Almost two years ago, Blanc declared it would take the club five years to return to the Champions League after their demotion to Serie B. Of those comments, Blanc told Tuttosport: "My reasoning was different: five years to rebuild the squad of 2006, which was built piece by piece over time. But to return to win again, I had hoped it would happen before then.

"And what we've achieved, with a mixture of youth and experience, is just what I had hoped for.

"Last Friday, I had a meeting with all the leaders of our youth system. I reminded them that our project will not change, we will not buy Ronaldinho, but instead we want to build at home."

Blanc also questioned the wisdom of AC Milan and Inter over their reliance on wealthy benefactors for their success.

He continued: "(Massimo) Moratti, in five or six years, has lost a billion dollars at Inter. (Silvio) Berlusconi has no liquidity problems, if he wants to buy a player for AC Milan, he pays ... but we cannot do that.

"I wonder, in twenty years time, when there is no more Moratti or no more Berlusconi, where will Inter and Milan end up?"