They’ll tell you there’s nothing so dangerous and deceitful like living in the past, especially if those days were much happier than your contemporary situation.But, sometimes, it’s inevitable to look back and ask yourself where the hell things went so wrong and how did you end up in such a shambles. That’s maybe just what AC Milan need today, a couple of hours after another European knock-out.A reserve Liverpool team led by Origi and Salah defeats MilanOnly ten or fifteen years ago, one of the most ruthless and outstanding European sides has succumbed to painful mediocrity and is out of both UCL and UEL even before the New Year.To make things even worse – and force that rearview – this is the consequence of the 2-1 home loss to their larger-than-life rival, Liverpool. And it was, in truth, the Scoussers’ slot packed with usual reserves and unused subs that are obviously too good for Milan’s top 11 at the moment.Sixteen years after that notorious UCL showdown in Istanbul and fourteen after AC Milan’s revenge in Athens, two clubs are on two totally different roads. While the Reds enjoy their fruitful years of stability and high achievements with Jurgen Klopp in the dugout, Rossoneri are miles away from stable conditions.The days of Kaka, Seedorf, Pirlo, Inzaghi and other magicians are long gone, and – what’s even more critical – the boardroom without tycoon Silvio Berlusconi and his loyal associate Adriano Galliani isn’t capable of providing the club with a necessary vision.Running out of wiggle room: Milan are offering $7.5 million per season – but Kessie wants more than $10 millionThat’s why they turned to day-to-day survival, building a foundation of the team on the veterans Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Olivier Giroud. The two almost 40-year-olds are accompanied by a bunch of – with all due respect – mediocre players, such as Saelemakers, Krunic, Kessie, and others. To make a long story short – maybe they are good enough for the deteriorated Italian Serie A, but there’s no place in top European competitions for such a modest slot. ##EDITORS_CHOICE##Only four points out of six games against Liverpool, Atletico Madrid and Porto speak for themselves. The only stellar performance for the San Siro outfit came on a surprising night at Wanda Metropolitano in November, when Messias – until recently a genuine worker and a delivery guy – scored a late winner. One more point won against Porto at home was their last this season.Zlatan means ‘golden’ – the master striker turns 40Needless to say, all three of their group stage rivals are not champions in their respective countries but eliminating them proved to be a mission impossible for Milan. What now?If they’re wise enough, the Italians will take care of things the other way around and, firstly, strengthen the board, which will make a different long-term strategy to avoid more shortcomings. Although he’s charmingly persistent and a natural-born leader, Ibra is 40 and is more in the media last few weeks for his novel than for the on-the-pitch performances. ‘My brother died in front of me’: Ibra you have never seen beforeThe club should use his vast experience and charisma to offer him some consultancy role (even before his retirement), to work with some young, prominent strikers and make a basis for a brighter future.##NAJAVA_MECA_6034829##Along with Maldini Jr. and a few other kids, they could be household names of some new Milan that could repeat the glorious days of once giants.By: Bojan Babic
