Milan director Paolo Maldini explains they are not at Champions League level yet, but are ‘on the right track,’ and notes it’s only the top two Premier League sides who really leave Serie A behind.
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The Rossoneri were eliminated from the Champions League and, finishing bottom of their group, do not transfer to the Europa League either.
They needed to beat Liverpool at San Siro, and had taken the lead, but were beaten 2-1.
“It was a disappointment, especially considering the performances, but evidently we need one or even two steps to reach that level. Liverpool aren’t just quality, they are also mentality,” Maldini told Sky Sport Italia.
“That means being able to handle three games per week, handling the pressure in front of a packed stadium. You need to gain that through experience and being accustomed to it. Some adapt quickly, others less so and some will never get to that level, and that is how you evaluate the quality of a player.
“We know we are not there yet, but we are on the right track, and it was a very difficult group. The fact remains, we only won one of our six games and that is a negative statistic.
“If you have high revenue, you can build a more competitive squad. In order to get there, you need to be a little creative. Every club has their approach, their problems and solutions, so we took the only sustainable route we had right now.
“This is our first Champions League campaign in seven years, we were very low in the seeding process and therefore were fourth seeds, getting a very tough group. We hope to improve that next time.”
Much has been said about the gap between English clubs and Italian in Europe now, but Maldini insists the issue has been blown out of proportion.
“Serie A was the best in Europe in the 1990s, so we were the ‘Premier League’ of that time. We also need to specify here that Liverpool and Manchester City are a level above the others, but below that is a big gap. Napoli beat Leicester City and Atalanta – and Milan last season – more than played on level terms with Manchester United, so it’s only right at the top we see that gap.”
Considering Simon Kjaer is out for six months after knee ligament surgery, will Milan invest in January or even recall Mattia Caldara from his loan at Venezia?
“The idea had been not to make any investments in January, but Kjaer’s injury has prompted us to evaluate the integration of someone ready or a player who can stay on for next season.
“We’ll also lose several players for the Africa Cup of Nations, but I nonetheless consider this a competitive squad for Serie A and the Coppa Italia.”