1977–78 AC Milan season

During the 1977–1978 season Milan Associazione Calcio competed in Serie A, Coppa Italia and Cup Winners' Cup.

Milan Associazione Calcio
1977–78 season
PresidentFelice Colombo
ManagerNils Liedholm
StadiumSan Siro
Serie A
Coppa ItaliaSecond round
Cup Winners' CupRound of 32
Top goalscorerLeague: Aldo Maldera (8)
All: Aldo Maldera (8)
Average home league attendance48,907[1]

Summary

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Entrepreneur Felice Colombo became president of the club before the end of the previous season, while Nils Liedholm was signed as manager, after having been already a Milan player from 1949 to 1961 and coach from 1963 to 1966. Notable purchases include Ruben Buriani and Roberto Antonelli.

In the league, Milan started with ten consecutive games without defeats (four draws and six wins) which brought them to the first place in the standings. The subsequent series of three defeats and two draws meant that the Rossoneri ended the first half of the season in fourth place with 18 points, together with Inter and Perugia. In the second half of the season, Milan suffered only two defeats against Atalanta and Lazio, in both cases at San Siro, and finished the championship in fourth position with 37 points, a placement that allowed the club to qualify to the 1978-79 UEFA Cup. During the tournament, on 23 April 1978 in Verona, Franco Baresi made his debut with Milan. He would become a legend of the club in the following two decades.[2]

In the Cup Winners' Cup, Milan was eliminated in the round of 32 by the Spanish side Betis Seville who won 2-0 in Spain and lost the second leg 2-1 in Milan.

The season ended with the Coppa Italia, a competition that Milan, as holders of the trophy, started from the second round. Milan closed group B, which also included Taranto, Juventus and Napoli, in first place, on equal points with the latter; Napoli qualified for the final thanks to a better goal difference against Milan (+8 against +6).

Squad

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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 Enrico Albertosi
GK   ITA Antonio Rigamonti
DF   ITA Aldo Bet
DF   ITA Franco Baresi
DF   ITA Simone Boldini
DF   ITA Fulvio Collovati
DF   ITA Maurizio Turone
DF   ITA Giuseppe Sabadini
DF   ITA Aldo Maldera
MF   ITA Fabio Capello
MF   ITA Giorgio Biasiolo
MF   ITA Ruben Buriani
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF   ITA Gianni Rivera (Captain)
MF   ITA Gabriello Carotti
MF   ITA Giorgio Morini
FW   ITA Giorgio Braglia
FW   ITA Roberto Antonelli
FW   ITA Alberto Bigon (vice-captain)
FW   ITA Egidio Calloni
FW   ITA Luciano Gaudino
FW   ITA Giovanni Sartori
FW   ITA Ugo Tosetto
FW   ITA Sergio Valentinuzzi
FW   ITA Francesco Vincenzi

Transfers

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In
Pos. Name from Type
DF Franco Fasoli Monza loan end
MF Ruben Buriani Monza
FW Roberto Antonelli Monza
FW Luciano Gaudino Varese loan end
FW Ugo Tosetto Monza
FW Giovanni Sartori Bolzano loan end
Out
Pos. Name To Type
DF Angelo Anquilletti Monza
DF Franco Fasoli Bari
MF Duino Gorin Monza
MF Giovanni Lorini Lanerossi
FW Giovanni Sartori Bolzano loan
FW Massimo Silva Monza
FW Giorgio Tomba Pro Patria
FW Francesco Vincenzi Monza
MF Giorgio Biasiolo Lecce
FW Giorgio Braglia Foggia

Competitions

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Serie A

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League table

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Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
2 Vicenza 30 14 11 5 50 34 +16 39 Qualification to UEFA Cup
3 Torino 30 14 11 5 36 23 +13 39
4 Milan 30 12 13 5 38 25 +13 37
5 Internazionale 30 13 10 7 35 24 +11 36 Qualification to Cup Winners' Cup
6 Napoli 30 8 14 8 35 31 +4 30 Qualification to UEFA Cup
Source: Panini

