108-420: Massimo Ambrosini Cavaliere OMRI ( Italian pronunciation: [ˈmassimo ambroˈziːni] ; born 29 May 1977) is an Italian former professional footballer who mainly played as a defensive midfielder . At club level, he is mostly known for his successful time at Italian team AC Milan , where he spent eighteen years of his career, winning several titles, and captained the side from 2009 to 2013 following
216-765: A scouting trip to Scotland—so they became known as the "team of Macs". The team won the Lancashire League in its debut season and joined the Football League Second Division at the start of the 1893–94 season. After the club was promoted to the First Division in 1896, Tom Watson was appointed manager. He led Liverpool to its first league title in 1901, before winning it again in 1906. Liverpool reached their first FA Cup Final in 1914 , losing 1–0 to Burnley . It won consecutive League championships in 1922 and 1923, but did not win another trophy until
324-473: A substitute – and scored one goal as Milan captured their 17th Serie A championship. In March 2005, he renewed his contract to June 2008. In 2004–05 , he struggled to break into Milan first team, making only made 22 Serie A appearances and scoring one goal. It is his late goal, however, that took Milan to the UEFA Champions League final. With Milan losing 2–0, a scoreline which would have sent
432-423: A ball winner, he was also known for his ability to start attacking plays after winning back possession, courtesy of his vision and passing range, despite his lack of notable technical skills. Despite his ability as a midfielder, he often struggled with injuries throughout his career. Massimo Ambrosini is married to an Italian woman, Paola Ambrosini. Ambrosini has two children with his wife, his son Federico Ambrosini
540-494: A boot storage room at Anfield into a room where the coaches could discuss strategy; here, Shankly and other " Boot Room " members Joe Fagan , Reuben Bennett , and Bob Paisley began reshaping the team. The club was promoted back into the First Division in 1962 and won it in 1964, for the first time in 17 years. In 1965, the club won its first FA Cup . In 1966, the club won the First Division but lost to Borussia Dortmund in
648-582: A capacity of 55,000 until the 1990s, when, following recommendations from the Taylor Report, all clubs in the Premier League were obliged to convert to all-seater stadiums in time for the 1993–94 season, reducing its capacity to 45,276. The findings of the report precipitated the redevelopment of the Kemlyn Road Stand, which was rebuilt in 1992, coinciding with the centenary of the club, and was known as
756-478: A comeback. This game also prompted Ambrosini to change his mind about leaving Milan due to lack of playing time and extend his contract until June 2010. Later that month, Ambrosini started in the final of the 2006–07 Champions League and played a strong game in Milan's eventual 2–1 win over Liverpool. He was also the last player to touch the ball seconds before the final whistle. In Paolo Maldini 's absence, Ambrosini
864-584: A dispute between the Everton committee and John Houlding , club president and owner of the land at Anfield . After eight years at the stadium, Everton relocated to Goodison Park in 1892 and Houlding founded Liverpool F.C. to play at Anfield. Originally named "Everton F.C. and Athletic Grounds Ltd" (Everton Athletic for short), the club became Liverpool F.C. in March 1892 and gained official recognition three months later, after The Football Association refused to recognise
972-528: A five-month trial in Belgium, 14 Liverpool fans were given three-year sentences for involuntary manslaughter; half of the terms were suspended. The second disaster took place during an FA Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest at Hillsborough Stadium, Sheffield, on 15 April 1989. Ninety-seven Liverpool fans died as a consequence of overcrowding at the Leppings Lane end, in what became known as
1080-437: A five-year ban. The Hillsborough disaster in 1989, where 97 Liverpool supporters died in a crowd crush against perimeter fencing, led to the elimination of fenced standing terraces in favour of all-seater stadiums in the top two tiers of English football. Prolonged campaigning for justice saw further coroner's inquests, commissions and independent panels that ultimately exonerated the fans. Liverpool were founded following
1188-476: A further League Cup in 2003, but failed to mount a title challenge in the two seasons that followed. Houllier was replaced by Rafael Benítez at the end of the 2003–04 season. Despite finishing fifth in Benítez's first season, Liverpool won the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League , beating A.C. Milan 3–2 in a penalty shootout after the match ended with a score of 3–3. The following season, Liverpool finished third in
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#17329633026741296-414: A global brand; a 2010 report valued the club's trademarks and associated intellectual property at £141m, an increase of £5m on the previous year. Liverpool was given a brand rating of AA (Very Strong). In April 2010, business magazine Forbes ranked Liverpool as the sixth most valuable football team in the world, behind Manchester United, Real Madrid , Arsenal, Barcelona and Bayern Munich ; they valued
1404-458: A new stadium in Stanley Park. As part of the redevelopment, the capacity of Anfield was to increase from 45,276 to approximately 60,000 and would cost approximately £150m. When construction was completed on the new Main stand, the capacity of Anfield was increased to 54,074. This £100 million expansion added a third tier to the stand. This was all part of a £260 million project to improve
1512-416: A new, one-year contract . After a disappointing second-place finish in the 2011–12 season and the departure of fellow team greats Filippo Inzaghi , Alessandro Nesta , Gennaro Gattuso , and Clarence Seedorf , Ambrosini was reported to be considering his future with the club, but Adriano Galliani was able to convince Massimo to sign yet another one-year deal and continue on to be the captain for Milan for
