Mumbai, Feb. 12 -- AC Milan is today famous as a prominent football club that plays in Italy's top-tier Serie A league. So it might come as a surprise to many that the Rossoneri's history is connected with cricket too.

AC Milan was founded on December 16, 1899, as 'Milan Foot-ball and Cricket Club'. In less than two years, AC Milan were the champions of Italy for the first time as they defeated Genoa, the oldest football club of Italy, 3-0 on May 5, 1901.

Genoa also had a connection with cricket; they were founded as the 'Genoa Cricket & Football Club' in 1893.

"The game of cricket in Italy dates back to 1793 when Admiral Horatio Nelson organised the first-ever recorded game in Naples," writes the International Cricket Council (ICC). "...