Matches

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11 September 1977 1 Fiorentina 1-1 Milan Firenze
Rossinelli   53' Report   89' Calloni Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Attendance: 50,594
Referee: Ciulli
18 September 1977 2 Milan 2-2 Genoa Milano
Rivera   3' (pen.)
Capello   41'
Report   12', 64' (pen.) Damiani Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 53,164
Referee: Gonella
25 September 1977 3 Juventus 1-1 Milan Torino
Gentile   2' Report   48' Maldera Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Attendance: 59,078
Referee: Ciacci
2 October 1977 4 Milan 3-1 Lanerossi Vicenza Milano
Turone   2'
Maldera   45', 50'
Report   59' (pen.) Rossi Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 42,313
Referee: Benedetti
23 October 1977 5 Roma 1-2 Milan Roma
Chinellato   4' Report   18' Bigon
  84' Capello
Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
Attendance: 55,677
Referee: Bergamo
30 October 1977 6 Milan 2-0 Foggia Milano
Rivera   12'
Maldera   63'
Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 48,346
Referee: Reggiani
6 November 1977 7 Inter 1-3 Milan Milano
Anastasi   77' Report   4', 84' Buriani
  51' (pen.) Rivera
Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 78,683
Referee: Serafino
20 November 1977 8 Milan 1-0 Bologna Milano
Rivera   50' (pen.) Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 50,789
Referee: Menicucci
27 November 1977 9 Pescara 0-2[3] Milan Pescara
Report Stadium: Stadio Adriatico
Attendance: 28,458
Referee: Gonella
11 December 1977 10 Milan 2-2 Perugia Milano
Maldera   38'
Rivera   85' (pen.)
Report   13' Novellino
  34' Speggiorin
Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 54,956
Referee: Agnolin
18 December 1977 11 Torino 1-0 Milan Torino
Pulici   62' Report Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Attendance: 51,616
Referee: Menegali
31 December 1977 12 Atalanta 1-1 Milan Bergamo
Bertuzzo   40' Report   28' Rivera Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Attendance: 34,482
Referee: Menicucci
8 January 1978 13 Milan 1-1 Verona Milano
Turone   87' Report   56' Mascetti Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 47,609
Referee: Reggiani
15 January 1978 14 Lazio 2-0 Milan Roma
Boccolini   61'
Giordano   82'
Report Stadium: Stadio Olimpico
Attendance: 42,529
Referee: Gonella
22 January 1978 15 Milan 0-1 Napoli Milano
Report   52' (pen.) Savoldi Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 53,794
Referee: Serafino
29 January 1978 16 Milan 5-1 Fiorentina Milano
Maldera   49'
Gaudino   54'
Antonelli   77' (pen.)
Collovati   88'
Capello   90'
Report   70' Casarsa Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 28,702
Referee: Agnolin
5 February 1978 17 Genoa 1-1 Milan Genova
Pruzzo   71' Report   16' (og) Onofri Stadium: Stadio Luigi Ferraris
Attendance: 50,851
Referee: Michelotti
12 February 1978 18 Milan 0-0 Juventus Milano
Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 78,847
Referee: Bergamo
19 February 1978 19 Lanerossi Vicenza 1-1 Milan Vicenza
Guidetti   42' Report   9' Bigon Stadium: Stadio Romeo Menti
Attendance: 30,457
Referee: Gonella
26 February 1978 20 Milan 1-0 Roma Milano
Di Bartolomei   65' (og) Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 33,914
Referee: Prati
5 March 1978 21 Foggia 1-2 Milan Foggia
Turone   18' (og) Report   49' Calloni
  78' Antonelli
Stadium: Stadio Pino Zaccheria
Attendance: 20,983
Referee: Michelotti
12 March 1978 22 Milan 0-0 Inter Milano
Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 78,608
Referee: Menegali
19 March 1978 23 Bologna 0-0 Milan Bologna
Report Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Attendance: 43,628
Referee: Agnolin
26 March 1978 24 Milan 2-0 Pescara Milano
Gaudino   35'
Maldera   70'
Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 32,279
Referee: Redini
2 April 1978 25 Perugia 0-1 Milan Perugia
Report   58' Maldera Stadium: Stadio Renato Curi
Attendance: 27,306
Referee: Lattanzi
9 April 1978 26 Milan 1-1 Torino Milano
Bigon   9' Report   37' (pen.) Pulici Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 61,324
Referee: Menicucci
16 April 1978 27 Milan 0-1 Atalanta Milano
Report   83' Tavola Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 48,657
Referee: Ciacci
23 April 1978 28 Verona 1-2 Milan Verona
Bet   35' (og) Report   48' Bigon
  54' (pen.) Buriani
Stadium: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi
Attendance: 30,134
Referee: Panzino
30 April 1978 29 Milan 0-2[4] Lazio Milano
Report Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 33,445
Referee: Michelotti
7 May 1978 30 Napoli 1-1 Milan Napoli
Vinazzani   85' Report   74' Bigon Stadium: Stadio San Paolo
Attendance: 63,269
Referee: Menicucci

