Dubai: Italy and AC Milan legend Franco Baresi hopes the Rossoneri’s winter break in Dubai this December will give his former club the energy they need to compete for a European spot in the second half of the season.
The seven-time European champions failed to qualify for both the Uefa Champions League and the Europa League this season after finishing eighth in Italy’s Serie A last year.
But former defender Baresi, 54, who won three Champions League and six Serie titles in a 20-year association with Milan, hopes the club can return to Europe with the help of training camp in the UAE, which was announced on Monday.
As part of the break, the San Siro outfit will play current Champions League holders and fellow Emirates-sponsored club Real Madrid at the Sevens Stadium on December 30, and Baresi said that game could provide the spark needed get back into continental contention.
“The main focus now is to get back into Europe,” said Baresi, a one club player who made 532 appearances for AC Milan between 1977 and 1997.
“AC Milan have always been in Europe and it’s been a long time since they have been out of the Uefa Champions League. So our main focus now should be to finish inside the top three of Serie A this season.
“The first part of the season is important, but here there’s a good chance to prepare for the second part of the championship. The weather, hospitality and structure for practice [in Dubai] are all favourable.
“Hopefully we are in a relevant position at the halfway point of the season to take advantage of this — refill and find energy and keep it for the rest of the campaign,” added Baresi, who played 82 times for Italy and was a member of the 1982 Fifa World Cup-winning squad.
Milan are currently sixth in Serie A with eight points from five games this season. Filippo Inzaghi is the new coach and Baresi feels the former Rossoneri striker can turn things around.
“We are coming from a bad couple of years, but Inzaghi has brought new spirit and passion,” Baresi said.
“As you know, in football there are ups and downs, this is not really a down it’s more of an in-between, but with new management hopefully Milan can return to where it once was. We can’t expect quick results, we must be patient and I’m sure everything will come.
Baresi added that Milan’s new summer signings under Inzaghi could provide the answers to all the Rossoneri’s problems.
“Jeremy Menez is a player with a lot of qualities and he is doing well, Alex can help because he has lots of experience and also we hope Fernando Torres is going to give us the goals that might help us this season.”
