Soccer: Milan vow to react after European debacle

IMG class=hide alt=”Soccer: Milan vow to react after European debacle” src=”http://www.mineralfossil.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/wpid-3482d14a429b807a879ea77d3fcd7fa5.jpg” (By Paul Virgo) (ANSA) – Rome, March 12 – AC Milan are vowing to react after they were turfed out of the Champions League at the last-16 stage with a humbling 4-1 defeat at Atletico Madrid on Tuesday. PThe exit means seven-time European champions Milan are set to end the season trophyless as they are also out of the Italian Cup and the Serie A title race./PPFurthermore, they look set to fail to qualify for European competition for the first time since the 1998-99 campaign, as they are 10th in Serie A, 37 points behind leaders Juventus./PPThe debacle is also bad news for Italian soccer as a whole as Milan were the country’s last representative in Europe’s premier club competition and for the first time since 2009 there will be no Serie A sides in the quarterfinals./PP”No one has died,” said Milan coach Clarence Seedorf. “We lost a Champions League game away from home./PP”Now we’ll get back to work. We have difficult challenges ahead, but we’re moving forward, bit by bit, with determination./PP”When I fall, I’m used to getting back up”. Former Milan midfielder Seedorf is under fire, as he has picked up six defeats in 11 competitive games since replacing Massimiliano Allegri at the helm of his old side in January, despite having no experience in charge of a senior team./PPBut so is the club’s policy in recent years of reducing spending on the transfer market and trying to develop a competitive team based on young players./PPThe lack of leadership was clear as Milan faded away in the second half in Madrid on Tuesday./PPThe only flashes of inspiration came from Brazil playmaker Kak