Luigi Milan

Luigi Milan (10 December 1937 – 8 December 2023) was an Italian footballer who played as a midfielder, later a manager. He totalled 219 games and 30 goals in Serie A for Udinese, Fiorentina, Catania and Atalanta.{{cite news |title=Italian football mourning Fiorentina hero Luigi Milan |url=https://www.uefa.com/news-media/news/0288-19a758622feb-b4c73735c364-1000--italian-football-mourning-fiorentina-hero-luigi-milan/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |publisher=UEFA |date=9 December 2023}}

Career

Milan was born in Mirano, Province of Venice.{{cite news |title=Morto Gigi Milan, grande della Fiorentina. Fu l'eroe di Glasgow|trans-title=Gigi Milan, Fiorentina great, dies. He was the hero of Glasgow |url=https://www.lanazione.it/firenze/cronaca/luigi-milan-j86iqpp2 |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=La Nazione |date=8 December 2023 |language=Italian}} He began his career at nearby Venezia in Serie B from 1956 to 1959. His first Serie A season was 1959–60 with ten goals for Udinese, earning a move to Fiorentina.{{cite book |last1=Papini |first1=Roberto Davide |title=Fiorentina. Capitani e bandiere |date=22 October 2020 |publisher=Newton Compton Editori |isbn=978-88-227-5059-4 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eq8AEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22luigi+milan%22+mezzala&pg=PT134 |access-date=19 April 2024 |language=it}}

With Fiorentina, Milan won the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup in its inaugural edition, 1960–61. In the two-legged final against Rangers of Scotland, he scored both goals of the first leg in Glasgow, plus one more in the 2–1 win in the second leg. It was the first time that an Italian team won a UEFA competition. In the same season, he was top scorer with four goals as they won the Coppa Italia, including against Juventus (semi-final) and Lazio (final).

Milan left Fiorentina in 1962, and following one year with Catania, he joined Atalanta for a six-season spell. From 1973 to 1990 he worked as a manager, starting at Olbia and Prato.{{cite news |last1=Riggio |first1=Salvatore |title=Luigi Milan è morto, l'ex attaccante della Fiorentina aveva 85 anni|trans-title=Luigi Milan has died, ex-Fiorentina attacker was 85 |url=https://www.corriere.it/sport/calcio/23_dicembre_08/luigi-milan-morto-70e654a0-95e7-11ee-af56-7295451e31b5.shtml |access-date=19 April 2024 |work=Corriere della Sera |date=8 December 2023 |language=Italian}}

Milan died on 8 December 2023, two days before his 86th birthday. Atalanta wore black armbands in his memory the following day.{{cite news |title=Atalanta, cuore, tecnica e un veterano oltre l'ostacolo: col Milan la risolve Muriel|trans-title=Atalanta, heart, technique and a veteran over the obstacle: Muriel resolves with Milan|url=https://www.bergamoesport.it/atalanta-cuore-tecnica-e-un-veterano-oltre-lostacolo-col-milan-la-risolve-muriel/ |access-date=19 April 2024 |publisher=Bergamo News |date=9 December 2023 |language=Italian}} His funeral took place at the {{ill|Chiesa dei Sette Santi Fondatori (Firenze)|it}}.