In the last issue, we reviewed the Argentine players in the history of AC Milan, and in this issue we will focus on Brazil, Argentina's biggest rival in South America.
Brazil is the country that has won the most World Cup titles and is the only country to participate in every World Cup. When people think of Brazil, they think of football. Brazil has also long been the country that produces the most foreign football players, and in the history of the Rossoneri, Brazil is also the country that deserves the most attention. Brazil is the country with the largest number of foreign aid in the history of AC Milan, and from ancient times to the present, there has been a steady stream of Brazilian stars wearing red and black shirts to contribute to the club's glorious history.
Ancient Marksman
As early as the 1930s, Brazilian players appeared in the AC Milan squad. In 1935, the Rossoneri brought in two Brazilian players, striker Arnoni and midfielder Gabardo. Both played together for 3 seasons at the team. After the departure of the two in 1938, AC Milan had a 20-year long brazilian player vacancy.
In 1958, Brazil won the World Cup for the first time, and the king Pele came out. Among the champions of the 1958 World Cup, Altafini was the second youngest player after Pele. After the 1958 World Cup AC Milan brought in Altafini from Palmeiras, the legendary goalscorer who played for the Rossoneri for 7 years. One of the most memorable was undoubtedly the 1962-63 Champions League final, at Wembley Stadium against Benfica, Altafini scored twice, helping the team to win the first time in the history of the team, and he himself became the top scorer of the cup with a staggering 14 goals. The 14-goal Champions League single-season goal record was only broken by Cristiano Ronaldo in recent years. Altafini won 1 Champions League and 2 Serie A titles with the Rossoneri.
In the 1958 World Cup, there was another player who later joined AC Milan, that is, midfielder Sani. At the 1958 World Cup, Sani wore the number 5 shirt. In 1961, Sani joined AC Milan from Boca Juniors and played for the team for 3 seasons, winning 1 Champions League and 1 Serie A title with the team. When AC Milan first reached the top of Europe in 1963, there were as many as four Brazilian players in the team, in addition to the hard-working Artafini and Sani, there were two other strikers, Germano and Emmanuel del Vecchio.
After AC Milan successfully won the Champions League in 1963, the team also brought in Amarildo, who had shined at the 1962 World Cup. Amaril scored three goals in that World Cup, a major contributor to Brazil's successful defense of the title in the case of Pele's injury. Amarildo formed a strong Brazilian attacking line with Altafini after joining the team, and the two joined forces to deliver many wonderful goals. After Amardor left the team in 1967, the Rossoneri once again had a long period of absence of Brazilian players.
Samba elements are reproduced
In 1986, Berlusconi joined AC Milan and founded the Milanese dynasty. But in the early days, Brazilian players were not too popular, and during the first 10 years of Berlusconi's presidency, there was only one Brazilian player under Elber. Moreover, at that time, Elber was still a young player, and he did not have the opportunity to play in the star-studded team at that time. But erber later proved himself in Germany, and fans will always remember Elber's highlights at Bayern, but few remember him as a member of the Rossoneri.
Beginning in 1997, the number of Brazilian players in the AC Milan squad began to gradually increase. In the summer of 1997, Leonardo and compatriot André Cruise joined the Rossoneri. Leonardo was a member of the team that won the World Cup for the fourth time in Brazil in 1994, and his arrival was epoch-making, and since then the samba element has gradually become an integral part of AC Milan.
In the 10th round of the 1998/99 league season, Leonardo defeated his opponent in the final moments of ac Milan's battle against Lazio's Mountain of Kings, helping the team defeat their biggest opponent. That season Milan also won the championship, presenting a great gift for the club's centenary. After his first departure in 2001, Leonardo returned to the team in the 2002/03 season, and after a brilliant season with the team, Leonardo chose to retire.
After retiring from retirement, Leonardo entered the management and was responsible for finding players for Milan in the South American market, and it was his unremitting efforts to bring Milan a number of outstanding Brazilian talents such as Kaka, Pato, Thiago Silva and so on. In the 2009/10 season, Leonardo took up the Rossoneri coaching whip, and although he did not win any championship that season, he held high the flag of offensive football, which made fans very happy. In 2018, Leonardo returned to the club as sporting director, bringing many strong players to the team. Although only a year later, Leonardo once again chose to say goodbye.
