FIFA 19: AC Milan Career Mode Guide, Tactics, Formations & Tips

AC Milan have been regarded a ‘sleeping giant’ in recent seasons, with the Italian heavyweights winning just two Serie A titles this century. Backed by big money and with promising young players, the club is set to return to those heights, but they must remember how it feels to win again.

Your task on FIFA 19’s Career Mode is to bring silverware back to the San Siro once again, and with this Milan squad, it’s certainly possible. RealSport gives you all you need to know as you set up your Career Mode with the Rossoneri. 

Team Rating

AC Milan receive a four and a half star rating on FIFA 19, which is made up by an 80 attack, 80 midfield and 80 defence.

Formation

AC Milan’s default formation is a 4-3-3 flat, but we think you should alter this slightly into a 4-3-3 holding. Other options are a 4-5-1, 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 defend.  

Young goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma (89 GK reflexes) gets the nod of Pepe Reina in net, with the back four made up by Davide Calabria, Mattia Caldara, the emerging Alessio Romagnoli (88 marking) and left back Ricardo Rodriguez.

Lucas Biglia is in defensive midfield with Giacomo Bonaventura and Hakan Calhanoglu just ahead of him. Chief creator Suso (86 short passing) is out on the right wing, with Samu Castillejo on the left and Patrick Cutrone through the middle.

Pepe Reina, Mateo Musacchio, Ignazio Abate, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Franck Kessie, Diogo Laxalta and Kryzsztof Piatek are on the bench. 

Tactics and instructions

With two dynamic central midfielders, movement will be the key as you play with this AC Milan side. When you pick the ball up with Giacoma Bonaventura (83 dribbling) and Hakan Calhanoglu (85 dribbling), look to drive forward and beat opponents to open up space. 

The wingers can they drift inside any look to attack through the heart of the defence, with Suso (88 dribbling) and Samu Castillejo (85 dribbling) also capable of beating a man. If you don’t have full trust in striker Patrick Cutrone, don’t be afraid to shoot from range with Bonaventura (86 long shots), Suso (87 long shots) and Calhanoglu (88 long shots). 

Your full backs will be the men to supply the width, and when they do pick the ball up, there should be plenty of options in and around the box. Ricardo Rodriguez (86 crossing) has a wand of a left foot, and he will be your main outlet in this department.

Your instructions can help you achieve these tactics more efficiently, and your first port of call should be to adjust Lucas Biglia’s attacking support to ‘stay back while attacking’ to protect the back four.

As for Hakan Calhanoglu, you need to get him into dangerous positions, so his support on crosses should be adjusted to ‘stay on edge of box for cross’ and his positioning freedom to to ‘free roam’. 

For main man Suso, put his chance creation to ‘cut inside’ and his support runs to ‘come short’. 

Training

In your training sessions, you can grow the ability of your players, especially those not receiving regular minutes. At AC Milan the players with high growth are Gianluigi Donnarumma, Alessio Romagnoli, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Davide Calabria, Mattia Caldara and Franck Kessie. 

The Transfer Market

Starting transfer budget: £79 million

Starting wage budget: £208,000 a week

Who should go

The AC Milan is well balanced this season, and especially with some useful players in on loan, you don’t need to make any drastic sales in the transfer market. Antonio Donnarumma is the fourth-choice goalkeeper, and he can be let go for £350,000 which saves you £13,000 a week. 

As for outfield players, Ignazio Abate should be sold as a new right back is going to be on your transfer shortlist. Sell the Italian international for £3.5 million to free up £60,000 a week in wages.

Loans

Just one man should be sent out on loan, goalkeeper Alessandro Plizzari. The youngster isn’t going to make many appearances behind first teamers Gianluigi Donnarumma and Jose Reina, so loan him out for the next season or two. 

Who to sign

New transfer budget: £82.6 million

New wage budget: £281,000 a week

Reliable striker

After the loss of Gonzalo Higuain to Chelsea, AC Milan look very light up front, especially with Krzysztof Piatek being severely underrated (15 goals in 22 Serie A games). Bring in an experienced, reliable forward to smash the goals in for you this season.

Radamel Falcao fits the billing, with the Colombian netting 18 Ligue 1 goals for Monaco last season. The 32-year-old has an 84 overall rating on FIFA 19, consisting of stats of 91 jumping, 89 heading accuracy and 88 positioning. The number 9 costs £26 million with wages of £101,000 a week.

Alternative options

Experienced right back

It’s a similar case at right back, with Davide Calabria having a bright future but not strong enough yet to start on a consistent basis. Someone who can plug that gap for two seasons is all you need.

Kieran Trippier would be a great shout, with the England right back among the best in the world in the position. The 27-year-old Spurs defender is rated at 82 on the game, and has stats of 91 crossing, 88 stamina and 87 curve. You are looking at a price of £24 million for him, with wages of £87,000 a week.

Alternative options

Contracts

You have some serious decisions to make over contracts expiring at AC Milan, with five players’ deals running out at the end of the season. Jose Mauri is a tricky one with a 72 overall and 79 potential, but with Tiemoue Bakayoko and Franck Kessie only on loan, you will want cover next season. 

Cristian Zapata is a centre back who can come in a fill in for a few games, but aged 31 his best days are behind him. The Colombian is your fourth-choice centre half so you can afford to release him at the end of the season. It’s the same for Andrea Bertolacci who only has a 77 overall rating, and you can also wave goodbye to Ignazio Abate and Riccardo Montolivo. 

Managerial Objectives

The managerial objectives are as you would expect for AC Milan, with the club going five years without Champions League action. Brand exposure is the one critical objective, and here you will need to earn £88 million from shirt sales and a further £18 million from competition prize money in the next three seasons. Bringing in big names and claiming pre-season tournament victories can give you a leg-up here. 

For domestic success, you will need to reach the Coppa Nazionale quarter-finals and finish in the top four of Serie A. Your continental success objective is where things get tricky, with the club demanding you to go all the way and win the Europa League. 

For youth development you must sign a player with a potential of greater than 75 to your youth squad. Then increase his rating by ten overall points. Get your youth scouts out early to achieve this. 

Take Milan back to where they belong

It’s paramount that you get back into the Serie A top four and achieve Champions League qualification. Juventus will be expected to run away with the title, but AC Milan have enough quality to battle and finish above Inter, Napol, Roma and Lazio. It won’t be easy, especially with juggling the other competitions, but the potential of this squad is good enough to deliver. 

Your Europa League goal is difficult, so you must try your hardest to at least reach the final. Remember that if your league form diminishes, you have a second chance of qualification for the Champions League by winning the Europa League. The Coppa Nazionale is a distraction, so give your youngsters a chance in the competition with the aim of achieving that goal by reaching the quarter-finals. 

Looking further ahead, if you continue to grow and add to this squad over the next few campaigns, you should look to launch a title challenge in your third campaign and have eyes on the Champions League the following year. AC Milan were not long ago heavyweights of European football, it’s about time they were competing once again. 

Full AC Milan player ratings