It is a relationship that dates back more than six decades, but it has taken on a new dimension. For the first time, Manchester United and AC Milan meet in the Europa League on Thursday. Their previous clashes have been confined to the European Cup, a competition that defines both rather more.
They involved the managerial knights, Sir Matt Busby and Sir Alex Ferguson, and brought rather more joy in Milan than Manchester. The Rossoneri and the Red Devils have each knocked out the other in a last-16 tie, but AC Milan have won all three semi-finals between them. Old Trafford is the scene of their 2003 final win, but United offer other happy memories.
Milan’s path into their first European Cup final was facilitated by tragedy. The Munich air disaster came on United’s return from their 1958 quarter-final triumph over Red Star Belgrade.
The Busby Babes, perhaps the greatest team of youthful talents in English club history, were stripped of eight footballers who died, their captain Roger Byrne, top scorer Tommy Taylor and outstanding player Duncan Edwards among them. Two more never played again. Busby’s injuries were so severe that he missed the Milan tie three months later.
His assistant Jimmy Murphy was denied the services of Bobby Charlton, called up by England, scoring twice against Portugal the night before the first leg.
It ranks as an astonishing result that United won 2-1, the Munich survivor Dennis Viollet and the sudden signing from Blackpool, Ernie Taylor, scoring. But in the second leg, Charlton recalled: “The Old Man [Busby] stayed at home to continue his recovery and hear his survivors, his new boys and his stop-gap signings had gone down 4-0.” Milan, he said, possessed such “brilliant individuals as Juan Schiaffino and Nils Liedholm.”
A decade later, Busby’s quest was realised. United finally became European champions, Charlton captaining them to victory. They were semi-finalists again in 1969. “We drew the most formidable team,” Charlton lamented: Milan, “polished and prompted by Gianni Rivera”. United lost 2-0 in San Siro.
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They approached the second leg knowing that Busby would soon be standing down. Denis Law had a goal disallowed, George Best set up Charlton to halve the deficit but Milan’s defence stood firm; unlike in 1958, they went on to win the final.
“What happened against Milan represented a pivotal moment in our history,” Charlton lamented in his autobiography. His goal was United’s last in the European Cup until the 1990s. Ferguson reclaimed the trophy in 1999 but by the awful autumn of 2005, he appeared yesterday’s man.
Their transformation in 18 months was remarkable. After selling Ruud van Nistelrooy, a team powered by the young dynamos Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo surged to the 2007 title; the Portuguese’s 23-goal season then seemed astonishing, with few realising he would average 50 a campaign for Real Madrid.
Then they met Milan, 2003 winners, 2005 finalists, European aristocracy. Rooney’s brilliant winner secured a 3-2 first-leg triumph but, as Michael Carrick noted: “Kaka glided over the pitch, so smooth and so quick, and scored twice.” For a brief spell, before Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Kaka was the best player in the world.
United were injury-hit for the rematch, without Patrice Evra and Rio Ferdinand, with Nemanja Vidic rushed back after a broken collarbone. Milan targeted United’s outstanding individual. “[Gennaro] Gattuso ran everywhere and spent much of the night kicking the life out of Ronaldo,” Carrick later recalled. “Milan were class, though, especially Clarence Seedorf."
“Sir Alex took it to heart as the Champions League was his great love,” Carrick added and Milan’s class brought a final win, but United had a happy ending. Twelve months later, they replaced Milan as European champions.
