Tuesday, Jun. 16, 2009
European Cup Semi-Final, AC Milan 5-0 Real Madrid
The soccer world would be uprooted after Milan's drubbing of Real Madrid. Nobody beat Real by five goals. Yet the seeds of this stunning victory were surely sown three years earlier after future Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi purchased the rossoneri. His masterstrokes were in appointing coach Arrigo Sacchi and sanctioning the transfers of the Dutch trio Marco van Basten, Ruud Gullit and Frank Rijkaard. This resulted in one of the most successful sides in the club's history, as Milan won seven domestic titles, five European Cups and three Intercontinental Cups. They would even go 58 games unbeaten in the early 90s; on this special night, a small shift was felt with its ramifications felt for years to come.