Sacchi's Milan and the End of Catenaccio

AUG 07 2026

A short profile of the AC Milan side that beat Steaua Bucharest 4-0 in the 1989 European Cup final at the Camp Nou, with two goals each for Van Basten and Gullit. The point is the system behind the result: Arrigo Sacchi's high pressing and zonal marking, which broke with the Italian defensive tradition.