1972–73 AC Milan season

In July 1972, Albino Buticchi became the new Milan president, while Nereo Rocco assumed the role of technical director, with Cesare Maldini as coach. The new signings during the summer transfer market were Luciano Chiarugi, Dario Dolci and Maurizio Turone. In autumn 1972, after five years and 183 games with the Rossoneri, goalkeeper Fabio Cudicini, already out for some kidney problems, ended his career, and was replaced by Villiam Vecchi.[2]

In the league, Milan suffered only tw defeats in the first half of the season, and concluded in first position, with 22 points, as many as those scored by Juventus, also thanks to the contribution of a prolific attacking play. In the end 65 were the goals scored, with an average of more than two per game. Memorable was the 9–3 inflicted to Atalanta on 15 October 1972. The match against Atalanta still holds the record for most goals scored in a Serie A game.[3] Rossoneri and Bianconeri continued side by side at the top of the standings until the 20th round, when Juventus lost the derby with Torino while Milan beat Lanerossi Vicenza, thus gaining 2 points over the Bianconeri. In March, Milan even had a three-point lead over their competitors, then reduced to one due to the defeat on 22 April at the Stadio Olimpico against Lazio, with a goal disallowed to Chiarugi by referee Concetto Lo Bello and the subsequent sending-off of Rocco for protesting.[4] On the eve of the last matchday Milan lead the standings with 44 points ahead of Juventus and Lazio, paired at 43 points. Milan, who had played the Cup Winners' Cup final a few days earlier, had to face Verona away, who beat the Rossoneri 5–3.[5] Lazio lost in the final in Naples and Juventus was drawing against Roma, but a few minutes to the end Antonello Cuccureddu scored the winning goal that gave the Bianconeri the scudetto.[6] Milan thus closed the championship in second place, and this episode was nicknamed the Fatal Verona. Milan captain Gianni Rivera was the top scorer of the competition, with 17 goals, tied with Paolo Pulici and Giuseppe Savoldi.

In the Cup Winners' Cup, Milan qualified to the final after eliminating Red Boys Differdange from Luxembourg in the round of 32 (4–1 victory in the first leg in Differdange and 3–0 in the second leg in Milan), in the round of 16 knocking out the Poles of Legia Warsaw (1–1 in Warsaw and 2–1 victory after extra time at San Siro), in the quarter-finals the Soviets from Spartak Moscow (1–0 victory in Sochi and 1–1 draw in Milan) and in the semi-final the Czechoslovakian side Sparta Prague (two 1–0 victories). In the final in Thessaloniki on 16 May 1973, Milan faced the English side of Leeds United and won the match thanks to a free-kick scored at the third minute by Chiarugi, who became the top scorer of the tournament with 7 goals. It was the second Cup Winners' Cup won by the Rossoneri.

The season ended with the Coppa Italia, where Milan, as holder of the trophy, started directly from the second round. They ended group B, which also includes Atalanta, Cagliari and Napoli, in first place with 10 points from five wins and one defeat, and qualified for the final on 1 July 1973 at the Olimpico of Rome against Juventus. About a month after the Fatal Verona, Milan took revenge by beating Juventus at the penalty shoot-outs, thus winning their third national cup. The match ended 1–1 after extra time (in the first half, Romeo Benetti responded to Juventus' goal by Roberto Bettega from a penalty kick). At the penalty shoot-outs, Schnellinger, again Benetti, Chiarugi, Biasiolo and Magherini scored, while the Bianconeri missed three out of five shots, setting the score at 5–2 for Milan.

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 — GK  ITA Renato Marson — DF  ITA Angelo Anquilletti — DF  ITA Giulio Zignoli — DF  ITA Dario Dolci — DF  ITA Roberto Rosato — DF  ITA Maurizio Turone — DF  ITA Giuseppe Sabadini — DF  GER Karl-Heinz Schnellinger (vice-captain) — MF  ITA Roberto Casone

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ITA Romeo Benetti — MF  ITA Giorgio Biasiolo — MF  ITA Guido Magherini — MF  ITA Gianni Rivera (Captain) — MF  ITA Riccardo Sogliano — FW  ITA Luciano Chiarugi — FW  ITA Lino Golin — FW  ITA Alberto Bigon — FW  ITA Pierino Prati — FW  ITA Silvano Villa — FW  ITA Carlo Tresoldi — FW  ITA Graziano Gori

• A.C. Milan

• Almanacco illustrato del Milan, ed: 2, March 2005. Panini.
• 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 1972-1973". Magliarossonera.it.