The Rossoneri become Italian champions again after a nine‑year wait
It was time for a generational turnover at AC Milan following the 1978 World Cup held in Argentina. Turone, Tosetto, Calloni and Sabadini all left the Club, with Novellino, Chiodi and De Vecchi arriving. Nils Liedholm also placed his faith in a young Franco Baresi, who was a regular starter in the sweeper role. There were some encouraging signs as early as pre-season as the Rossoneri won the Città di Milano tournament thanks to 1-0 and 4-2 victories over Flamengo and Juventus respectively. At the start of the league campaign, Liedholm, who was in charge for the second consecutive season, led the team to nine points from a possible ten after five matchdays.
AC Milan’s sixth fixture of the season saw them fall to defeat to Juventus in a match where Tardelli committed a now notorious foul on Rivera just seconds after kick-off, but the team overcame that setback in an assured manner. The first half of the campaign was an excellent one, with the Diavolo finishing as ‘winter champions’ with a tally of 25 points. During the second half, AC Milan were left without Rivera for the most part as the team’s injuries mounted up, leading to a lower average points return. However, the team showed what they were made of in rescuing a 2-2 draw in the Derby thanks to a Walter De Vecchi brace after falling two behind and in securing a crucial draw away to Perugia in the race for the Scudetto, meaning they were able to win the title at home to Bologna. The sight of Rivera on the San Siro pitch, microphone in hand, asking the Rossoneri fans to leave the part of the stadium deemed unsafe to congregate in has gone down in history. The Scudetto worth a Star was dedicated to Paròn Rocco, who passed away in February 1979.