1620-534: A position he held from its founding in 1892 until 1904. John McKenna took over as chairman after Houlding's departure. McKenna subsequently became President of the Football League. The chairmanship changed hands many times before John Smith , whose father was a shareholder of the club, took up the role in 1973. He oversaw the most successful period in Liverpool's history before stepping down in 1990. His successor
1728-453: A record ten League Cups and sixteen FA Community Shields . In international competitions, the club has won six European Cups , three UEFA Cups , four UEFA Super Cups —all English records—and one FIFA Club World Cup . Liverpool established itself as a major force in domestic football in the 1960s under Bill Shankly , before becoming perennial title challengers at home and abroad under Bob Paisley , Joe Fagan and Kenny Dalglish who led
1836-472: A season total of eight goals (one in the UEFA Cup), more than he has scored in any season in his career with Milan. The goals included a brilliant header off David Beckham 's free kick against Lazio , and a well-placed goal in a 5–1 win over Torino . Ambrosini also scored his first double in a competitive fixture in a 3–2 loss to Roma during Paolo Maldini's final home game, and received a standing ovation from
1944-546: A series of injuries which limited him to just 13 Serie A appearances and one goal, thus making him out of contention for the Italian squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. Unlike the previous seasons, 2006–07 became Ambrosini's late breakthrough as he had fully recovered from his recurring injuries. Although not an immediate starter at the beginning, following a series of stunning performances, he eventually made his way into
2052-614: A significant following on social media, and in 2024, it became the first Premier League club (and the third sports team in the world, after Barcelona and Real Madrid ) to amass 10 million subscribers on YouTube. Liverpool fans often refer to themselves as Kopites, a reference to the fans who once stood, and now sit, on the Kop at Anfield. In 2008, a group of fans decided to form a splinter club, A.F.C. Liverpool , to play matches for fans who had been priced out of watching Premier League football. The song " You'll Never Walk Alone ", originally from
2160-566: A spot in the team's starting line-up almost immediately, and helped his team avoid relegation at the end of the season. He also reached the semi-final of UEFA Cup Winners' Cup with Vicenza. Recalled to the San Siro , Ambrosini at last made a first-team place his own as Milan won back the Serie A championship in 1999 . A regular the following term, he then saw his chances limited by a troublesome knee injury before returning to full fitness to help Milan win
2268-433: A top-flight season. In January 2024, Klopp announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season. On 20 May 2024, Arne Slot was announced as Klopp's successor, becoming head coach on 1 June. For much of Liverpool's history, its home colours have been all red. When the club was founded in 1892, blue and white quartered shirts were used until the club adopted the city's colour of red in 1896. The city's symbol of
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#17329633026742376-578: A wide range of skills, Ambrosini was well regarded for his ability in the air, and was capable of being a goal-threat, in particular from set-pieces, due to his height, elevation, ability to make attacking runs into the area, and his heading accuracy, as well as his powerful striking ability from distance, which even led manager Carlo Ancelotti to deploy him as a centre forward on occasion. Throughout his career, he stood out for his leadership, as well as his stamina, versatility, tactical intelligence, and aggressive tackling . Although Ambrosini primarily served as
2484-526: Is Virgil van Dijk , who has served since the 2023–24 season. Sources: Source: Source: Liverpool's first trophy was the Lancashire League, which it won in the club's first season. In 1901, the club won its first League title, while the nineteenth and most recent was in 2020. Its first success in the FA Cup was in 1965. In terms of the number of trophies won, Liverpool's most successful decade
2592-602: Is a professional football club based in Liverpool , England. The club competes in the Premier League , the top tier of English football . Founded in 1892, the club joined the Football League the following year and has played its home games at Anfield since its formation. Liverpool is one of the most valuable and widely supported clubs in the world. Domestically, the club has won nineteen league titles , eight FA Cups ,
2700-471: Is one of the few local derbies which do not enforce fan segregation, and hence has been known as the "friendly derby". Since the mid-1980s, the rivalry has intensified both on and off the field and, since the inception of the Premier League in 1992, the Merseyside derby has had more players sent off than any other Premier League game. It has been referred to as "the most ill-disciplined and explosive fixture in
2808-469: The 2002 FIFA World Cup finals under Giovanni Trapattoni due to injury , and then failed to break into the squad for the UEFA Euro 2004 finals. Under subsequent manager Marcello Lippi , he was also excluded from the national side and was not called up for the 2006 FIFA World Cup , which Italy went on to win. On 16 August 2006, Ambrosini earned his 23rd cap for Italy after almost two years of absence from
2916-533: The 2012–13 season . After a very rough start with several notable defeats, Milan eventually finished the season in the third place behind the defending champions Juventus and runners-up Napoli , securing a spot in the next season's Champions League qualification play-off. On 11 June 2013, Milan CEO Adriano Galliani confirmed that the club had decided not to extend Ambrosini's expiring contract, thus ending his eighteen-year stay at Milan. On 4 July 2013 Fiorentina confirmed on their official website that they had won
