As AC Milan coach, he shaped the development of modern football He also led Italy to runners-up spot at USA 1994 He is a former shoe salesman who became a household name after being given the reins of AC Milan in 1987. Outspoken and no stranger to unconventional ideas, he argued against the need for man marking or a sweeper, among other things. His players, including some of the biggest names in the game, were understandably dubious. "Five well organised players can beat ten disorganised ones," he told them. To prove it, he tasked his goalkeeper and a four-man rearguard led by Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini with keeping their goal intact with just zonal marking. He then told his other players to bombard the defence – but with no specific instructions.