GdS: Milan officially without a No.9 player for the first time in 100+ years

AC Milan will be without a No.9 for the 2025-26 season, which will be a first in 100 years, but it might be for the best as highlighted by a report. 

Gazzetta dello Sport has published an article this evening, stating how the No.9 jersey has gone from a symbol of glory to a cursed entity. It’s a number that has belonged to some of the Rossoneri’s best goalscorers, but today it brings more shadows than light.

With Jovic’s departure at the start of the summer, Milan find themselves without a No.9 for this season: something that has never happened in over a hundred years of history. While there used to be a competitive race to wear it, there now seems to be a fear of taking it on.

Photo LaPresse – Spada

Indeed, as the newspaper continues, Milan’s No.9 jersey has long been a symbol of power and pride. From the 1950s to the late 1990s, the number was honoured by great champions: Nordahl, Altafini, Sormani, and Van Basten are just a few.

However, starting in the 2012-13 season with Pato, the shirt turned into a curse with a long list of flops: Matri, Torres, Destro, Luiz Adriano, Lapadula, Andre Silva, Higuain, Piatek, and Mandzukic. Only Giroud, who wore it for three seasons, managed to break the curse.

This summer, Milan looked for a new signing to take on the No.9 shirt, but perhaps it’s a good thing that no one picked it up. There’s enough pressure on the season as it is, after all.