3024-401: The 2018–19 season with 97 points (surpassing the 86 points gained during the 2008–09 season), losing only one game: a points record for a non-title winning side. Klopp took Liverpool to successive Champions League finals in 2018 and 2019, with the club defeating Tottenham Hotspur 2–0 to win the 2019 UEFA Champions League Final . Liverpool beat Flamengo of Brazil in the final 1–0 to win
3132-567: The Coppa Italia (scoring in a 4–1 win in the first leg of the final over Roma ) and the UEFA Champions League during the 2002–03 season , where he replaced Rui Costa in the 87th minute of the final against Juventus , held at Old Trafford . In 2003–04 , although unable to establish himself as a first-team starter due to a series of niggling injuries and a loss of form, Ambrosini made 20 Serie A appearances – predominantly as
3240-630: The East Lancs Road . Ranked the two biggest clubs in England by France Football magazine, Liverpool and Manchester United are the most successful English teams in both domestic and international competitions, and both clubs have a global fanbase. Viewed as one of the biggest rivalries in world football, it is considered the most famous fixture in English football. The two clubs alternated as champions between 1964 and 1967 , and Manchester United became
3348-628: The European Cup Winners' Cup final. Liverpool won both the League and the UEFA Cup during the 1972–73 season, and the FA Cup again a year later. Shankly retired soon afterwards and was replaced by his assistant, Bob Paisley. In 1976, Paisley's second season as manager, the club won another League and UEFA Cup double. The following season, the club retained the League title and won the European Cup for
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3456-463: The FIFA Club World Cup for the first time. Liverpool then went on to win the 2019–20 Premier League , winning their first top-flight league title in thirty years. The club set multiple records in the season, including winning the league with seven games remaining making it the earliest any team has ever won the title, amassing a club record 99 points, and achieving a joint-record 32 wins in
3564-544: The Heysel Stadium disaster . The match was played in spite of protests by both managers, and Liverpool lost 1–0 to Juventus. As a result of the tragedy, English clubs were banned from participating in European competition for five years; Liverpool received a ten-year ban, which was later reduced to six years. Fourteen Liverpool fans received convictions for involuntary manslaughter. Fagan had announced his retirement just before
3672-521: The Manchester club Manchester United . The club's supporters have been involved in two major tragedies. The Heysel Stadium disaster , where escaping fans were pressed against a collapsing wall at the 1985 European Cup Final in Brussels, resulted in 39 deaths, most of which were Italians and Juventus fans. Liverpool were given a six-year ban from European competitions, and all other English clubs received
3780-581: The President of the Italian Republic , as head of the orders of knighthood, on the recommendation of the President of the Council of Ministers . Except in exceptional circumstances, no one can be awarded for the first time a rank higher than Knight. The minimum age requirement is normally 35. The Knight Grand Cross with Collar is awarded only to heads of state . Liverpool F.C. Liverpool Football Club
3888-587: The Second Boer War , where over 300 men of the Lancashire Regiment died, many of them from Liverpool. At its peak, the stand could hold 28,000 spectators and was one of the largest single-tier stands in the world. Many stadiums in England had stands named after Spion Kop, but Anfield's was the largest of them at the time; it could hold more supporters than some entire football grounds. Anfield could accommodate more than 60,000 supporters at its peak and had
3996-665: The TARDIS outside Anfield, as she exclaims: "Liverpool? Anfield! Klopp era, classic!". In 2024, Liverpool was named the most-watched club in world football across the last five seasons by media analytics firm Nielsen with an average per season global broadcast audience of more than 724 million across league and cup fixtures. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules . Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Since
4104-427: The liver bird was adopted as the club's badge (or crest , as it is sometimes known) in 1901, although it was not incorporated into the kit until 1955. Liverpool continued to wear red shirts and white shorts until 1964 when manager Bill Shankly decided to change to an all-red strip. Liverpool played in all red for the first time against Anderlecht , as Ian St John recalled in his autobiography: He [Shankly] thought
4212-533: The 1946–47 season, when the club won the First Division for a fifth time under the control of ex- West Ham United centre half George Kay . Liverpool suffered its second Cup Final defeat in 1950, playing against Arsenal. The club was relegated to the Second Division in the 1953–54 season. Soon after Liverpool lost 2–1 to non-league Worcester City in the 1958–59 FA Cup, Bill Shankly was appointed manager. Upon his arrival he released 24 players and converted
4320-495: The 1970s; the flames were moved to the back collar of the shirt, surrounding the number 96 for the number who died at Hillsborough. Liverpool's home stadium is Anfield , which was built in 1884 on land adjacent to Stanley Park . Situated 2 miles (3 km) from Liverpool city centre, it was originally used by Everton before the latter moved to Goodison Park after a dispute over rent with Anfield owner John Houlding. Left with an empty ground, Houlding founded Liverpool in 1892 and
