The 2022/23 Champions League final will be played in Istanbul, which is where AC Milan famously blew a three-goal lead to lose to Liverpool in the showpiece event in 2005.
Both AC Milan and Carlo Ancelotti – who coached that Rossoneri side – will be looking to resolve their unfinished business in the Turkish city and they could even meet in the final, given the way the bracket has worked out.
Ancelotti wants a Real Madrid vs AC Milan final
This is something that Ancelotti is aware of, as revealed by current AC Milan technical director Paolo Maldini.
“The problem is that Ancelotti, who is now at Real Madrid, also has unfinished business in Istanbul,” Maldini told La Repubblica when asked about the idea of AC Milan putting right what happened in Istanbul last time.
“Immediately after the draw, he actually called me and said ‘Paolo, I’ll see you in Istanbul, OK?’
“It won’t be easy to reach the final, but I think the history of our club gives us the opportunity to believe.
“When you get to March or April in the Champions League, you can turn a season into something incredible. We have this opportunity and we want to take it.”
AC Milan will meet Napoli in the quarter-finals before facing the winner of the tie between Benfica and their city rivals Inter.
In the final, they’d face one of Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester City or Bayern Munich.