2008 AC Milan Home – Ronaldinho #80 Small

Season Overview

The 2008–09 campaign was a transition year for AC Milan. The Rossoneri finished third in Serie A, ten points behind champions and city rivals Inter, and went out in the Coppa Italia round of 16 and the UEFA Cup round of 32. That left them without a trophy for the first time since 2006. It was also the end of an era. Carlo Ancelotti resigned after the final match, and the great Paolo Maldini made his 24th and last appearance for the club, having been at Milan since 1985.

The season still had plenty of star power. Kaká led the league scoring with 16 goals, and teenager Alexandre Pato topped the all-competition charts with 18. David Beckham and Andriy Shevchenko were also part of a glamorous squad. For collectors, this adidas home shirt in the classic red and black stripes captures the last chapter of the Ancelotti–Maldini generation.

Player’s Impact – Ronaldinho

Ronaldinho arrived from Barcelona in the summer of 2008 as the marquee signing, and he announced himself in the biggest game of his first autumn. On 28 September 2008 he made his first league start for Milan. In the 36th minute he headed in a Kaká cross for the only goal of a 1-0 win over Mourinho’s Inter. It was his first goal for the club, and Inter had Nicolás Burdisso sent off late in the match.

He made 29 Serie A appearances that season and finished with around ten goals in all competitions. He worked alongside fellow Brazilians Kaká and Pato in a front line full of flair, and he gave San Siro a magician to rebuild around. The #80 he wore remains one of the most recognisable numbers in Milan shirt history. This is a one-of-one piece of Ronaldinho’s rossonero debut season, in size Small and 9/10 condition.

AC Milan Squad – 2008–09 Season

Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

Goalkeepers: Christian Abbiati, Dida, Željko Kalac

Defenders: Paolo Maldini, Gianluca Zambrotta, Marek Jankulovski, Giuseppe Favalli, Daniele Bonera, Kakha Kaladze, Philippe Senderos, Luca Antonini

Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo, Kaká, Clarence Seedorf, Gennaro Gattuso, Massimo Ambrosini, Mathieu Flamini, David Beckham, Emerson

Forwards: Ronaldinho, Alexandre Pato, Filippo Inzaghi, Andriy Shevchenko, Marco Borriello