4428-580: The 1988 FA Cup Final, Liverpool released the " Anfield Rap ", a song featuring John Barnes and other members of the squad. A docudrama on the Hillsborough disaster , written by Jimmy McGovern , was screened in 1996. It featured Christopher Eccleston as Trevor Hicks, who lost two teenage daughters in the disaster, went on to campaign for safer stadiums, and helped to form the Hillsborough Families Support Group. Liverpool featured in
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4536-526: The 2001 film The 51st State , in which ex-hitman Felix DeSouza ( Robert Carlyle ) is a keen supporter of the team and the last scene takes place at a match between Liverpool and Manchester United. The club also featured in the 1984 children's television show Scully , about a young boy who tries to gain a trial with Liverpool. The Doctor Who episode " The Halloween Apocalypse ", aired in October 2021, features The Doctor (played by Jodie Whittaker ) exiting
4644-473: The 2008–09 season Liverpool achieved 86 points, its then-highest Premier League points total, prior to the record-breaking 2018–19 season, and finished as runners up to Manchester United . In the 2009–10 season, Liverpool finished seventh in the Premier League and failed to qualify for the Champions League. Benítez subsequently left by mutual consent and was replaced by Fulham manager Roy Hodgson . At
4752-435: The 2012–13 season. In February 2015, Warrior's parent company New Balance announced it would be entering the global football market, with teams sponsored by Warrior now being outfitted by New Balance. The only other branded shirts worn by the club were made by Umbro until 1985, when they were replaced by Adidas , who produced the kits until 1996 when Reebok took over. They produced the kits for 10 years before Adidas made
4860-568: The 50-year period to 2015 and second-highest average league finishing position for the period 1900–1999 after Arsenal , with an average league placing of 8.7. Liverpool is the most successful British club in international football with fourteen trophies, having won the European Cup/UEFA Champions League ( UEFA 's premier club competition) six times, an English record that is only surpassed by Real Madrid and A.C. Milan . Liverpool's fifth European Cup win, in 2005, meant that
4968-447: The 95th victim died in hospital from his injuries four days later, the 96th died nearly four years later, without regaining consciousness, and the 97th, Andrew Devine, died in 2021 of injuries sustained in the disaster. After the Hillsborough disaster there was a government review of stadium safety. The resulting Taylor Report paved the way for legislation that required top-division teams to have all-seater stadiums. The report ruled that
5076-607: The Anfield area. Jürgen Klopp the manager at the time described the stand as "impressive." In June 2021, it was reported that Liverpool City Council had given planning permission for the club to renovate and expand the Anfield Road stand, boosting the capacity by around 7,000 and taking the overall capacity at Anfield to 61,000. The expansion, which is estimated to cost £60m, was described as "a huge milestone" by managing director Andy Hughes, and would also see rail seating being trialled in
5184-577: The Centenary Stand until 2017 when it was renamed the Kenny Dalglish Stand. An extra tier was added to the Anfield Road end in 1998, which further increased the capacity of the ground but gave rise to problems when it was opened. A series of support poles and stanchions were inserted to give extra stability to the top tier of the stand after movement of the tier was reported at the start of the 1999–2000 season. Because of restrictions on expanding
5292-615: The Champions League, scoring 101 goals in the process, the most since the 106 scored in the 1895–96 season. Following a disappointing 2014–15 season, where Liverpool finished sixth in the league, and a poor start to the following campaign, Rodgers was sacked in October 2015. Rodgers was replaced by Jürgen Klopp . Liverpool reached the finals of the Football League Cup and UEFA Europa League in Klopp's first season, finishing as runner-up in both competitions. The club finished second in
5400-840: The Crown of Italy (1868), the Order of Saints Maurice and Lazarus (1572) and the Supreme Order of the Most Holy Annunciation (1362). Investiture takes place twice a year – on 2 June, the anniversary of the foundation of the Republic , and on 27 December, the anniversary of the promulgation of the Italian Constitution . However, those awards on Presidential motu proprio , related to termination of service or granted to foreigners, may be made at any time. The badge, modified in 2001, bears
5508-497: The Hillsborough disaster. In the following days, The Sun ' s coverage of the event spread falsehoods, particularly an article entitled "The Truth" that claimed that Liverpool fans had robbed the dead and had urinated on and attacked the police. Subsequent investigations proved the allegations false, leading to a boycott of the newspaper by Liverpool fans across the city and elsewhere; many still refuse to buy The Sun 30 years later. Many support organisations were set up in
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#17329633026745616-788: The Kop for the 2021–22 Premier League season. The first league game to feature an attendance of over 60,000 at Anfield, following the near completion of the Anfield Road stand redevelopment, was a Premier League match against Brighton on 31 March 2024. Liverpool is one of the best supported clubs in the world. The club states that its worldwide fan base includes 300 officially recognised Supporters Clubs in 100 countries. Notable groups include Spirit of Shankly . The club takes advantage of this support through its worldwide summer tours, which has included playing in front of 101,000 in Michigan, U.S., and 95,000 in Melbourne, Australia. The club also has
5724-641: The League, League Cup and European Cup in Fagan's first season, becoming the first English side to win three trophies in a season. Liverpool reached the European Cup final again in 1985, against Juventus at the Heysel Stadium . Before kick-off, Liverpool fans breached a fence that separated the two groups of supporters and charged the Juventus fans. The resulting weight of people caused a retaining wall to collapse, killing 39 fans, mostly Italians. The incident became known as
