AC Milan could only finish fifth in the Italian Serie A this season and this implies that they would have to swallow the humble pie of the UEFA Cup and not play in the UEFA Champions League. This is indeed something worse than anything for a side that reached the final of Europ's top tier club competition last season.

Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti of course understands that his side has once again encountered an abysmal season. Reflecting on a season that has given them few reasons to smile, Ancelotti said:

"We have to look at the table and accept it leaves us out of the Champions League. We must analyse our mistakes.

"It was a season of peaks and troughs, though we paid a particularly heavy price for our poor home record in the first half of the campaign. We didn’t do enough.

"We’ll have a year in purgatory, but will face it with the same enthusiasm as always, concentrating our energy on Serie A to become more competitive."

Looking ahead to next season, Ancelotti underlines the importance of a scudetto triumph and declares that with no Champions League football to look forward to next season, they shall be able to concentrate on the Serie A with more focus.

Ancelotti said:

"Now we have to start all over again, to be competitive again, to be motivated and full of desire.

"Our main objective for next season is surely the league, we shall do all we can and what is necessary to reach this target.

"In Europe we shall re-start from the Uefa Cup, a trophy which Milan never won and therefore I think that it could become interesting trying to win also in this competition.

"New faces will surely arrive and they will be competitive. In the Uefa Cup, for example, we will play on Thursday and to be at our best for the league we shall need to rotate players.

"In any case, there is time to work with serenity in the market - we have time until August 31st."

Milan are set to undergo a massive squad change in the summer.