1971–72 AC Milan season

Nereo Rocco was confirmed as coach of the team for the 1971–72 season. During the transfer market, Giuseppe Sabadini, Riccardo Sogliano and Alberto Bigon were signed, while, after 13 years in Milan Giovanni Trapattoni left the club, ending his career at Varese. The full-back Aldo Maldera, Luigi's younger brother, was also added to the team for the first time.[2]

The season began with four group games in the first round of the Coppa Italia, where Milan got three wins (with Monza, Novara and Mantova) and a draw (with Catania), closing the group in first place with 7 points and thus qualifying for the second round, which would be played at the end of the season in June.

In the league, Milan suffered only two defeat in the first half of the season, both on home ground; the first at home against Juventus F.C. and the second against newly promoted Mantova, and finished in second position with 22 points, two less than the Bianconeri. In the second half of the season, Milan lost three games and drew the head-to-head clash with Juventus, and concluded the championship in second place with 42 points, tied with Torino, not without violent controversy for two episodes. The first, in the match against Juventus in Turin, when the referee Lo Bello did not concede a penalty to Milan, famously admitting, later on, on live tv, his mistake.[3][4] The second, in the away game against Cagliari, when a contested penalty was awarded to the home team by referee Alberto Michelotti at the 87th minute, thus granting Cagliari the 2–1 win. Milan captain Gianni Rivera vehemently and publicly protested against such decision, with the consequence of being disqualified for three and a half months, thus ending his season.[5] The Rossoneris defense, with 17 goals conceded, was the least beaten of the whole competition.

In the new UEFA Cup, which replaced the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup, Milan eliminated the Cypriots Digenis Akritas Morphou in the round of 64 (4–0 in the first leg in Milan and 3- 0 in the return in Trieste), in the round of 32 the West Germans of Hertha Berlin (4–2 win at home and 2–1 away defeat), in the round of 16 the Scottish team Dundee (win 3–0 at home and 2–0 away defeat) and in the quarter-finals the Belgian side Lierse (2–0 in Milan and 1–1 in Lier). In the semifinals, the Rossoneri faced English side Tottenham, who went through to the final thanks to the 2–1 victory obtained in London and the 1–1 draw at San Siro. This semifinal (also reached in the 2001–02 edition) is the best placement obtained by Milan in this competition.

The season ended with the aforementioned remaining matches in the Coppa Italia: Milan, in the group with Torino, Inter and Juventus, achieved four wins (two against Inter and two against Juventus) and two draws, and qualified for the final, where they faced Napoli. At the Stadio Olimpico in Rome, Milan beat the Neapolitans 2–0 with an own goal from Panzanato and a goal from Rosato in the second half, thus conquering the trophy for the second time in their history, and earning the qualification to the next UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ITA Pierangelo Belli — GK  ITA Fabio Cudicini — GK  ITA Villiam Vecchi — DF  ITA Angelo Anquilletti — DF  ITA Cesare Cattaneo — DF  ITA Giulio Zignoli — DF  ITA Luigi Maldera — DF  ITA Roberto Rosato — DF  ITA Aldo Maldera — DF  ITA Giuseppe Sabadini — DF  ITA Luciano Monticolo — DF  GER Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (vice-captain)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ITA Vincenzo Zazzaro — MF  ITA Pier Paolo Scarrone — MF  ITA Romeo Benetti — MF  ITA Giorgio Biasiolo — MF  ITA Guido Magherini — MF  ITA Gianni Rivera (Captain) — MF  ITA Riccardo Sogliano — FW  ITA Lino Golin — FW  ITA Alberto Bigon — FW  ITA Pierino Prati — FW  ITA Silvano Villa — FW  ITA Carlo Tresoldi

• A.C. Milan

• Panini (ed.). Almanacco illustrato del Milan, ed: 2, March 2005.
• Enrico Tosi. La storia del Milan, May 2005. Italia/Italy cid Tosi.
• Milan. Sempre con te, December 2009. Mondadori. 2009. ISBN 978-88-04-59118-4.

• "Stagione 1971-1972". Magliarossonera.it.