This year, no player will don AC Milan`s coveted number 9 shirt. Luka Jović, for now, remains the last to wear it. This unprecedented situation in over a hundred years of club history highlights a story woven from the threads of legendary strikers and numerous missteps.
For AC Milan, the number 9 shirt has recently transformed from a symbol of glory into a seemingly cursed emblem. Once exclusively reserved for the club`s most prolific goalscorers, it now appears to cast more shadows than light. The immense pressure of wearing it at San Siro has evolved into a burden rather than a privilege, often associated with sky-high expectations and short-lived tenures. With Luka Jović`s departure this summer, the Rossoneri find themselves without an owner for the iconic “9” – a situation previously unheard of. While there was once a fierce desire to claim this jersey, there now seems to be a noticeable reluctance to bear its significant weight.
A Storied Past
The AC Milan number 9 jersey was, for a long time, an embodiment of power and pride, bestowing honor upon anyone who wore it. Historically, numbers in football were introduced to distinguish players on the pitch: from 1 to 11 for starters, with the 9 traditionally assigned to the central striker – the hero expected to lead the team with his goals. Every era saw its own legendary interpreters. From the 1950s through the late 1990s, the number 9 was graced by magnificent champions such as Nordahl, Altafini, Sormani, and Van Basten. These players elevated the prestige of the Rossoneri`s number 9 to such an extent that it became a true institution within the club.
Hateley and Other Icons
Moving forward through time, we encounter the formidable “shark,” Joe Jordan, the toothless Scot who, during his two-year spell at Milan, experienced both relegation to Serie B and the immediate promotion back to the top flight. Subsequently, Mark Hateley arrived, embodying the quintessential striker. Donning the number 9, he famously decided a historic derby against Inter with a powerful header, breaking a six-year taboo. The mid-1980s marked the dawn of Berlusconi and Sacchi`s great Milan era. In those years, figures like Virdis and Van Basten transformed the number 9 into an absolute icon, scoring crucial goals that secured Scudetti and international triumphs. It wasn`t solely for pure strikers; even Zvonimir Boban wore it in the 1994 Champions League final against Barcelona, which Milan convincingly won 4-0. From 1995 onwards, fixed numbering was introduced in Serie A, and George Weah became its most illustrious owner: an enduring icon of 1990s Milan, celebrated for memorable goals (such as his incredible solo effort against Verona), Scudetti, and a well-deserved Ballon d`Or in 1995.
The Modern-Day Curse
The 2000s began with Gianni Comandini, who scored his only two Rossoneri goals in the historic 6-0 thrashing of Inter while wearing the number 9. Then came Filippo Inzaghi, who honored the number for an impressive eleven years, even finding the net in a Champions League final. However, from the 2012-13 season onwards, starting with Alexandre Pato, the shirt seems to have entered an endless tunnel of misfortune. A long sequence of players followed who largely failed to live up to the number`s legacy: Matri, Torres, Destro, Luiz Adriano, Lapadula, André Silva, Higuaín, Piątek, Mandžukić, Olivier Giroud, and Luka Jović. Only Olivier Giroud, across three seasons, managed to momentarily break the perceived curse with crucial goals and a decisive brace in a Scudetto-winning derby. This past summer, Milan actively sought a new owner for a jersey that, for several years, no longer truly reflected its glorious history. For now, no one has stepped forward to claim it. Perhaps, at this moment, it`s better that way.