In the summer of 1999, AC Milan introduced the left-hand fast Marcel Guigno. Serginho spent nine years with the Rossoneri, winning 2 Champions League titles, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Serie A title, 1 Italian Cup and 1 Italian Super Cup. Serginho's most memorable match was undoubtedly the 2000-01 Milan derby, in which Serginho played very well, not only scoring a goal, but also creating a threat on the left side of the road, directing a 6-0 victory in the derby that every Milan fan will never forget.
After Serginho, Dida and Roque Junier also joined the team, both of whom were also champions of the 2002 FIFA World Cup in Brazil. Dida joined AC Milan from Corinthians in 2000, but his first season with the Rossoneri was not outstanding, having been loaned back to Corinthians on loan for a low-level mistake in the Champions League. In 2002, Dida returned to the team at the end of his loan period and has since occupied the main position, and he has become the needle of AC Milan for many years with his excellent goal line technology and rapid reaction speed. With the Rossoneri, Dida has won 2 Champions League titles, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Serie A title, 1 Coppa Italia and 1 Italian Super Cup.
With two Champions League final wins, Dida can be described as a great achievement. In particular, in the penalty shootout in the 2002/03 Champions League final, Dida successfully blocked the penalties of Trezeguet, Sarajeta and Bilindley in succession, which was the first contribution of AC Milan to re-reach The European summit after 9 years, and his passionate celebration with Shevchenko after the game has become an eternal classic. After leaving AC Milan in 2010, Dida did not return to the game until 2012, when she finally announced her retirement in 2015. Now Deida has returned to the club as goalkeeper coach in the U17 echelon.
3R combo
In 2002, Brazil won the World Cup for the fifth time. The Samba Legion has won all seven games, and the 3R combination in the front has impressed the fans. All 3Rs have won the Ballon d'Or and FIFA World Footballer of the Year, and they have also played for the Rossoneri.
Rivaldo was the first player in the 3Rs to join AC Milan. After winning the World Cup in the summer of 2002, Rivaldo joined the Rossoneri. Rivaldo had hat-tricked the San Siro during his time at Barcelona, and then-president Berlusconi had been trying to recruit him after watching the war. Rivaldo was in the spotlight when he joined, and fans were expecting him to lead the team to greatness, but at that time, the team's midfield was full of talent, and even Rivaldo, who won the Ballon d'Or and the World Footballer of the Year, could only be used as a rotating player. Rivaldo left the team after a season and a half.
The second of the 3Rs to join AC Milan was Ronaldo, who joined in the winter of 2006/07. Although Ronaldo has only been wearing a red and black shirt for only one and a half seasons, it still leaves a lot of good memories for fans. It was his support in the second half of 2006/07 that ensured the smooth progress of the league, allowing the other strikers of the team to guarantee their best form in the Champions League, and it can be said that Ronaldo was the biggest behind-the-scenes credit for AC Milan's Champions League title this season. Unfortunately, in 2008, Ronaldo suffered a major injury and had to say goodbye to the team.
Ronaldinho is the last player in the 3R to join AC Milan. Luo brought artistic football to Milan, and the goal in the Milan derby made him quickly conquer the Milan fans, and despite the peak period, Xiao Luo still brought a magical performance to the fans of San Siro, and his passing, 666 celebration gestures, and samba jumping next to the corner flag area impressed the fans.
The Brazilian gang is stronger than ever
In the 2002 Fifa World Cup, a total of 7 players played for AC Milan. In addition to the 3Rs and Dida and Roque Junier, there was captain Kafu and the young young player Kaka at the time. In the summer of 2003, Kafo and Kaka also came to the Rossoneri team. Cafu joined on a free transfer, and although he was a little older when he joined the team, he remained in particularly good form, playing for the team for 5 seasons, winning 1 Champions League, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Serie A and 1 Italian Super Cup, achieving a personal Grand Slam.
As for Kaka, it will always be a special presence for Milan fans. He is Milan's last Ballon d'Or winner to date and FIFA World Footballer of the Year. Kaka not only has a handsome appearance, but also has superb skills. He quickly conquered Milan fans with a goal in the Milan derby as soon as he joined the team. In the 2006/07 season, Kaka almost single-handedly brought the team to the top of Europe, and he also reached the peak of his personal achievements that year. In 2009, Kaka left Madrid, which made countless fans sad for a while.
