint.
4. Alessandro Costacurta
Alessandro “Billy” Costacurta was one part of the strongest back-line football has ever seen.
Along with Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini and Mauro Tassotti, AC Milan showcased a defence that made strikers dread playing against the Rossoneri. Brought through AC Milan’s youth academy, Costacurta played over 20 seasons for the Rossoneri and notched 458 career games. Debuting in 1986, Costacurta displayed an exquisite technique to go along with his tactical mind. Thanks to Costacurta and his defensive companions, AC Milan won seven Scudetti and five European Cups/Champions League trophies during his time with the Rossoneri.
3. Franco Baresi
Many will expect this great legend will be in my top 2,but
he's not. That is how great the level of defenders we once have. Having said
that there's never a doubt he is one of the greatest defenders of all time. Rejected by Inter as a teenager due to his
thin body, Baresi joined AC Milan. He debuted in 1977 at the age of 17, and a
year later led AC Milan to their 10th Scudetto, which allowed the club to have
their first stella (star woven next to the badge signifying 10 league titles).
Playing both as a sweeper and as a centre-back during his AC Milan and Italy
career, Baresi had the ability to attack and defend with equal finesse,
elegantly gliding forward or skillfully tackling opposing forwards. Baresi
spent 15 of his 20 seasons at AC Milan as captain, just some indication of the
leadership the Italian showed for the Rossoneri.
2. Alessandro Nesta
1. Paolo Maldini (El Capitano)
I grew up watching this man graze San Siro with his leadership and brilliant ability. There will be no other Paolo Maldini. The football world is unanimous in putting him in the top 5 all time great defenders. His loyalty for Milan is never in question. Even Sir Alex once admitted one of his greatest regrets is not having Maldini play for his Man Utd team. Despite making just one appearance in his first season, Maldini would become a regular the following Serie A campaign and would remain in the starting XI for the rest of his nearly twenty five year long career. He won his first league title with Milan in 1988 and had already reached legendary status at the age of 20. Together with Baresi, Costacurta and Mauro Tassotti, Milan boasted the strongest defence in the world in the late eighties and early nineties. Upon Baresi's retirement, Maldini went on to form a formidable partnership with Alessandro Nesta by moving in the heart of the defence. The Milan number three was named the World Soccer Player of the Year in 1994 as well as being placed in the UEFA team of the year in 2003 and again in 2005. Maldini won the European Cup/Champions League with Milan five titles as well as winning the league title on seven occasions. In a career that spanned almost two and a half decades, the Milan great made over 900 appearances, a club record which may never be bettered. So brilliant was Maldini during his time at Milan, when he finally retired in 2009, his famous number three jersey was retired in honor of his contributions to the club.
There are players who I like to put on the team such as Thiago Silva, but as much as I like him, he was here at a time when the club was not in a very good state and wasn't very successful. Plus, I don't want to choose a player who is still playing. In short, this is my top 10 milan defenders that I had the pleasure to witness. Again this is my personal opinion and we can agree to disagree.
Finally, it is sad to see our current team lack qualities such as these 10 players. How we would love to have these legends in our present team. Hope our future transfers bring another legendary defender to add to our list of magnificent defenders.
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