Fuente: © AC Milan
http://www.acmilan.com/

AC MILAN: FIVE CONSECUTIVE SEASONS

Milan reached the last eight for the fifth consecutive season thanks to plenty of hard work, dedication and Champions League emotion

/noticias.info/ MILAN – Five years are quite a few and even more so when you consider all the emotions and pressure of a competition like the Champions League, a competition that is sometimes sweet and sometimes bitter but always promises a unique experience. After last night’s qualification, Milan reached the last eight in Champions League for the fifth consecutive season thanks to plenty of hard work, dedication and emotion. The Rossoneri can be proud because they have added yet another accomplishment to the many important things they have done in Europe over the past five years.

In these years, Milan have won six groups. Two in 2002-03, conquering first Deportivo-Lens-Bayern and then Borussia D.-Real Madrid-Lokomotiv Moscow. One in 2003-04, conquering Celta-Ajax-Bruges. Another one in 2004-05, conquering Barcellona-Shakhtar-Celtic. Then, last but not least, in 2005-06 Milan conquered Psv-Schalke-Fenerbahce and were first this season ahead of Lille-Aek-Anderlecht. All qualifiers, except for Schalke, for which the qualification was obtained before the last gameday. And in all of this time, Milan have never played the first leg of the last sixteen at home (or the quarter-final in 2003 against Ajax after two gamedays) because a group victory means that the squad have the right to return to friendly faces in the first round of the direct elimination at the end of the round.

With all of this success in the group round, there has also been plenty of pure Rossoneri emotion. There are times that we all remember like the Inzaghi-Tomasson goal against Ajax and the European derby, and the final in Manchester. The following season, although perhaps a little less brilliant, was still memorable with moments like Kakà's goal in Bruges with only ten men on the field and the three goals at Sparta Prague, not to mention the ones scored against Deportivo La Coruna. The following year it is good to recall the last minutes played at Eindhoven, the two wins over Man UTD and the first half in Istanbul.

After that penalty against Liverpool, Milan were in pieces but then just one year later Milan were one of the only sides to return. Milan fought hard against top ranked teams to join the likes of Villarreal, Arsenal and Barcelona. Milan have achieved this distinction once again this year, the Rossoneri are the only side to reach the Champions League last eight again. This is the kind of story that you just can’t get enough of. This is something we can all be proud of. Certainly, there have been difficult and unexpected losses over these five years, but no one dominates continually year after year in the Champions League. Even the top sides are not assured a place, the only way to get here is by achieving the results and the results show that Milan stand first in Europe as the side that has made to the last eight for the fifth consecutive season. notas_de_prensa_archivo