Coppa Italia

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Second round group B

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4 May 1978 1 Taranto 1-1 Milan Taranto
Turini   39'   71' Valentinuzzi Stadium: Stadio Salinella
Attendance: 24,735
Referee: Lanese
17 May 1978 2 Juventus 0-3 Milan Torino
  56' Calloni
  72' Rivera
  76' Sartori
Stadium: Stadio Comunale
Attendance: 4,500
Referee: Ciulli
21 May 1978 3 Milan 1-1 Napoli Verona
Sartori   76'   27' Savoldi Stadium: Stadio Marcantonio Bentegodi[5]
Attendance: 7,249
Referee: Ciulli
24 May 1978 4 Milan 2-0 Taranto Modena
Sartori   1', 35' Stadium: Stadio Alberto Braglia[6]
Attendance: 22,000
Referee: Colasanti
1 June 1978 5 Napoli 1-0 Milan Napoli
Savoldi   77' Stadium: Stadio San Paolo
Attendance: 22,582
Referee: Longhi
4 June 1978 6 Milan 4-2 Juventus Milano
Bigon   26', 67'
Sartori   45'
Buriani   59' (pen.)
  73' Bozzi
  80' Schincaglia
Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 5,991
Referee: Reggiani

Cup Winners' Cup

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Round of 32

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14 September 1977 1 Betis 2-0 Milan Siviglia
García Soriano   13'
Eulate   71'
Stadium: Stadio Benito Villamarín
Attendance: 45,000
Referee: Kitabdjian
28 September 1977 2 Milan 2-1 Betis Milano
Tosetto   35'
Capello   59'
  62' López Stadium: Stadio San Siro
Attendance: 58,767
Referee: Cebe

Statistics

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Squad statistics

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Competition[7] Points Home Away Total GD
G W D L Gs Ga G W D L Gs Ga G W D L Gs Ga
1977-78 Serie A 37 15 6 6 3 20 12 15 6 7 2 18 13 30 12 13 5 38 25 +13
1977-78 Coppa Italia 3 2 1 0 7 3 3 1 1 1 4 2 6 3 2 1 11 5 +6
1977-78 Cup Winners' Cup 1 1 0 0 2 1 1 0 0 1 0 2 2 1 0 1 2 3 -1
Total 19 9 7 3 29 16 19 7 8 4 22 17 38 16 15 7 51 33 +18

Players statistics

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No. Pos Nat Player Total Serie A Coppa Italia Cup Winners' Cup
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
DF   ITA Franco Baresi 3 0 1 0 2 0 0 0
DF   ITA Aldo Bet 32 0 25 0 6 0 1 0
GK   ITA Enrico Albertosi 32 -27 30 -24 0 -0 2 -3
DF   ITA Giuseppe Sabadini 21 0 15 0 5 0 1 0
GK   ITA Antonio Rigamonti 7 -6 1 -1 6 -5 0 -0
MF   ITA Giorgio Biasiolo 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MF   ITA Ruben Buriani 33 4 26 3 5 1 2 0
MF   ITA Fabio Capello 35 4 28 3 5 0 2 1
DF   ITA Simone Boldini 13 0 6 0 6 0 1 0
FW   ITA Alberto Bigon 30 7 23 5 6 2 1 0
DF   ITA Fulvio Collovati 30 1 25 1 4 0 1 0
MF   ITA Gianni Rivera 36 7 30 6 5 1 1 0
DF   ITA Maurizio Turone 29 2 24 2 3 0 2 0
FW   ITA Giorgio Braglia 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
MF   ITA Gabriello Carotti 4 0 1 0 3 0 0 0
MF   ITA Giorgio Morini 33 0 26 0 5 0 2 0
DF   ITA Aldo Maldera 30 8 28 8 0 0 2 0
FW   ITA Roberto Antonelli 17 2 14 2 1 0 2 0
FW   ITA Egidio Calloni 25 3 21 2 2 1 2 0
FW   ITA Luciano Gaudino 13 2 10 2 3 0 0 0
FW   ITA Giovanni Sartori 5 5 0 0 5 5 0 0
FW   ITA Ugo Tosetto 27 1 22 0 3 0 2 1
FW   ITA Sergio Valentinuzzi 1 1 0 0 1 1 0 0

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Attendance Statistics of Serie A". stadiapostcards.com. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  2. ^ "23 aprile 1978:L'esordio di Franco Baresi con il Milan". tribuna.com (in Italian). Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  3. ^ Game forfeited by the sport judge (on the pitch 1-2), due to Gianni Rivera being hit by a stone thrown by a spectator.
  4. ^ Game forfeited by the sport judge (on the pitch 0-1), due to Pietro Ghedin being hit by a firecracker thrown by a spectator.
  5. ^ Due to the disqualification of San Siro.
  6. ^ Due to the disqualification of San Siro.
  7. ^ "Milan Associazione Calcio 1977–78". magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 23 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Milan Associazione Calcio 1977–78". magliarossonera.it. Retrieved 23 June 2023.

Bibliography

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  • 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.
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