5832-430: The Premier League and won the 2006 FA Cup Final, beating West Ham United in a penalty shootout after the match finished 3–3. American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks became the owners of the club during the 2006–07 season, in a deal which valued the club and its outstanding debts at £218.9 million. The club reached the 2007 UEFA Champions League Final against Milan, as it had in 2005, but lost 2–1. During
5940-479: The Premier League". In terms of support within the city, the number of Liverpool fans outweighs Everton supporters by a ratio of 2:1. Liverpool's rivalry with Manchester United stems from the cities' competition in the Industrial Revolution of the 19th century. Connected by the world's first inter-city railway , by road Liverpool and Manchester are separated by approximately 30 miles (48 km) along
6048-462: The Republic, it is awarded for "merit acquired by the nation" in the fields of literature, the arts, economy, public service, and social, philanthropic and humanitarian activities and for long and conspicuous service in civilian and military careers. The post-nominal letters for the order are OMRI . The order effectively replaced national orders such as the Civil Order of Savoy (1831), the Order of
6156-688: The Rodgers and Hammerstein musical Carousel and later recorded by Liverpool musicians Gerry and the Pacemakers , is the club's anthem and has been sung by the Anfield crowd since the early 1960s. Simon Hart of The Independent wrote: "The pre-match, scarfs-raised, sing-it-loud ritual is as much a part of Liverpool's fabric as their red shirts." The song's title adorns the top of the Shankly Gates, which were unveiled on 2 August 1982 in memory of former manager Bill Shankly . The "You'll Never Walk Alone" portion of
6264-405: The Shankly Gates is also reproduced on the club's badge. The club's supporters have been involved in two stadium disasters. The first was the 1985 Heysel Stadium disaster, in which 39 people, mostly Italians and Juventus supporters, were killed. They were confined to a corner by Liverpool fans who had charged in their direction; the weight of the cornered fans caused a wall to collapse. UEFA laid
6372-449: The age of 17 during the 1994–95 season. AC Milan coach Fabio Capello then won the race to sign him the following year , and despite facing tough competition to break into the all-star Milan side, Ambrosini was given a handful of games as the team romped to the Serie A championship. Used in the 1996–97 season only sporadically, Ambrosini was sent on loan to Vicenza , where he was given
6480-471: The best they could manage, and so Gérard Houllier was appointed co-manager in the 1998–99 season, and became the sole manager in November 1998 after Evans resigned. In 2001, Houllier's second full season in charge, Liverpool won a " treble ": the FA Cup, League Cup and UEFA Cup. Houllier underwent major heart surgery during the 2001–02 season and Liverpool finished second in the League, behind Arsenal. They won
6588-412: The blame for the incident solely on the Liverpool supporters, and banned all English clubs from European competition for five years. Liverpool was banned for an additional year, preventing it from participating in the 1990–91 European Cup, even though it won the League in 1990. Twenty-seven fans were arrested on suspicion of manslaughter and were extradited to Belgium in 1987 to face trial. In 1989, after
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#17329633026746696-607: The capacity at Anfield, Liverpool announced plans to move to the proposed Stanley Park Stadium in May 2002. Planning permission was granted in July 2004, and in September 2006, Liverpool City Council agreed to grant Liverpool a 999-year lease on the proposed site. Following the takeover of the club by George Gillett and Tom Hicks in February 2007, the proposed stadium was redesigned. The new design
6804-496: The centennial of the club, a new badge was commissioned, including a representation of the Shankly Gates . The next year twin flames were added at either side, symbolic of the Hillsborough memorial outside Anfield, where an eternal flame burns in memory of those who died in the Hillsborough disaster. In 2012, Warrior Sports' first Liverpool kit removed the shield and gates, returning the badge to what had adorned Liverpool shirts in
6912-405: The club alternated between yellow and white away kits until the 2008–09 season, when it re-introduced the grey kit. A third kit is designed for European away matches, though it is also worn in domestic away matches on occasions when the current away kit clashes with a team's home kit. Between 2012 and 2015, the kits were designed by Warrior Sports , who became the club's kit providers at the start of
7020-465: The club as Everton. Liverpool played their first match on 1 September 1892, a pre-season friendly match against Rotherham Town , which they won 7–1. The team Liverpool fielded against Rotherham was composed entirely of Scottish players—the players who came from Scotland to play in England in those days were known as the Scotch Professors . Manager John McKenna had recruited the players after
7128-528: The club at $ 2.183 billion. In 2019, revenue increased to €604 million (£533 million) according to Deloitte, with the club breaching the half a billion pounds mark. In April 2020, the owners of the club came under fire from fans and the media for deciding to furlough all non-playing staff during the COVID-19 pandemic . In response to this, the club made a U-turn on the decision and apologised for their initial decision. In April 2021, Forbes valued
