The curse of AC Milan's #9 shirt - 9 strikers who have failed at the Rossoneri since Filippo Inzaghi
In Filippo Inzaghi, AC Milan had one of the finest strikers of a generation, as the Italian graced the club for 11 years between 2001 and 2012. Joining the club from rivals domestic Juventus, Pippo, as he's fondly referred to, made over 200 appearances for the club, scoring 73 goals in all competitions.
The Rossoneri enjoyed one of the finest periods of their glittering history, as Inzaghi led the line to devastating effect. He won 8 major trophies in his time at the club, including a pair of Serie A and UEFA Champions League titles, as he cemented his status as one of the club's great #9s.
Since his departure, however, AC Milan's fortunes have nosedived and the club have struggled on and off the pitch. Strikers have come and gone, but none of them have been able to produce as consistently as Pippo did, leading to shouts that the club's #9 shirt is indeed cursed.
Over the years, several strikers have worn the shirt, here is a list of 9 such players in chronological order who took the iconic shirt after Inzaghi and failed to produce the goods:
#9 Alexandre Pato (2012/13)
Alexandre Pato joined the club as one of the most promising players in world football and hit the ground running immediately despite joining a club of such stature as a teenager. After Inzhagi's retirement in 2012, the Brazilian inherited his iconic #9 shirt and almost immediately, things went south for him as he was ravaged by injuries and poor form.
After being handed the #9 shirt, Pato made just 4 more appearances for the club that season, as a combination of injuries ensured that Milan cut their losses and shipped him off to Corinthians. The striker never found his feet since and will always be remembered as a player who failed to live up to the billing.