Silvio Berlusconi appointed Arrigo Sacchi as the new head coach, who in the previous season with Parma had faced Milan in the Coppa Italia three times and subsequently eliminated the Rossoneri, in the process impressing Berlusconi with the team's style of play.[1][2] The transfer market brought two Dutch players to Milan: Marco van Basten and Ruud Gullit, taken respectively from Ajax and PSV, in place of the English Ray Wilkins and Mark Hateley.[3]Angelo Colombo and Carlo Ancelotti joined in midfield. The coach from Fusignano could thus count on a young squad, which could allow him to fight in the league against reigning champions Napoli. The squad was already made up of a strong defense led by captain Franco Baresi and which included Paolo Maldini, Filippo Galli, Mauro Tassotti as well as the substitutes Alessandro Costacurta (who will make his debut in the first team during the season) and the new signing Roberto Mussi. Thanks to the play-off won at the end of the 1986–87 season against Sampdoria, the Rossoneri regained access to Europe by participating in the UEFA Cup. Due to the disqualification of the Meazza (because of incidents during the match against Waregem on 11 December 1985), the club decided to play its home games at the Via del mare stadium in Lecce.[4][5] In the Coppa Italia, Milan got through the first round, finishing their group in second place: they won four matches and lost only one, on penalties, against Parma.
The league began with the victory at Pisa, in which Van Basten (on his debut in Italy) scored the final 3–1 from a penalty kick. Milan then eliminated Sporting de Gijón in the UEFA Cup after losing the first leg 1–0 and winning the second leg 3–0 at the Via del Mare. On the league's fifth day, in the match against Sampdoria, Van Basten suffered an injury that would put him out of action until April. The journey in Europe ended in the next round, against another Spanish team: Espanyol, victorious away, in Lecce (2–0), and capable of imposing a goalless draw at home.[6] Two months after the Dutchman's injury, Milan beat Roma at the San Siro, but the match was later abandoned by the referee due to a firecracker from the Milan stand that had hit the Giallorossi goalkeeper Tancredi. The calendar year ended with a victory in the derby, achieved by beating Inter 1–0: Milan thus had 16 points in the standings, 5 less than leaders Napoli. The first match of 1988 had the challenge against the Neapolitans on the calendar, which the Rossoneri won with an imposing 4–1; the 3–1 goal was scored by Gullit, who had just been awarded the 1987 Ballon d'Or. Three days later, the team defeated Ascoli in the first leg of the round of 16 of the Coppa Italia: in the second leg, the score of 1–0 was overturned by Ascoli who would then win on penalties.
In the second half of the season, in the league, Sacchi's team didn't suffer any setbacks and recovered ground against Napoli.[7][8][9] In the 25th round, Van Basten returned to the pitch after six months of absence, and scored the winning goal against Empoli. This success was followed by victories against Roma and Inter, which made it possible to reduce the gap from Napoli to just one point, on the eve of the crucial match. At the San Paolo, Milan defeated the hosts again, this time 3–2 with a double by Virdis and Van Basten, who responded to Maradona and Careca. The result promoted the Rossoneri to first place in the standings, with an advantage of one point.[10] The position was defended in the two remaining games, thanks to draws with Juventus and Como, giving Milan the Scudetto, their eleventh overall, as well as the first after nine years.[11]
Squad
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: The win was awarded to Roma due to a firecracker that hit the Giallorossi's goalkeeper Franco Tancredi at the start of the second half. He was hit on the head by a firework thrown by a A.C. Milan supporter. Tancredi stopped breathing for a short time but was eventually resuscitated by paramedics.
^ abDue to San Siro was suspended, Milan has played the match in Lecce; cfr. Luca Argentieri (10 July 1987), "Real – Napoli è già finale", la Repubblica, p. 31
