AC Milan’s hopes of returning to the Champions League next season are hanging by a thread after a turbulent Serie A campaign that has left the seven-time European champions facing the prospect of missing out on Europe’s premier club competition entirely. Once considered a lock for the top four, Milan have slipped to fourth in the table and now find themselves just two points ahead of newly promoted Como 1907, whose stunning 1-0 win away at Hellas Verona on Sunday sealed an unprecedented qualification for European football for the first time in the Lombardy club’s 119-year history. The result means Milan no longer control their own destiny, with Roma only one point behind in sixth and Juventus, Atalanta, and Bologna also in the mix as the league enters its final two matchdays.
While Milan have struggled for consistency amid reports of dressing room unrest, managerial uncertainty, and an injury crisis that has sidelined key players, Como have been the revelation of the 2025-26 season under Cesc Fabregas. Exactly two years after earning promotion from Serie B, Fabregas has guided the lakeside club to 18 wins and only seven losses across 36 matches, combining heavy investment from owners Djarum Group with an attractive, possession-based style. Tasos Douvikas’ 71st-minute winner in Verona guaranteed Como can finish no lower than sixth, ensuring at least a UEFA Conference League place, but with 62 points they remain just two points behind Milan in fourth. That gap raises the very real possibility that Como could overtake Milan on the final day and snatch a Champions League spot in their first season back in the top flight since 2003.
For Milan, the situation is being described internally as a crisis. The Rossoneri have dropped points in winnable games throughout the spring, and their recent form has seen them win only twice in their last seven league fixtures. With Champions League revenue critical to the club’s financial planning and summer transfer strategy, missing out would represent a major setback for the ownership group and could have implications for the futures of several senior players and the coaching staff. Fabregas, by contrast, struck a humble tone after Como’s historic qualification, saying “we’re not AC Milan, Inter, Juventus or Napoli, we’re a humble team,” while also challenging his players to “fly even higher” as they target a top-four finish.
The contrast between the two clubs could not be starker heading into the final stretch. Milan face a difficult away trip to Torino before hosting Sassuolo, while Como travel to Cagliari and then finish at home against Lecce. Should Fabregas’ men collect four or more points and Milan stumble again, Como would complete one of the most remarkable stories in recent Serie A history by leapfrogging one of Italy’s traditional giants into the Champions League places, leaving the Rossoneri at risk of dropping into the Europa League or even the Conference League.
