The 2018–19 season was the 120th season in Associazione Calcio Milan's history and their 85th (108th overall) in the top-flight of Italian football. Milan competed in Serie A, the Coppa Italia, the UEFA Europa League and the Supercoppa Italiana.
Milan qualified for the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League group stage as the sixth-placed team of the previous season, but were originally banned by UEFA from European competition due to violations of Financial Fair Play regulations for failure to break-even. On , Li Yonghong failed to keep up with his loan repayment plan, neglecting to deposit a €32 million installment on time in order to keep refinancing the €303 million loan debt owed to Elliott Management Corporation. As a result, ownership of the club was immediately transferred to the American hedge fund. Milan appealed to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, and the ban was overturned on . Following the shareholders' meeting held on , all previous directors, including Marco Fassone and Massimiliano Mirabelli, were officially dismissed, with Paolo Scaroni becoming the new chairman of the club, replacing Li Yonghong. In the summer of 2018, Leonardo returned to Milan as a sporting director, while the club's hall of fame player Paolo Maldini was hired for the first time as a sporting strategy and development director. In September 2018, the club hired a new CEO, Ivan Gazidis, who had previously worked with Arsenal for over a decade and began his work with Milan on 1 December 2018.
Once again, the club failed to achieve its primary objective of qualifying for the Champions League, either through winning the Europa League (Milan suffered a group stage elimination), or finishing in the top 4 of the national league competition, i.e. Serie A. On 28 May 2019, following an unsatisfactory result, both Leonardo and Gennaro Gattuso announced their resignations, with the latter donating his entire €5,5 million severance package back to the club.
Having taken a week to contemplate his future, on 14 June 2019 Maldini assumed the role of a technical director responsible for the "planning and development of the club's sporting area". On the same day, another club legend Zvonimir Boban was appointed Chief Football Officer, overseeing the club's sporting area.
Players
Squad information
. PlayerPosition(s)Date of birth (age) Signedin Contractends Signed from Transfer fee Notes Apps Goals Goalkeepers25Pepe ReinaGK20182021 NapoliFree12035Alessandro PlizzariGK20162020 Milan PrimaveraFreeFrom Youth system0090Antonio DonnarummaGK20172021 Asteras Tripolis€300,000From Youth system2099Gianluigi DonnarummaGK20152021 Milan PrimaveraFreeFrom Youth system1640 Defenders2Davide CalabriaRB / LB20152022 Milan PrimaveraFreeFrom Youth system85212Andrea ContiRB20172022 Atalanta€24,000,00020013Alessio RomagnoliCB / LB20152022 Roma€25,000,000152717Cristián ZapataCB / RB20122019 Villarreal€6,000,000149520Ignazio AbateRB / CB2009Previously played for Milan in the 2003–04 season.2019 Torino€2,800,000From Youth system306322Mateo MusacchioCB20172021 Villarreal€18,000,00055223Ivan StrinićLB20182021 SampdoriaFree0033Mattia CaldaraCB20182022 Juventus€35,000,0002068Ricardo RodriguezLB / CB20172021 VfL Wolfsburg€15,000,00088493Diego LaxaltLB / LW20182022 Genoa€14,000,000290 Midfielders4José MauriCM / DM20152019 ParmaFree2105Giacomo BonaventuraCM / LW20142020 Atalanta€7,000,0001523114Tiémoué BakayokoCM / DM20182019 Chelsea€5,000,000Loan42116Andrea BertolacciCM20152019 Roma€20,000,00054218Riccardo MontolivoDM / CM20122019 FiorentinaFree1581021Lucas BigliaDM20172020 Lazio€17,000,00056239Lucas PaquetáCM / LW20182023 Flamengo€35,000,00017179Franck KessiéCM / DM20172022 AtalantaLoan9612 Forwards7Samu CastillejoRW / LW / SS20182023 Villarreal€25,000,000 4048SusoRW / SS20152022 Liverpool€1,300,0001362310Hakan ÇalhanoğluLW / CM20172021 Bayer Leverkusen€20,000,000911211Fabio BoriniLW / RW / SS20182021 Sunderland€5,500,00073819Krzysztof PiątekST20192023 Genoa€35,000,000211163Patrick CutroneST / LW20172021 Milan PrimaveraFreeFrom Youth system9027
Transfers
Summer window Deals officialised beforehand were effective starting from .
