Milan will rise again under Allegri, claims Galliani

The Rossoneri chief is feeling upbeat about his team, and has backed their under-fire coach once more, as well as dismissing rumours that the club is up for sale

AC Milan CEO Adriano Galliani believes his side will soon re-emerge and that they will do so under the guidance of current boss, Massimiliano Allegri.

Following a dismal start to the season where they have picked up just seven points from seven matches and sit in a lowly 11th place in Serie A, Allegri's position has increasingly been called into question.

But Galliani has once again underlined the board's support of the former Cagliari tactician and went further by expressing his belief that he is the right man to steer Milan back to the top while dismissing talk that foreign investors are interested in buying the club.

"We are sure to come back with our current coach. We have enjoyed great success under Allegri since his arrival in 2010," Galliani was quoted as saying by Sky Sport 24.

"We have never thought about replacing him. We have absolute confidence in him, a coach who has gained 162 points in two years, which is some achievement.

"Foreign investors can be a good thing for Italian football, but they are not coming to Milan. There has been talk that a group of Arabs were interested, but it's not true. We want to keep president Berlusconi, who took us to the top of the world."

Milan take on Lazio on Saturday when Serie A action returns following the international break, before facing Malaga when the Champions League recommences next Tuesday.

"The Lazio game will be a very difficult one," the Rossoneri executive continued.

"It is more complicated because just days later we will face Malaga. Talking of the Champions League, we have never been eliminated from the group stages and we hope to continue this wonderful tradition. It is vital that we make it to the second round and then we can see what happens.

"The win against Zenit, in this sense, was very important, it made up for the two lost points with Anderlecht. Anyway, we live for the day and now need to think only of Lazio. Referees? After the game it is normal to speak of their performance if one believes he has been wronged, but then time passes and everything is forgotten."

The 68-year-old then commented on Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who he recently admitted was not speaking to him anymore following his sale to Paris Saint-Germain, while revealing who he will be cheering for in Saturday's showdown between Juventus and Napoli.

"Ibra was determined to stay with us, but we had to take different paths and I'm sorry for this," he said.

"Juventus-Napoli? Anyone who knows who I supported as a young boy will know that I will be cheering for the Old Lady."