AC Milan coach Massimiliano Allegri says the Italian club had no choice but to make wholesale changes in its team, selling Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic to Paris St. Germain and letting many veterans go.

“We needed a generational change,” Allegri told La Stampa. “It might not be nice, but that is how life goes. Carlo Ancelotti was fortunate to work people like Gennaro Gattuso, Pippo Inzaghi, Alessandro Nesta and Clarence Seedorf at the peak of their careers. I too would have liked them in my squad when they were seven years younger. ... It takes courage to make the painful decisions that Milan made, but to keep speaking about these champions is disrespectful to those players who have remained.”

Milan lost its opening game at home, 1-0, to Sampdoria, but recovered to beat Bologna, 3-1, on the road in its second game. Giampaolo Pazzini, who was acquired from Inter Milan in exchange for Antonio Cassano and cash, had a hat trick.