But San Siro will always be his home, and when Kaka returned in 2013, a year-long reunion was enough. The prince returned to his castle, bringing back tears and memories, sending away time and the past. Even if you look at the prosperous days of Chang'an, you are still freshly dressed and angry when you are a teenager. Playing for the team twice, Kaka scored 104 goals in 307 appearances in all competitions for AC Milan, and won 1 Champions League, 2 UEFA Super Cups, 1 Club World Cup, 1 Serie A and 1 Italian Super Cup. In 2017, Kaka announced his retirement, and after retiring, Kaka also came to San Siro many times, and fans hope that he can work for the club in the future, after all, his name is the youth of many people.
There is another Brazilian player that cannot be ignored, and he is Emerson. Before the opening of the 2002 World Cup, he was supposed to be the captain of the cup when he bid farewell to the national team due to injury, but fate played a joke with him. Later Emerson also played for AC Milan, in 2007 he came to the Rossoneri, but unfortunately he was no longer in his personal peak at this time, and quietly bid farewell to the team 2 years later.
Joining Emerson in the same summer was the brazilian talented teenager Pato at the time. His heart-shaped gesture after scoring a goal was once a landscape for san Siro. In the 2007/08 season, Pato played only half of the season, scoring 9 goals in 18 appearances in Serie A, and in the following two seasons, Pato was also a major attacking point for Milan. In the 2010/11 season, the trident of Pato, Ibrahimovic and Robinho helped Milan regain the league title after seven years. In the second Milan derby of the season, Pato won two yuan to help the team win the Battle of Tianwangshan.
In the 2011/12 Champions League group stage, he single-handedly knocked out Barca's entire defence and scored in the opening 24 seconds. During the 2012/13 winter transfer season, Pato said goodbye to the team. During his time at Milan, Pato won 1 Serie A title and 1 Italian Super Cup. Of course, for Chinese fans, the memory of Pato in 2017 was rekindled again, because he came to the Chinese Super League. During his 2 years in China, Pato impressed fans and was once called "Pa Jianguo" by Chinese fans.
Of course, there is a Brazilian player in the back line that must also be mentioned, he is Thiago Silva. His combination of excellent physical fitness and veteran Nesta is a match made in heaven, making Milan's defensive line impregnable. Thiago Silva won 1 Serie A title and 1 Italian Super Cup with the team, but left the Rossoneri in the summer of 2012. Although he has left, he has repeatedly expressed his willingness to return to Milan at any time, and still uses a legging board with the Milan logo, which has become a good story.
In the past 20 years, there have been many Brazilian players such as Junio Cesar, Amorusso, Oliveira, Mationi, Mancini Jr., Robinho, Gabriel, Ellie, Alex and many other Brazilian players.
Samba's heritage
This year, AC Milan's Brazilian bloodline continued again, with AC Milan bringing in Paqueta from Flamengo during last season's winter transfer. At the time of joining, Pacqueta's physical examination tests in the Milan laboratory showed that they were all "very good" in terms of speed, shooting and physical condition. Paqueta then also showed amazing combat effectiveness on the field. Especially after Piatek's goal, the picture of Paqueta carrying Piatek on his back can't help but remind fans of the beautiful memories of Kaka carrying Shevchenko to celebrate the goal, and the Same Brazilian midfielder carrying an Eastern European striker, perhaps this is also a cycle of fate.
In this summer's transfer window, Brazilian players also joined the team. The addition of Brazilian defender Duarte strengthened the team's defensive strength, and at the press conference of the joining team, Duarte was also compared with his predecessor Thiago Silva, who said: "As a central defender, I remember Thiago. Silva, I'd be happy if I could get half his success at AC Milan. I learned a lot from him and I hope to take inspiration from them and succeed here. ”
Brazil will always be the number one talent pool in world football, and any giant team has always welcomed the addition of Brazilian talented stars. Although the last four World Cup winners have been European teams, Brazilian stars will never lack talent. AC Milan has also always been a haven for Brazilian stars, as evidenced by the largest number of foreign players. In the future, we still believe that there will be top Brazilian stars coming to the Rossoneri and continuing to give Milan fans a wonderful arrival that belongs only to Samba.