After an impressive end to the 2012/13 season in which AC Milan achieved Champions League qualification on the final day, it was expected that the club would invest heavily to mount a serious challenge for the Scudetto. However, with Massimiliano Allegri still at the helm, that was never likely to happen. The coach was a whisker away from losing his job on several occasions last season and only the qualification for Europe's premier club competition saved him after what had been a turbulent campaign. Nevertheless, there was always the sense that the club president, Silvio Berlusconi, didn't really want Allegri there and was forced into keeping him on board. That was reflected by the severe lack of support the manager received yet again in the transfer market. Their only marquee signing was the emotional return of Kaka who came home after his nightmare tenure in Madrid. The Brazilian was clearly not at the peak of his powers any more but he still produced a stellar season and was able to roll back the years on occasion with some fine performances. Mario Balotelli was his typical enigmatic self - sometimes brilliant and sometimes infuriating with his perceived lack of effort and consistency. Indeed, consistency is something that Milan failed to achieve at all this season - if anything, they were consistently bad in the early weeks as they made their worst start to a Serie A season in over a decade. The final straw for Allegri was an embarrassing 4-3 defeat against newcomers Sassuolo, in a game in which the Rossoneri led 2-0. He was relieved of his duties soon after as off-field tensions continued to mar the club. President Berlusconi's daughter, Barbara, was named as joint-CEO alongside Adriano Galliani in a partnership that doesn't look set to last very long. Club legend Clarence Seedorf was named as the new man in charge as he ended his playing career in Brazil to take the job. The Dutchman did a pretty decent job of steadying the ship and enjoyed a far more fruitful transfer window in January as the club recruited Adel Taarabt and Keisuke Honda who both added some much needed creativity to the attack whilst Adil Rami slotted in nicely in defence. The Rossoneri's form remained inconsistent though and a terrible March seemed to rule them out of Europe altogether. However, Seedorf must be given credit for reviving them during the run-in where they won seven of their last nine games. Alas, it still wasn't enough to achieve even Europa League football and the Dutchman was rather harshly given his marching orders with the board appointing another club legend, Filippo Inzaghi, as his replacement. "Super Pippo" has inherited a decent squad and the January recruits show much more ambition in the transfer market from the board. They'll need further investment in the summer to get back to the heady days this great club used to enjoy.