7236-399: The club at $ 4.1 billion, a two-year increase of 88%, making it the world's fifth-most-valuable football club. Based on the latest rankings by Forbes , as of May 2023, Liverpool is ranked as the fourth most valuable football club in the world, behind Real Madrid, Manchester United and Barcelona; they valued the club at $ 5.29 billion, an increase of 19% from 2022. Liverpool featured in
7344-574: The club at $ 822m (£532m), excluding debt. Accountants Deloitte ranked Liverpool eighth in the Deloitte Football Money League , which ranks the world's football clubs in terms of revenue. Liverpool's income in the 2009–10 season was €225.3m. According to a 2018 report by Deloitte, the club had an annual revenue of €424.2 million for the previous year, and Forbes valued the club at $ 1.944 billion. In 2018, annual revenue increased to €513.7 million, and Forbes valued
7452-496: The club by mutual consent and former player and manager Kenny Dalglish taking over. In the 2011–12 season, Liverpool secured a record eighth League Cup success and reached the FA Cup final, but finished in eighth position, the worst league finish in 18 years; this led to the sacking of Dalglish. He was replaced by Brendan Rodgers , whose Liverpool team in the 2013–14 season mounted an unexpected title charge to finish second behind champions Manchester City and subsequently return to
7560-418: The club has been sponsored by Crown Paints , Candy , Carlsberg and Standard Chartered . The contract with Carlsberg, which was signed in 1992, was the longest-lasting agreement in English top-flight football. The association with Carlsberg ended at the start of the 2010–11 season, when Standard Chartered Bank became the club's sponsor. The Liverpool badge is based on the city's liver bird symbol, which in
7668-419: The club has played at Anfield ever since. The capacity of the stadium at the time was 20,000, although only 100 spectators attended Liverpool's first match at Anfield. The Kop is the stadium section where Liverpool's most vocal supporters, often referred to as "Kopites," have traditionally gathered. Historically, the Kop was a terraced stand before it was converted to seating, and it has long been recognized as
7776-473: The club to American businessmen George Gillett and Tom Hicks on 6 February 2007. The deal valued the club and its outstanding debts at £218.9 million. The pair paid £5,000 per share, or £174.1m for the total shareholding and £44.8m to cover the club's debts. Disagreements between Gillett and Hicks, and the fans' lack of support for them, resulted in the pair looking to sell the club. Martin Broughton
7884-407: The club to a combined eleven league titles and four European Cups through the 1970s and 80s. Liverpool won two further European Cups in 2005 and 2019 under the management of Rafael Benítez and Jürgen Klopp , respectively; the latter led Liverpool to a 19th league title in 2020 , the club's first during the Premier League era. Already nicknamed "The Reds", it was under Shankly in the 60s that
7992-434: The colour scheme would carry psychological impact – red for danger, red for power. He came into the dressing room one day and threw a pair of red shorts to Ronnie Yeats . "Get into those shorts and let's see how you look", he said. "Christ, Ronnie, you look awesome, terrifying. You look 7 ft tall." "Why not go the whole hog, boss?" I suggested. "Why not wear red socks? Let's go out all in red." Shankly approved and an iconic kit
8100-500: The disaster and Kenny Dalglish was appointed as player-manager . During his tenure, the club won another three league titles and two FA Cups, including a League and Cup " Double " in the 1985–86 season. Liverpool's success was overshadowed by the Hillsborough disaster : in an FA Cup semi-final against Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989, hundreds of Liverpool fans were crushed against perimeter fencing. Ninety-four fans died that day;
8208-417: The establishment of the club in 1892, 46 players have been club captain of Liverpool F.C. Andrew Hannah became the first captain of the club after Liverpool separated from Everton and formed its own club. Alex Raisbeck , who was club captain from 1899 to 1909, was the longest serving captain before being overtaken by Steven Gerrard who served 12 seasons starting from the 2003–04 season. The present captain
8316-517: The first English team to win the European Cup in 1968 , followed by Liverpool's four European Cup victories. Despite the 39 league titles and nine European Cups between them, the two rivals have rarely been successful at the same time – Liverpool's run of titles in the 1970s and 1980s coincided with Manchester United's 26-year title drought while United's success in the Premier League-era coincided with Liverpool's 30-year title drought, with
8424-515: The first edition of BBC's Match of the Day , which screened highlights of their match against Arsenal at Anfield on 22 August 1964. The first football match to be televised in colour was between Liverpool and West Ham United, broadcast live in March 1967. Liverpool fans featured in the Pink Floyd song " Fearless ", in which they sang excerpts from "You'll Never Walk Alone". To mark the club's appearance in
8532-455: The first time, but it lost in the 1977 FA Cup Final. Liverpool retained the European Cup in 1978 and regained the First Division title in 1979. During Paisley's nine seasons as manager Liverpool won 20 trophies, including three European Cups, a UEFA Cup, six League titles and three consecutive League Cups ; the only domestic trophy he did not win was the FA Cup. Paisley retired in 1983 and was replaced by his assistant, Joe Fagan. Liverpool won
8640-621: The heart of Anfield's fan base. It was originally built in 1906 due to the high turnout for matches and was called the Oakfield Road Embankment. Its first game was on 1 September 1906 when the home side beat Stoke City 1–0. In 1906, the banked stand at one end of the ground was formally renamed the Spion Kop after a hill in KwaZulu-Natal. The hill was the site of the Battle of Spion Kop in
