Editing Marco van Basten (section)

===AC Milan===

[[File:Marco van Basten 1990-1992.jpg|thumb|left|upright|Van Basten at [[AC Milan]]]]
In 1987, [[AC Milan|Milan]] president [[Silvio Berlusconi]] signed Van Basten, along with fellow countryman [[Ruud Gullit]]. In 1988, the Dutch legion got completed when [[Frank Rijkaard]] joined the club (at the time only three non-Italians were allowed). In his first season, Milan won their first ''[[Scudetto]]'' in eight years, but Van Basten played only 11 matches and was constantly troubled by an ankle injury.<ref name="FIFA"/><ref name="britannica">{{cite web |url=https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-van-Basten |title=Marco van Basten |publisher=www.britannica.com |author1=Adam Augustyn |access-date=25 June 2018 |archive-date=25 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180625190145/https://www.britannica.com/biography/Marco-van-Basten |url-status=live }}</ref> In [[1988–89 AC Milan season|1988–89]], Van Basten won the [[Ballon d'Or]] as Europe's top footballer.<ref name="FIFA"/> He scored 19 goals in [[Serie A]] and 32 goals in all competitions that year, including two goals in the [[1989 European Cup Final|final]] of the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]], as Milan triumphed against [[FC Steaua București|Steaua București]].<ref name="FIFA"/> In [[1989–90 AC Milan season|1989–90]], he became ''Capocannoniere'' again (Serie A's leading goal scorer); Milan also successfully defended the European Cup after beating [[S.L. Benfica|Benfica]] 1–0 in the [[1990 European Cup Final|final]] match,<ref name="FIFA"/> during which Van Basten provided the assist for Rijkaard's match-winning goal.<ref name="Milan back-to-back triumphs"/>

Milan struggled in the [[1990–91 AC Milan season|1990–91 season]], as [[UC Sampdoria|Sampdoria]] won the ''Scudetto''. After Van Basten fell out with [[Arrigo Sacchi]], Berlusconi sacked the manager. [[Fabio Capello]] took over the following season, and Milan went undefeated in the league to win another ''Scudetto''. Van Basten scored 25 league goals, and became ''Capocannoniere'' again;<ref name="FIFA"/> his tally from the [[1991–92 Serie A|1991–92 season]] was the highest number of goals that a player had scored in a single Serie A season since [[Luís Vinício]] achieved the same tally during the [[1965–66 Serie A|1965–66 season]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesi/italtops.html |title=Italy - Serie A Top Scorers |author1=Roberto Di Maggio |author2=Igor Kramarsic |author3=Alberto Novello |date=11 June 2015 |website=[[RSSSF]] |access-date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=31 October 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151031163443/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/italtops.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

{{Quote box|width=30%|align=right|quote="Marco was the greatest striker I ever coached. His early retirement was a mortal misfortune for him, for football, and for Milan."
 |source =—Former Milan manager [[Fabio Capello]] in 2010 on working with Van Basten and his premature retirement.<ref>[http://www.goal.com/en-gh/news/4375/editorials/2012/12/09/3589458/theres-only-one-marco-van-basten-ac-milans-dutch-legend-may "There's only one Marco van Basten: AC Milan's Dutch legend may never be surpassed"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131102201113/http://www.goal.com/en-gh/news/4375/editorials/2012/12/09/3589458/theres-only-one-marco-van-basten-ac-milans-dutch-legend-may |date=2 November 2013 }}. Goal.com. Retrieved 31 March 2013</ref>}}
In November 1992, he became the first player to [[List of UEFA Champions League hat-tricks|score four goals in a Champions League match]], against [[IFK Göteborg]], including a picture perfect [[bicycle kick]].<ref name="FIFA"/> In December 1992, Van Basten was named [[FIFA World Player of the Year]].<ref name="FIFA"/> Milan stretched their unbeaten run into the [[1992–93 AC Milan season|1992–93 season]], going 58 matches over two seasons before they lost a match.<ref name="FIFA"/> Van Basten was exceptional in the early part of the season. He was again voted the European player of the year, becoming the third player after [[Johan Cruyff]] and [[Michel Platini]] to win the award three times.<ref name="FIFA"/>

His troublesome ankle injury<ref>{{Cite news|url= https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/dec/14/newsstory.sport17|title= How Capello won his nine league titles|work= [[The Guardian]]|date= 14 December 2007|access-date= 23 January 2009|location= London|first= Nicky|last= Bandini|archive-date= 7 October 2021|archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211007122049/https://www.theguardian.com/football/2007/dec/14/newsstory.sport17|url-status= live}}</ref> recurred in a game against [[AC Ancona|Ancona]], forcing him to endure another six-month layoff, and undergo a series of surgeries. He returned for the last few matches in the season, before Milan lost 1–0 to [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]] in the [[1993 UEFA Champions League Final|Champions League final]]. The match was Van Basten's final match for the Italian club.<ref name="FIFA"/> He came off in the 86th minute for [[Stefano Eranio]], after a hard tackle behind from [[Basile Boli]] condemned Van Basten to the third ankle surgery of his career.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/match/50054--marseille-vs-milan/ |title=Marseille 1-0 Milan |publisher=[[UEFA]] |access-date=18 June 2018 |archive-date=19 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180619190653/https://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/history/season=1992/matches/round=50/match=50054/index.html?iv=true |url-status=live }}</ref>

Van Basten had been hopeful of playing for his country at the [[1994 FIFA World Cup|1994]] [[FIFA World Cup|World Cup]] as well as for his club in the 1994–95 season after spending the whole 1993–94 season out of action (missing Milan's [[1994 European Cup Final|victory]] in the [[UEFA Champions League|European Cup]] as well as their Serie A title glory),<ref>[http://www.itv.com/sport/football/championsleague/news/classic-highlights-1994-champions-league-final-ac-milan-v-barcelona-73652/ "Classic Highlights: 1994 Champions League Final – AC Milan v Barcelona"] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110309212412/http://www.itv.com/sport/football/championsleague/news/classic-highlights-1994-champions-league-final-ac-milan-v-barcelona-73652/ |date=9 March 2011 }}. ITV.com.</ref> but his club ordered him not to take part in the World Cup amid fear of ruining his rehabilitation.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-uefa-cup-call-for-newcastle-st-james-park-delighted-at-return-to-europe-while-dubliners-plan-a-huge-sendoff-1420397.html | location=London | work=The Independent | first=Henry | last=Winter | title=Football: Uefa Cup call for Newcastle: St James' Park delighted at return to Europe while Dubliners plan a huge send-off | date=4 June 1994 | access-date=3 November 2017 | archive-date=25 September 2015 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925210410/http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-uefa-cup-call-for-newcastle-st-james-park-delighted-at-return-to-europe-while-dubliners-plan-a-huge-sendoff-1420397.html | url-status=live }}</ref> He finally conceded defeat in his battle to recover on 17 August 1995, when he announced his retirement as a player after two whole years on the sidelines. Van Basten made a farewell appearance to thank the Milan fans before a home game at the [[San Siro]], with an emotional Milan coach [[Fabio Capello]] breaking down in tears.<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/18/sports/sports-people-soccer-ac-milan-s-van-basten-retires.html | work=The New York Times | title=SPORTS PEOPLE: SOCCER; AC Milan's Van Basten Retires | date=18 August 1995 | access-date=17 February 2017 | archive-date=12 October 2016 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012080147/http://www.nytimes.com/1995/08/18/sports/sports-people-soccer-ac-milan-s-van-basten-retires.html | url-status=live }}</ref>