“This is not a team. They do not defend collectively and this just highlights the limitations of every individual player,” Former AC Milan coach Arrigo Sacchi raged.

“In attack they have many soloists, but the style of football has no logic to it. I was also disappointed by Adel Taarabt tonight, as he wandered around the field.

“It is a sad moment for Milan and for Italian football.”

Sacchi’s words strike like an epitaph on the gravestone of the Rossoneri’s European adventure. The 4-1 loss at the hands of Atletico Madrid may have had the European Cup winning coach declaring that Milan weren’t a coherent group, but perhaps he’s not quite right.

There was a team out there facing Atletico Madrid, but it wasn’t Milan.

Because Milan are the seven time winners of Champions League, 18 time winners of Serie A and one of the most storied clubs in the history of football. AC Milan aren’t four goals worse than Atletico Madrid, and they never have been. Right?

Well, apparently they are four goals worse than Atletico and their league position (the Rossoneri currently stagnating in 11th) means that the embarrassing night at the Vicente Calderon will probably their last Champions League memory for a while.

It’s no surprise that Milan were outplayed against a side that have one of the most intimidating home records in Europe, but the manner of the defeat does highlight the steady decline that has affected the club since its last Champions League win in 2007.

It’s a sad shift of identity for a club so explicitly linked with big European nights and Adriano Galliani’s rather desperate insistence than Milan will attempt to make it into the Europa League smacks of a club struggling to cling to that ideology.

The real question is what now for Milan?

With a future without the Champions League looking inevitable, Milan face the same situation Juventus faced following their Calciopoli enforced relegation in 2006. It took the Bianconeri six years, a new stadium and some brave business from Juve director Beppe Marotta to rebuild the Old Lady into a winning force, now reaping the rewards of increased revenue and steady, club-owned income.

Over in the Italian capital, Roma have built a title challenging team in Serie A despite 2012-13’s seventh placed finish with excellent business acquisitions; Kevin Strootman, Mehdi Benatia and Gervinho leading a summer charge that, along with Rudi Garcia’s influence as new coach has transformed the previously frustrating Giallorossi into a budding title team.

Milan’s continued business over the last few years have belied any explicit intention to “trust youth and build our own champions” as Silvio Berlusconi intimated to at the start of the 2012-13 season. That has to change now.

Purchases of Alessandro Matri, Michael Essien, Kevin Constant, Valter Birsa and more are the additions of the cash strapped, hoping to strike lucky. If Milan are to return to the prominent stage Adriano Galliani is still convinced the Rossoneri still share with the Barcelona’s, Real Madrid’s and Bayern Munich’s, then the business plan has match that ambition.

Steps that are rumoured to be taken in building a new, club-owned stadium need to increase rapidly in order to rebuild funds, while certain players taking up large incomes and not matching it with performances need to be sent away for any price.

Additionally the Rossoneri must resist the temptation to grab a financial quick fix by listening to buyers for players like Mario Balotelli, Mattia De Sciglio or Stephan El Shaarawy. Clarence Seedorf has limited quality that he can rely on as it is, without more leaving in summer.

It’s a long road back for Milan, the length of which is somewhat self-inflicted. Most Milan fans and Serie A observers were probably already aware of the journey needed to be taken by this once great giant, and perhaps a positive to take from the Atleti’s demolition is now the reality of the Rossoneri’s situation is inescapable for the guys whose responsibility it is to turn it around.