A.C. Milan: no Champions,
no big investment on the market

MILAN, 19 March 2008 - A.C. Milan are 4 points short of a Champions League position. There are two possibilities: either they qualify for the Champions League or they only play in the UEFA Cup.

1 – What will A.C. Milan do on the transfer market? Their priorities are a goalkeeper, a couple of defenders, a midfielder and two attackers. Ancelotti has declared that there will be five strikers in the next squad, including the young Paloschi. Who are the other four? Certainly Pato and Inzaghi. There are some doubts about whether Gilardino will stay. Ancelotti is considering bringing back Borriello (co-owned with Genoa) and signing Shevchenko. However, if the club qualifies for the Champions League Drogba is the number one target. In the other parts of the pitch: Pelizzoli and Frey are possible goalkeepers. Flamini in midfield: the Frenchman’s contract with Arsenal is about to expire and Milan have already reached an in principle agreement. Zambrotta (nearly done and dusted) and Barzagli are defensive reinforcements.

2 – Will something change if Milan fail to qualify for the Champions League?Most likely they won’t invest in a big name attacker (such as Drogba, for clarity's sake, or also Shevchenko) and they will build a squad to win the league. In a few words: they will need a team more suited to long slogs than to European nights. Fewer high-faluting names and more substance.

3 – Will Ancelotti remain coach even if A.C. Milan don’t make fourth place? Berlusconi and Galliani have guaranteed that the coach’s job is not up for discussion. However words in the world of football count for very little. Meanwhile contacts with Marcello Lippi have been made and advanced by the same bosses who today declare Ancelotti to be “untouchable”. The talks with Lippi were broken off when the former Italy team coach made a number of conditions such as the sale of Seedorf and Inzaghi, or the reorganisation of the medical department. The Rossoneri bosses have stated that it is they who decide certain questions at the club (including the transfer market) and interference from coaches will not be tolerated.

4 – What will Milan’s formation be for next season? If Ancelotti is still on the bench you can bet on the fact that it will not be very different from today’s formation, that is 4-3-2-1. The contemporary use of Seedorf and Kaka is fundamental for the possession play that has been the Rossoneri trademark since 2002. If necessary the club should consider signing a few players to give the coach some scope for changing the current formation: moving over, for example, from 4-3-2-1 to 4-4-2, and making greater use of the wings. Milan do not have this option now because there are no wingers available and those who are (Cafu and Serginho) have been flagging for some time.

5 – Is it possible to quantify the financial damage of Milan failing to qualify for next season’s Champions League? It is hard to come up with definite figures, but you can reasonable suppose that if A.C. Milan play in the UEFA Cup, they lose 15 million euro, which includes income from TV rights, gate receipts (season tickets included) and the money that UEFA gives for a victory or a draw.