Why Milan Have a Knack for Players in Their 40s

Despite their recent Supercoppa defeat, Milan have made an impressive start to the 2025-26 season, battling it out for the top spot with Napoli and Inter, with Roma not far behind. This has given fans hope that the team can secure their 20th league title, with experts agreeing that they have a great opportunity.

Inter are the current league favourite, priced at 11/10, but Milan and Napoli at 7/2 represent good value for money, and Roma at 28/1 are not seen as genuine contenders. These promising odds will vary between sportsbooks, so shopping around for good value is recommended, and taking into consideration the deals offered by betting sites can also impact the potential returns should Milan secure their first title since the 2021/22 season (Source: ).

One of the major contributing factors to Milan’s impressive start to the season is the form of USA star Christian Pulisic. Bursting onto the scene with Dortmund before earning a move to Chelsea, the talented winger and attacking midfielder has found a home in Milan, and his impressive return of 7 goals in 9 games this season has been key to the team’s success.

Rafael Leão is another key performer, chipping in with 5 goals in 10 games, but it begs the question as to how the team would perform without the diminutive and ageing Luka Modric pulling the strings in midfield. At 40 years of age, and standing at 5ft 8″ (not massive in football terms), the 2018 Balon d’Or winner is still considered one of the best midfielders in the world.

Using his guile and experience, it might sound cruel to compare him to a footballing Yoda, but if there was a “Force” in football, he would be a master of it. However, this is not a freak occurrence for Milan to get the best out of an older star, and the club has a history of players excelling well beyond their years.

Paolo Maldini is probably the best example of Milan getting the most from a player, starting his professional career with them in 1984 and making his debut as a 16-year-old in 1985. He went on to make 902 appearances in official matches for the club, retiring in 2009 at the age of 41.

Lifestyle choices will have a lot to do with this longevity, with Maldini playing at a time when English football was littered with drinking, smoking, and general bad behaviour. The Italian teams always had a more cultured and professional attitude to fitness and diet, and this allowed Maldini to continue at the top of his game for 25 years.

Allesandro Costacurta, who played alongside Maldini at the back, also played into his 40s, with Franco Baresi playing until he was 37 in a Milan backline that aged gracefully and competitively.

Despite the mistake of letting Andrea Pirlo leave on a free transfer to Juventus at just 32, Milan has a good history of getting the most out of older players. Just look at Zlatan becoming the league’s oldest scorer while at Milan at 41. Modric is a prime example of this.