In DatePlayerMoving fromFeeNotesDF Ivan Strinić SampdoriaFreeTransfer announced on GK Pepe Reina NapoliFreeTransfer announced on FW Fabio Borini Sunderland€5,500,000From loan to definitive purchaseMF Alen Halilović HamburgFreeGK Lillo Guarneri Standard LiègeUndisclosedJoined Primavera teamMF Alexandro Cavagnera Standard LiègeUndisclosedDF Mattia Caldara Juventus€35,000,000Paid in two installmentsDF Diego Laxalt Genoa€14,000,000Plus €4.00M bonusesFW Samu Castillejo Villarreal€25,000,000
On loan DatePlayerMoving fromFeeNotesFW Gonzalo Higuaín Juventus€18,000,000With option to buy (€36.00M)MF Tiémoué Bakayoko Chelsea€5,000,000With option to buy (€35.00M)
Loan returns DatePlayerMoving fromFeeNotesGK Alessandro Plizzari TernanaFreeDF Stefan Simić CrotoneFreeMF Andrea Bertolacci GenoaFree
Total spending: €102.50M + Undisclosed + Bonuses (€4.00M)
Out DatePlayerMoving toFeeNotesGK Marco StorariUnattachedFreeEnd of contractDF Marco Iudica GrumelleseFreeEnd of contractFW Nnamdi Oduamadi TiranaFreeEnd of contractFW Hachim Mastour LamiaFreeEnd of contractFW M'Baye Niang Torino€12,000,000Obligation to buyFW Gianluca Lapadula Genoa€11,000,000Obligation to buyFW Gianmarco Zigoni Venezia€450,000Obligation to buyMF Niccolò Zanellato Crotone€300,000Obligation to buyFW Nathan BernardesUnattachedFreeReleased, from Primavera teamDF Leonardo Bonucci Juventus€35,000,000Paid in two installmentsFW Nikola Kalinić Atlético Madrid€14,500,000MF Alessio Bianchi LazioUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamDF Axel Campeol SampdoriaUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamDF Luca Antonelli EmpoliFreeFW Carlos Bacca Villarreal€7,000,000After return from loanDF Jherson Vergara CagliariUndisclosedGK Gabriel PerugiaFreeAfter return from loanDF Moris Sportelli TorinoUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamDF Mattia Cornaggia OltrepòVogheraFreeAfter return from loanMF Matteo Chiarparin CiseranoUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamMF Juan Mauri LuccheseUndisclosed
Loans ended DatePlayerMoving toFeeNotesFW Jørgen Strand Larsen SarpsborgFreeFrom Primavera team
Loans out DatePlayerMoving toFeeNotesDF Gian Filippo Felicioli PerugiaFreeAfter anticipated return from loanDF Gustavo Gomez Palmeiras€1,500,000Loan with option to buy (€4.50M)FW Riccardo Forte PistoieseFreeFrom Primavera teamDF Andrés Llamas PistoieseFreeFrom Primavera teamFW André Silva Sevilla€4,000,000Loan with option to buy (€39.00M)MF Manuel Locatelli Sassuolo€2,000,000Loan with obligation to buy (€10.00M)MF Przemysław Bargiel SpeziaFreeFrom Primavera teamDF Gabriele Bellodi OlbiaFreeFrom Primavera teamMF Emir Murati TorinoFreeFrom Primavera team, with option to buyMF Tommaso Pobega TernanaFreeFrom Primavera teamGK Alessandro Guarnone MateraFreeFrom Primavera teamFW Antonio Fabozzi FenegròFreeAfter return from loanGK Christian Cavaliere MonzaFreeFrom Primavera teamMF Alexandro Cavagnera LuganoFreeFW Ismet Sinani Juve StabiaFreeFrom Primavera teamMF Matteo Gabbia LuccheseFreeDF Edoardo Brusa MonzaFreeFrom Primavera teamMF Mattia El Hilali MateraFreeFrom Primavera teamFW Tiago Dias BragaFreeFrom Primavera team, with option to buy
Total income: €87.75M + Undisclosed
Winter window Deals officialised beforehand were effective starting from .