8748-497: The home crowd despite being sent off by the referee for a second yellow card . On 6 July 2009, as the Milan team reunited for pre-season training, Ambrosini was officially named club captain , inheriting the armband from Paolo Maldini. On 8 September 2009, he added one more year to his contract, extending his stay with the team at least until 2011. He won the Serie A title in 2010–11 season with three games in hand, edging out city rivals Internazionale. On 19 May 2011, he signed
8856-475: The inscription Al Merito della Repubblica encircling the national coat of arms on the obverse and the Latin Patriæ Unitati (for the union of the country) and Civium Libertati (for the liberty of the citizens) encircling the head of Italia turrita on the reverse. The six degrees with corresponding ribbons are as follows (with numbers to 2 June 2020): The order is bestowed by decree of
8964-409: The kits from 2006 to 2012. Nike became the club's official kit supplier at the start of the 2020–21 season. Liverpool was the first English professional club to have a sponsor's logo on its shirts, after agreeing a deal with Hitachi in 1979. However, for the first few years of the deal, broadcasting rules meant that sponsors logos could not be shown on shirts for televised matches. Since then,
9072-436: The main reason for the disaster was overcrowding due to a failure of police control. Liverpool was involved in the closest finish to a league season during the 1988–89 season. Liverpool finished equal with Arsenal on both points and goal difference, but lost the title on total goals scored when Arsenal scored the final goal in the last minute of the season . Dalglish cited the Hillsborough disaster and its repercussions as
9180-571: The match to extra time as Milan defeated PSV with the same score in the San Siro , Ambrosini scored a header in second half injury time to bring the score to 2–1 and give Milan the 3–2 aggregate lead. PSV immediately responded with a goal of their own to tie the aggregate score at 3–3, but Milan advanced to the final on the away goals rule . Ambrosini, however, missed the final in Istanbul with yet another injury as Milan were defeated on penalties by Liverpool . In 2005–06 , he again suffered
9288-527: The past had been placed inside a shield. In 1977, a red liver bird standing on a football (blazoned as "Statant upon a football a Liver Bird wings elevated and addorsed holding in the beak a piece of seaweed gules") was granted as a heraldic badge by the College of Arms to the English Football League intended for use by Liverpool. However, Liverpool never made use of this badge. In 1992, to commemorate
9396-422: The quarter-finals of the tournament by eventual champions Spain , following a penalty shootout. After Donadoni's dismissal, however, Lippi was put back in charge, and Ambrosini was no longer called up for Italy, despite putting in battling displays for Milan. In total he made 35 appearances for Italy. A physically strong, tenacious, energetic, and hardworking box-to-box , central , or defensive midfielder , with
9504-442: The race to sign Ambrosini on a one-year deal, beating West Ham United who were also looking to sign him. He made 30 appearances for Fiorentina in his first season with La Viola, helping the club to fourth place in Serie A. Massimo Ambrosini would announce on 21 May 2014 that he would be leaving Fiorentina after one season. Ambrosini made his senior international debut on 28 April 1999 against Croatia , under manager Dino Zoff , and
9612-535: The reason for his resignation in 1991; he was replaced by former player Graeme Souness . Under his leadership Liverpool won the 1992 FA Cup Final , but their league performances slumped, with two consecutive sixth-place finishes, eventually resulting in his dismissal in January 1994. Souness was replaced by Roy Evans , and Liverpool went on to win the 1995 Football League Cup Final. While they made some title challenges under Evans, third-place finishes in 1996 and 1998 were
9720-455: The retirement of Paolo Maldini . Ambrosini retired from professional football in 2014, after a season with Fiorentina . At international level, he represented Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics , and in two UEFA European Championships , winning a runners-up medal at UEFA Euro 2000 . He currently works as a pundit and football commentator for Sky Sport Italia . Ambrosini began his career with Cesena and graduated to their first team at
9828-409: The sale of the club, the major asset of the holding company. A High Court judge, Mr Justice Floyd , ruled in favour of the creditors and paved the way for the sale of the club to Fenway Sports Group (formerly New England Sports Ventures), although Gillett and Hicks still had the option to appeal. Liverpool was sold to Fenway Sports Group on 15 October 2010 for £300m. Liverpool has been described as
9936-411: The second goal for teammate Kaká and putting in an excellent performance throughout the game, which Milan won 2–1. However, Milan had failed to earn 3 points in each single game leading up to a 4–1 win against Udinese on the final day of the season, thus finishing only in fifth place and qualifying for 2008–09 UEFA Cup instead of the desired Champions League. During the 2008–09 campaign , Ambrosini
10044-454: The squad in a 2–0 friendly home defeat to Croatia; for this match, he was given the captain's armband by coach Roberto Donadoni in the absence of regular contenders for the armband. He was then called up by the national side's manager to Italy's squad for UEFA Euro 2008 in Austria and Switzerland, appearing in all four of his nation's matches throughout the tournament, as Italy were eliminated in
10152-514: The start of the 2010–11 season Liverpool was on the verge of bankruptcy and the club's creditors asked the High Court to allow the sale of the club, overruling the wishes of Hicks and Gillett. John W. Henry , owner of the Boston Red Sox and of Fenway Sports Group , bid successfully for the club and took ownership in October 2010. Poor results during the start of that season led to Hodgson leaving
