The team started the next season with four new signings of the absolute highest calibre: Nesta, Rivaldo, Seedorf and Šimić. The season started well on multiple fronts and led Serie A at the halfway stage. Performance dropped in the second half of the campaign, however the Rossoneri still managed to finish in third place. The season became particularly positive in the Coppa Italia. Progression through rounds against Ancona, ChievoVerona, and Perugia set up a two-legged final against Roma. At the Olimpico, it's 4-1 to the Rossoneri. The return leg on 31 May at San Siro finished 2-2 meaning that the Rossoneri lifted the cup for the fifth time in the club's history.
Ancelotti's squad made a triumphant return to the Champions League after clinching victory in the preliminary round against Slovan Liberec. This victory set the stage for a remarkable journey through the subsequent elimination rounds, with Filippo Inzaghi exceptional goal-scoring prowess playing a pivotal role. Superpippo netted an impressive 11 out of the 19 goals scored by the Rossoneri between the preliminary rounds and the group stages. The continental campaign reached new heights as the Rossoneri overcame Ajax in the quarter-finals and Inter in the semifinals. This paved the way for a historic encounter in Manchester on 28 May, where the Rossoneri emerged victorious against Juventus in a thrilling penalty shoot-out, marking the first all-Italian Champions League final.
