Kaka Calls For overhaul in Milan

Kaka carried them to Champions League glory last season, almost singlehandedly at times, and that served to ward off the doubters, but it was always going to be a matter of when, not if.

If anything, this season has been worse, and Milan will now end the season without silverware after crashing to an embarrassing home defeat to Arsenal.

What is more, unless they dig deep, they could well miss out on Champions League football next season, something almost unthinkable for the Rossoneri.

The frustration is being felt up and down the club, and even those who kept arguing that Milan will prove doubters wrong are now convinced that a change is needed.

The average age of the team is over 32 if you leave out Kaka and Pato, with many players needing more than one week to recover from 90 minutes of football. That is a formula that simply cannot work in today's football world, and Kaka has come out demanding that changes be made, through a diplomatic but very clear message.

“At the end of the season many players reach the end of their contracts and the club must decide what signings to make,” he  said.

“Tomorrow and the day after will be the most difficult. The Champions League was our objective and now that is gone we must focus on at least trying to achieve fourth place."

The Brazilian - who insists he wants to stay on at the club like Paolo Maldini - made it amply clear that he thinks it is time to thank the veterans for their input and wave goodbye.

“Arsenal played very well in both legs and we lost against a team that played better than we did," he said. "When I got the ball and tried to run forward on the counter, myself, Pippo and Pato weren’t sharp enough to do anything better. It is an unfortunate setback, but these defeats help you to mature.”

“This team has done a great deal over the past few years for its fans and players. Unfortunately this season it went this way. But it is the club who must take decisions at the end of the season."