Leonardo Bonucci Claims AC Milan 'Regained What We Had Achieved' After Europa League U-Turn

Overjoyed Milan captain Leonardo Bonucci claims that his team have "regained what we achieved on the field" after the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) reversed UEFA's decision to ban the Rossoneri from the Europa League.

Milan finished 6th in Serie A last season to qualify for the Europa League, only to be banned from the competition for breaching Financial Fair Play (FFP) regulations.

I Rossoneri finished last season with a €100m spending deficit, more than three times the €30m annual limit permitted by UEFA rules, leading to sanctions.

But a successful appeal to CAS, owing to the club's more stable new ownership, means that Milan have been reinstated and will enter the competition at the group phase.

Bonucci has been linked with a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain - another club which constantly flirts with falling foul of FFP rules - but his response to today's decision shows that his heart is still very much at the San Siro.

"Riconquistato ció che avevamo raggiunto sul campo," he tweeted, literally: "regained what we had achieved on the field".

Taking part in the Europa League will make it easier to keep and sign players, both in terms of the appeal of European football and the financial boost that it gives to participating clubs.

Had their ban been upheld, Milan could have been forced to cut their cloth accordingly by selling key players, with Suso, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Bonucci all linked with moves away.

The news that they will not have to sell these players will come as a huge relief to Gennaro Gattuso as he prepares for the new season.