A Celebration of Excellence

If you are looking for the preview of Saturday’s Siena game, click here.

AC Milan celebrates its birthday today with 112 candles on its cake and dozens of trophies in its cabinets. Not only did we celebrate our 18th Scudetto win earlier this year, but we qualified for the Round of 16 in the Champions League, the draw for which also happens to be today. I cannot think of a more fitting way to celebrate 112 years of excellence than to discover our next opponent in the Champions League on this special day.

Milan have been a powerhouse in Italian, European and even World football, with world class players thriving in a family environment. But they also give back through the Milan Foundation and many other charities. And learning by example, many current and former Milan players have also set up their own charities. Today also marks a special day for Milan in that the Caritas Refuge, a nighttime hostel for the homeless of Milan, is opening inside Central Station in Milan. AC Milan have supported this cause and continue to do so, one of many endeavors to improve the world around them.

In reflecting on Milan’s birthday and all of the happiness I have experienced because of my favorite club, I also reflected on the club’s history, it’s players, and some of the memorable matches. So I found this trio of videos to share with you that gives a glimpse of the awesomeness that is AC Milan.

Happy 112th to the Greatest Club in the World!

Please feel free to share your favorite Milan memories or your birthday wishes in the comments section.

Champions League Round of 16 Draw

And the results of the draw are:

So Milan will face Arsenal in the next round. If both Milan and Napoli prevail when we meet in February and March, Italian teams will have the chance to knock out the two remaining English sides. And while Robin van Persie has been in great form lately, Arsenal are vulnerable elsewhere, so I actually like our chances on this one. Let's hope we got our injuries out of the way  already this season so we can be at full strength  to face the Gunners!

If you are looking for the preview of Saturday’s Siena game, click here.

This post inspired by the music of Elaine’s Milan Mix, including Inno Milan,

Forza Milan Ole, The Devil Inside, We are the Champions, etc.