#TBT: THRILLS AND GOODBYES

Carlo Ancelotti scored his last Rossoneri goals in AC Milan v Verona, his final game at San Siro as a player. The same Carlo Ancelotti experienced his first big thrill against the same team at the start of his Rossoneri career as a coach. Historically, it’s his match. The match where he said goodbye, the match where he scored a unique AC Milan brace, the match where his side struck a late winner at Christmas, the match where a comeback win would eventually lead to the Champions League final in Manchester.

When it comes to Carlo and Verona, there are two key seasons to note: 1991/92 and 2001/02. During his last season as a player at the beginning of the 1990s, he scored just twice in the league. This was a magical brace in AC Milan 4-0 Verona in the return fixture between the sides. Earlier on in the season, it had finished Verona 0-1 AC Milan after a great Ancelotti strike was diverted into the net by Andrea Icardi.

His double in the San Siro match was dedicated to the fans and came against a coaching mentor in Nils Liedholm, who back then was in the Verona dugout. He bagged this brace in front of 81,000 fans on a sunny afternoon in May 1992, a much higher turnout than the 4000 who had attended the Coppa Italia clash against the Gialloblù a few months prior to this. As for the 2001/02 campaign, Ancelotti replaced Terim on the Rossoneri bench and got off to a good start, but a difficult period followed in December following Inzaghi’s injury.

In the final match before Christmas, AC Milan v Verona looked to be heading for a 1-1 draw. But then San Siro exploded as Contra bagged a 92nd-minute winner. Carlo was very happy, so much so that he phoned the homes of all his players to pass on holiday greetings. And then there was the return fixture against the Gialloblù: Verona 1-2 AC Milan was the final score, with Pirlo bagging the winner after the Rossoneri had initially fallen behind. It was a win that allowed the Diavolo to qualify for the preliminary stages of the Champions League the following season. Old Trafford would follow after that.

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