1984–85 AC Milan season

In the summer of 1984, president Giuseppe Farina hired coach Nils Liedholm, who got to the Milan five years after the tenth scudetto, fresh from the triumphs obtained with Roma: it was the third time that the Swede was appointed coach of the Rossoneri, after having been at the helm of Milan from 1963 to 1966, and again from 1977 to 1979. As far as the transfer market is concerned, Farina signed strikers Pietro Paolo Virdis and Mark Hateley. In addition, the Manchester United playmaker Ray Wilkins, the sweeper Agostino Di Bartolomei from Roma and the goalkeeper Giuliano Terraneo. The 3 signings of the previous year start, Blissett, Gerets and Spinosi, all left the club.

In Serie A, Milan started with a series of 7 consecutive positive results (three wins and four draws), even winning a derby for the first time in six years thanks to a header by English new signing Hateley. After the victory in the derby came the first defeat of the season, by Torino; Milan finished the first half of the season in 6th place, on equal points (17) with Juventus. Even at the beginning of the second round Milan achieved 7 consecutive games without losing, interrupted again by the defeat against Torino, and continued to remain in the upper areas of the standings.

At the end of the championship the Rossoneri finished in 5th place in the standings with 36 points, still tied with Juventus, but ahead of the black and whites thanks to the wins in face-to-face matches: 3–2 and 1–1). This result allowed Milan to qualify to the 1985–86 UEFA Cup.

During the competition, on the 20th of January 1985, in Udine, Paolo Maldini, son of Cesare, made his debut for Milan. In the coming years he would become captain of the club, setting the overall record for most appearances with the red and black shirt.[2]

In the Coppa Italia, AC Milan got through the first round finishing their group in the first place, with 7 points, thanks to victories against Parma and Carrarese and draws with Brescia, Como and Triestina. In the round of 16, Milan eliminated Napoli (2–1 at San Siro and 1–1 at San Paolo), in the quarter-finals Juventus, who had recently become European champions (0–0 in Milan and 0–1 in Turin) and in the semifinals Inter (2–1 victory in the first leg and 1–1 draw in the second leg). Having reached their seventh final, Milan faced Sampdoria who, by beating the Rossoneri both in the first leg in Milan (1–0) and in the return leg in Genoa (2–1), won the trophy for the first time.

• RSSSF – Italy 1984/85