The second league title with Nereo Rocco at the helm
Nereo Rocco was assembling his team bit by bit. His return to AC Milan reignited the fans’ enthusiasm, and for good reason: for the second time, his arrival would coincide with a Scudetto triumph for the Diavolo. Franco Carraro was now the Club’s President following the passing of his father Luigi, while the squad was strengthened through the signings of Malatrasi, Hamrin and Cudicini, three players who could give El Paròn guarantees. Although there were voices saying they were old, the AC Milan Coach simply shrugged his shoulders and carried on with his work. He had a great spine at his disposal, with Rosato, Anquilletti, Trapattoni, Lodetti, Schnellinger and Rivera all on the Club’s books. Rocco was also able to select the young Pierino Prati, who he very much placed his trust in.
Prati repaid this faith, finishing as the league’s top scorer with 15 goals. At the halfway stage, AC Milan sat on 21 points having lost just a single match to Varese. During the second half of the campaign, the Rossoneri went up another gear, collecting 25 points to finish nine points ahead of a Napoli side containing the likes of Zoff, Juliano and Altafini. A 2-1 victory over the Partenopei thanks to a 90th-minute goal from Prati was crucial on the road to success. The summer would see the European Championship take place in Italy, meaning it was vital that the league finished on time. AC Milan heeded this instruction to the letter, securing the title as early as 31 March.