In DatePlayerMoving fromFeeNotesMF Lucas Paquetá Flamengo€35,000,000FW Krzysztof Piątek Genoa€35,000,000DF Tiago Djaló Sporting CP BUndisclosedJoined Primavera teamDF Leroy Abanda MonacoFreeJoined Primavera teamMF Nikolaos Michelis Asteras Tripolis€400,000Joined Primavera teamMF Giovanni Robotti AlessandriaUndisclosedJoined Allievi Nazionali team
On loan DatePlayerMoving fromFeeNotesDF Raoul Bellanova BordeauxUndisclosedRe-joined Primavera team
Total spending: €70.40M + Undisclosed
Out DatePlayerMoving toFeeNotesMF Nicola Torchio BresciaUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamFW Jacopo Finessi PadovaUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamDF Raoul Bellanova Bordeaux€1,000,000From Primavera teamMF Sergio Sanchez Gioya LeganésUndisclosedFrom Primavera teamGK Alessandro Guarnone ChiassoUndisclosedAfter anticipated return from loanMF Mattia El Hilali ChiassoUndisclosedAfter anticipated return from loan
Loans out DatePlayerMoving toFeeNotesDF Stefan Simić FrosinoneFreeFW Vittorio Vigolo VeronaFreeFrom Primavera teamMF Alen Halilović Standard Liège€600,000Loan with option to buy
Loans ended DatePlayerMoving toFeeNotesFW Gonzalo Higuaín JuventusFreeAnticipated end of loan
Total income: € 1,60M + Undisclosed
Pre-season and friendlies
Friendlies
International Champions Cup
Trofeo Santiago Bernabéu
Competitions
Supercoppa Italiana
Serie A
League table
Results summary
Results by round
Matches
Coppa Italia
UEFA Europa League
Group stage
Statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Goalkeepers
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Defenders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Midfielders
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Forwards
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Other
! colspan=14 style=background:#dcdcdc; text-align:center| Players transferred out during the season
Goalscorers NameSerie ASupercoppaCoppa ItaliaUEFA ELTotal119FWKrzysztof Piątek902011263FWPatrick Cutrone3024939FWGonzalo Higuaín600288FWSuso70018579MFFranck Kessié7000767FWSamu Castillejo4000410FWHakan Çalhanoğlu3001485MFGiacomo Bonaventura3000311FWFabio Borini200131013DFAlessio Romagnoli20002112DFDavide Calabria1000117DFCristián Zapata0001121MFLucas Biglia1000139MFLucas Paquetá1000114MFTiémoué Bakayoko1000114MFMateo Musacchio10001Own goal40026Totals55041271
Players in italics left the team during the season.
Assist NameSerie ASupercoppaCoppa ItaliaUEFA ELTotal110FWHakan Çalhanoğlu6013108FWSuso1000010368DFRicardo Rodríguez300147FWSamu Castillejo20024512DFAndrea Conti2010369FWGonzalo Higuaín1001263FWPatrick Cutrone2000239MFLucas Paquetá1010279MFFranck Kessié2000211FWFabio Borini200021193DFDiego Laxalt001012DFDavide Calabria1000114MFTiémoué Bakayoko10001Totals3304744
Players in italics left the team during the season.
Clean sheets NameSerie ASupercoppaCoppa ItaliaUEFA ELTotal199GKGianluigi Donnarumma12020 14225GKPepe Reina1011 3Totals1303117
Disciplinary record NameSerie ASupercoppaCoppa ItaliaUEFA ELTotal13DFAlessio Romagnoli6111210179MFFranck Kessié811918FWSuso919114MFTiémoué Bakayoko61129168DFRicardo Rodríguez511182DFDavide Calabria511710FWHakan Çalhanoğlu312620DFIgnazio Abate42639MFLucas Paquetá515117DFCristián Zapata4157FWSamu Castillejo3114122DFMateo Musacchio211499GKGianluigi Donnarumma4149FWGonzalo Higuaín3114111FWFabio Borini3321MFLucas Biglia3312DFAndrea Conti3393DFDiego Laxalt2263FWPatrick Cutrone2216MFAndrea Bertolacci1125GKPepe Reina1156DFStefan Šimić11Totals52215121517423
Players in italics left the team during the season.
References