#TBT: BOUNCING BACK FROM TRAGEDIES IN VERONA

Two great tragedies have befallen AC Milan in Verona over the years – in the first instance they reacted somewhat late, and in the second instance they responded immediately. After a defeat in Verona in May 1973 which saw hopes of another championship sadly extinguished, the Rossoneri failed to win in Verona for another five years. They finally managed to do so on 23 April 1978 (Milan 2-1 Verona), a match which is also famous for being Franco Baresi’s debut in a Milan shirt. Milan responded in a more timely manner in the next instance. Following a 2-1 victory for Verona in the spring of 1990 - including some controversial decisions from referee Lo Bello - the title went to Napoli. The star-crossed Rossoneri wasted no time in responding, however. 

Despite their victory against Milan, Verona were relegated at the end of the season and after two years in Serie B, welcomed Milan to Verona again in January 1992. Head coach Fabio Capello’s men won thanks to Carlo Ancelotti’s effort being deflected into the back of the net by... Icardi – Andreas Icardi, who came through the Rossoneri youth setup. The Rossoneri midfielder’s crucial strike in Milan 1-0 Verona set the tone for a historic double that season, at the culmination of which Ancelotti bid farewell to football. The return match in the 1991/92 season saw Milan triumph 4-0 against Verona at the San Siro.

More recently, a brace for Toni after Poli had given AC Milan the lead on the first matchday of the 2013/14 season saw Verona clinch a 2-1 win against Milan at the Bentegodi. A big blow, from which Milan recovered well, beating PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League just three days later. More important though was their response the following season. In mid-October, Japanese commentators screamed as Keisuke Honda scored a brace in Verona on the way to a 3-1 AC Milan victory.

The official PUMA match kits for the 2019/20 season are available in the AC Milan Online Store!