AC Milan 2010

Coach: Leonardo

Leonardo's only season in charge of Milan, 2009-10, is remembered less for silverware — the club finished third in Serie A, missing out on the title race entirely — and more for the curious mix of star names on the books. Ronaldinho, well past his Barcelona peak but still capable of moments of genuine magic, was the nominal talisman, while David Beckham spent the second half of the season on a high-profile loan from LA Galaxy, his second stint at the club, drawing global attention even as his influence on the pitch waned. Alexandre Pato and Filippo Inzaghi led the line, with Clarence Seedorf and Gennaro Gattuso providing the last remnants of the mid-2000s Champions League-winning core. In hindsight this squad reads as a transitional one: within months of the season ending, Milan signed Zlatan Ibrahimović and Robinho, kicking off a rebuild that delivered the 2010-11 Scudetto. The 2009-10 vintage is best understood as the final chapter of the Ancelotti-era generation before the club's ownership committed to one more expensive push for domestic and continental relevance.