Baresi plots Rossoneri renaissance

Franco Baresi admits AC Milan's campaign has taken a huge nose-dive after the Rossoneri's UEFA Cup exit capped a disappointing month for the red and black half of Milan and says it could yet get worse with FC Internazionale Milano among the favourites to end their 44-year wait to reclaim the European Champion Clubs' Cup.

'Difficult period'
In touching distance of Serie A leaders Inter at the start of February, a six-point deficit has swelled to 12 after Milan claimed just one win in four games, losing two. The slide has allowed Juventus to move second and, with Coppa Italia ambitions already over, last week's UEFA Cup elimination at the hands of Werder Bremen, losing on the away-goals rule after squandering a 2-0 advantage, was a heavy blow. "There is a feeling of disappointment this season," Baresi told uefa.com. "The league title is drifting away from us and the UEFA Cup exit was frustrating. But we must find a way to get through this difficult period. I believe we will recover, especially with the return of players from injury."

Glittering career
Baresi was speaking in Cyprus where, in his role as part of Milan's marketing department, he was overseeing the start of a five-day youth camp; he needed no introduction to those present. A veteran of well over 500 games for the Rossoneri, the former centre-back was at the heart of a halcyon period at San Siro, the club claiming six Scudetti and three European Cups during his 20-year career. He hung up his boots in 1997, the club's No6 shirt retiring with him and, though Milan claimed further UEFA Champions League titles in 2003 and 2007, in recent years they have slipped back on the domestic front. However, they need evolution, not revolution, according to Baresi. "At the end of the season, we need to sit down and calmly assess what went wrong," he said. "Just because you have lost a couple of games doesn't mean you need to knock everything down and build again. There is already ground to build on and those in charge know what needs to be done to take Milan to the top again."

Inter chance
Baresi knows all about fighting to the top; he says the pinnacle of his career came "when we managed to win the European Cup again after 20 years" in 1989. Rivals Inter, for whom Baresi's elder brother Giuseppe played 392 times and is now assistant coach, have not scaled those heights since 1965, but that long wait could soon be over according to their one-time rival. Baresi said: "I like Barcelona this year but feel that whichever side progresses from the Manchester United-Internazionale tie will be the eventual winners of the Champions League."