Alessandria: Who are AC Milan's Coppa Italia semi-final opponents?
Wednesday 2 March 2016 00:02, UK
Alessandria have beaten the odds by becoming the first third division club to reach the Coppa Italia semi-final since 1984 - and have their sights set on another upset.
The minnows trail AC Milan by just one goal going into the second leg of their tie, with Tuesday's fixture live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.55pm.
Here's all you need to know about Alessandria and how they reached the semi-final of Italy's most prestigious cup competition...
Live Coppa Italia Football
Who are Alessandria?
Nickname: I Grigi (The Greys)
Founded: 1912 (re-founded in 2003 under current name)
Stadium: Stadio Giuseppe Moccagatta
Capacity: 5,827
Division: Lega Pro/A - formerly Serie C, the third tier of Italian football
Brief history
Alessandria were formed in 1912 and competed in the inaugural season of Serie A in the 1929/30 campaign, finishing eighth.
The club is mostly known for a 30-year spell jumping between Serie C and the fourth tier and in 2003, they dropped down to the amateur divisions after declaring bankruptcy.
Alessandria were revived by a group of local businessmen under the name Nuovo Alessandria, before the decision was made to return to their former name Alessandria.
Since the re-brand, the club has competed in Italy's third and fourth divisions. In 2011, they were relegated to the fourth tier after club president Giogio Veltroni was found guilty for his part in a betting scandal.
Route to the semi-final
Unlike AC Milan, who automatically entered the Coppa Italia in the Round of 16, Alessandria's cup run began back in August.
On their road to the semi-finals, Alessandria have knocked out Serie A clubs Palermo and Genoa (away from home) in consecutive rounds before defeating Serie B club Spezia in the quarter-finals.
The momentous win over Spezia, who themselves knocked out Roma, was achieved in dramatic fashion. After trailing 1-0 until the 80th minute, striker Riccardo Bocalon scored twice to clinch a semi-final berth against Milan.
The win meant Alessandria became the first third-tier club to reach the semi-finals of Coppa Italia since Bari in 1984. Should they upset the odds and beat Milan over two legs, it would be their first Coppa Italia final in 80 years.
Star player
Bocalon is arguably the main man at Alessandria. The 26-year-old striker is currently the joint-highest goalscorer of the Lega Pro/A with 10 goals after joining the club for €300,000 (£228,000) in June last year.
This season, Bocalon has been vital to the club's incredible path to the semi-finals. He scored the extra-time winner against Genoa in the round of 16 and scored twice in the last seven minutes of the quarter-final comeback against Spezia.
Bocalon was a highly-rated youngster at Treviso and in 2008 signed for Inter Milan for €900,000 (£684,000). However, he never appeared for Inter's first team and had loan spells at seven different clubs before joining Alessandria permanently last year.
Most famous player
Alessandria's alumni boasts the 'golden boy' of Italian football Gianni Rivera, who started his career with the club.
Rivera went on to win three Serie A titles, four Coppa Italias and two European Cups with AC Milan. He also won the European Championships with Italy and won the Ballon d'Or in 1969.
Watch AC Milan v Alessandria live on Sky Sports 1 HD from 7.55pm on Tuesday night