10260-426: The team first adopted the distinctive all-red home strip which has been used ever since. Also adopted under Shankly's tenure was the club's anthem " You'll Never Walk Alone ". The Reds compete in the local Merseyside derby against fellow Liverpool club Everton , often referred to simply as "The Blues". As the two most decorated clubs in England, and inter-city rivals , Liverpool also has a long-standing rivalry with
10368-486: The team's starting 11, prompting Carlo Ancelotti to change his preferred formation from 4–3–1–2 to 4–3–2–1 (alternatively, 4–4–1–1 ), in which he would play a left-sided defensive midfielder , in a role similar to that of Gennaro Gattuso responsible for winning back possession and passing the ball to either a deep-lying playmaker Andrea Pirlo or other attacking players. He scored two decisive goals in Serie A against Sampdoria and Atalanta , both with his head. He
10476-403: The two clubs having finished first and second in the league only five times. Such is the rivalry between the clubs that they rarely do transfer business with each other. The last player to be transferred between the two clubs was Phil Chisnall , who moved to Liverpool from Manchester United in 1964. As the owner of Anfield and founder of Liverpool, John Houlding was the club's first chairman,
10584-559: The wake of the disaster, such as the Hillsborough Justice Campaign, which represents bereaved families, survivors and supporters in their efforts to secure justice. Liverpool's longest-established rivalry is with fellow Liverpool team Everton, against whom they contest the Merseyside derby . The rivalry stems from Liverpool's formation and the dispute with Everton officials and the then owners of Anfield. The Merseyside derby
10692-410: Was Noel White who became chairman in 1990. In August 1991 David Moores , whose family had owned the club for more than 50 years, became chairman. His uncle John Moores was also a shareholder at Liverpool and was chairman of Everton from 1961 to 1973. Moores owned 51 percent of the club, and in 2004 expressed his willingness to consider a bid for his shares in Liverpool. Moores eventually sold
10800-403: Was also a key member to Milan's victory over Bayern Munich and Manchester United in the UEFA Champions League, balancing the game for Milan through his vision and leadership skills; his long pass from his team's half of the pitch to an unmarked striker Alberto Gilardino helped ensure Milan's eventual 3–0 victory as Gilardino scored a goal that drastically reduced Manchester United's chances of
10908-468: Was appointed chairman of the club on 16 April 2010 to oversee its sale. In May 2010, accounts were released showing the holding company of the club to be £350m in debt (due to leveraged takeover) with losses of £55m, causing auditor KPMG to qualify its audit opinion. The group's creditors, including the Royal Bank of Scotland , took Gillett and Hicks to court to force them to allow the board to proceed with
11016-544: Was approved by the Council in November 2007. The stadium was scheduled to open in August 2011 and would hold 60,000 spectators, with HKS, Inc. contracted to build the stadium. Construction was halted in August 2008, as Gillett and Hicks had difficulty in financing the £300 million needed for the development. In October 2012, BBC Sport reported that Fenway Sports Group, the new owners of Liverpool, had decided to redevelop their current home at Anfield stadium, rather than building
11124-537: Was born on 11 May 2009, and his daughter Angelica Ambrosini was born on 21 November 2011. AC Milan Italy Individual Orders Order of Merit of the Italian Republic The Order of Merit of the Italian Republic ( Italian : Ordine al Merito della Repubblica Italiana ) is the most senior Italian order of merit . It was established in 1951 by the second President of the Italian Republic , Luigi Einaudi . The highest-ranking honour of
11232-428: Was born. The Liverpool away strip has more often than not been all yellow or white shirts and black shorts, but there have been several exceptions. An all grey kit was introduced in 1987, which was used until the 1991–92 centenary season when it was replaced by a combination of green shirts and white shorts. After various colour combinations in the 1990s, including gold and navy, bright yellow, black and grey, and ecru ,
11340-472: Was once again a regular fixture in the Milan starting lineup, making 26 appearances in the team's Serie A campaign. During a pre-season friendly tournament against Juventus , Ambrosini was named Man of the Match as he netted twice to secure a Milan victory. His second goal was a superb effort into the roof of the net, past a bewildered Alex Manninger . This season was also memorable for him as he had managed
11448-557: Was once again the stand-in captain for the European Super Cup Final against UEFA Cup winners Sevilla FC , which Milan won 3–1. Ambrosini was Milan captain in the absence of Paolo Maldini throughout the 2007–08 campaign. In this campaign, Ambrosini scored four goals. He scored decisive goals against Palermo and Empoli , and played very well in the home leg of the Milan derby against Internazionale on 4 May 2008, setting up
11556-420: Was part of the Italian squad at UEFA Euro 2000 , which ended with an appearance as a substitute in the final loss to reigning World champions France following David Trezeguet 's golden goal; he also represented Italy at the 2000 Summer Olympics under Marco Tardelli later that year, where Italy were eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual finalists Spain . Ambrosini was unavailable for selection for
11664-443: Was the 1980s, when the club won six League titles, two FA Cups, four League Cups, one Football League Super Cup, five Charity Shields (one shared) and two European Cups. In 2020, Liverpool became the first English club to have won a League title in eight different decades. The club has accumulated more top-flight wins and points than any other English team. Liverpool also has the highest average league finishing position (3.3) for
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