AC Milan takes 17th Italian league title
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2004-05-03 14:02

Italian soccer club AC Milan won the Italian league title for the 17th time in its history on Sunday, sweeping aside the challenge of a determined but unlucky AS Roma side.

AC Milan, which last won the title in 1999, became the new champion with two games in hand thanks to a 1-0 home win over AS Roma.

"This is a well-deserved triumph," said a wet-eyed Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti minutes after the final whistle. "All honour to AS Roma, they've played a great championship but this is the right result."

AC Milan have won 24 out of 32 games so far this season and lost only 1, piling up a record number of 79 points.

The only goal of Sunday's match was scored in the second minuteby voracious Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko, who also scored Milan's winner in the European Cup final last year.

As well as having the honour of giving his club the title, the 27-year-old striker Shevchenko is also set to be crowned this season's leading goal scorer. With Sunday's strike he has knocked in 22, two more than his nearest rival, AS Roma captain Francesco Totti.

AC Milan's club chairman and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was in the San Siro stadium to watch Sunday's crucial match.

Close

Today's Top News     Top Sports News
Officials, experts differ on status of surging growth         New investors sought for urban utilities         No new SARS cases reported         Marriages on May Day all the rage         Premier Wen begins official visit to Germany         Iraqi prisoner details abuse by Americans	AC Milan takes 17th Italian league title       NBA playoffs see a rare day off       Tennis players evacuated from deadly fire       Three missing in yacht fire in South China       Chinese player leads Futures Tour event       Chinese sprinter Li to compete in IAAF Grand Prix