Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti admitted he was delighted for Pippo Inzaghi after the striker’s goal against Celtic last night made him the all-time leading scorer in European football.
“Inzaghi reached a great achievement tonight, proving he still has a lot of life left in him,” said Ancelotti, after Inzaghi surpassed Gerd Muller’s UEFA-recognised total with his 63rd goal.
The 1-0 victory over Celtic also allowed the Rossoneri to win their Champions League group.
Real Madrid striker Raul Gonzalez has the most goals in the Champions League with 58.
Raul and Andriy Shevchenko are tied for third with 60 goals each on the total European list.
“I’m happy it happened in my own stadium,” Inzaghi said. “Seeing the names behind me makes me shiver. I have to thank all the teams that have been behind me.”
“They’re a little younger than me, so I’ve got to try and get a few more. I still want to play a few more seasons at this level.”
Milan travel to Japan today for the tournament – previously known as the Intercontinental Cup – and they will enter from the semi-final stage on December 13.
“The European clubs have always struggled in Japan and we lost last time we were there,” added Ancelotti. “It is a great shop window for the South American sides and they seem to give a little bit extra. We have to prepare for this as we would a World Cup Final.”
