1962–63 AC Milan season

Before the starting of the season "Associazione Calcio Milan" changed its denomination to "Milan Associazione Calcio" and moved its headquarters away from via Andegari 4 to via Gaetano Donizetti 24.[2] During the 1962–63 season the players to reinforce the team were Peruvian defender Víctor Benítez, from Boca Juniors, midfielder Giuliano Fortunato, from Lanerossi Vicenza, right winger Bruno Mora, from Juventus, in exchange for Sandro Salvadore, and Brazilian forward José Germano, the first ever black footballer to play in Italy,[3] loaned out to Genoa after few weeks.

In Serie A the team finished in a decent third place, 6 points behind champions Inter. Meanwhile in the Coppa Italia the club was defeated in the round of 16.

However, the club made history in the European Cup. The first round against Union Luxembourg was cleared by the squad with a famous 14–0 aggregate scoreline, with Altafini scoring five goals in the second match of the series. In the round of 16, the next rivals were English champions Ipswich Town, defeated thanks to a 3–0 home score, followed by a 2-1 defeat in England. In the quarterfinals Turkish squad Galatasaray was defeated in both matches and also Scottish team Dundee F.C. with aggregate scores of 8–1 and 5–2 respectively.

In the 1963 European Cup Final the rival was Sport Lisboa e Benfica, back-to-back champions the previous two seasons, in a match played at Wembley Stadium. The squad closed the first half of the match with a 1-0 defeat thanks to a superb bicycle-kick goal from Eusébio.[4] In the second half Altafini, with a pass from Rivera, scored two times against Portuguese goalkeeper Costa Pereira. Captain Cesare Maldini lifted the European Cup trophy. Also, Milan was the first Italian club to win the tournament and the third ever, after Real Madrid and Benfica after seven editions.

Altafini was the topscorer of the competition with a record of 14 goals, not surpassed until 2003 by Ruud van Nistelrooy and in 2012 by Lionel Messi,[5] which was only broken during the 2013–14 season by Cristiano Ronaldo, who managed 17 goals.[6]

After nine years President Andrea Rizzoli left the club to Felice Riva with four league titles and one Latin Cup in the trophy room. Also, he erected Milanello, the training clubhouse in the province of Varese. Manager Nereo Rocco left the club and signed an agreement with Torino.

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK  ITA Mario Barluzzi — GK  ITA Giorgio Ghezzi — GK  ITA Mario Liberalato — GK  ITA Claudio Mantovani — DF  ITA Attilio Bravi — DF  ITA Cesare Maldini (Captain) — DF  ITA Luigi Radice (vice-Captain) — DF  ITA Giovanni Trapattoni — DF  ITA Mario Trebbi — DF  ITA Francesco Zagatti — MF  PER Víctor Benítez — MF  ITA Mario David — MF  ITA Giovanni Lodetti — MF  ITA Gilberto Noletti

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ITA Ambrogio Pelagalli — MF  ITA Giuseppe Italo Redaelli — MF  ITA Gianni Rivera — MF  ITA Giorgio Rossano — MF  BRA Dino Sani — FW  BRA José Altafini[7] — FW  ITA Paolo Barison — FW  BRA Emanuele Del Vecchio [8][9] — FW  ITA Paolo Ferrario [10] — A  ITA Giuliano Fortunato[11] — FW  BRA Germano [12] — FW  ITA Bruno Mora — FW  ITA Gino Pivatelli

• A.C. Milan

• Almanacco illustrato del Milan, 2nd edition, March 2005. Panini.
• Almanacco illustrato del Milan, 1st edition, 1999. Panini.

• "Stagione 1962–1963". Magliarossonera.it.