COMMENT: So it was a blip. A break in the storm. These two seasons of success for AC Milan. As quickly as the fans were able to enjoy it, this brief respite - like Paolo Maldini - was gone...

It was a surprise, but then again, it wasn't. For those paying attention, Maldini's dismissal this week was always going to happen. He and Ricky Massara (along with Zvonimir Boban) had pulled off the impossible. On a shoestring budget. Leaning on their eye for talent and their relationships within the game. This wonderfully creative and innovative front office managed to cobble together a team to win the Scudetto. Then a year later - and still working with pennies - they oversaw another Champions League qualifying season.

For football people, it was stunning achievement. But while they said the right words in public, for the club's two owners in that period, you always had the sense they never truly understood what had been achieved...

And that's giving them credit. For this column, we'd question whether winning trophies was ever the remit of Elliott Management or the now current owner Gerry Cardinale. Indeed, the writing was on the wall for Maldini and Massara on the eve of their Champions League semi against Inter. Cardinale actually declaring (he really did) that qualifying for next season's edition was more important than winning this one.

"My competitive energy is in circulation and I want to win more than anything else," Cardinale said. "From a business point of view, however we cannot lose sight of the fact that we have to qualify for the next Champions League."

And that's what Maldini has been railing against for these past five years. This has never been the Milan of Silvio Berlusconi, Adriano Galliani and Ariedo Braida. It's not been a football club run by football men. Indeed, it's not been a club run by sportsmen. They're beancounters. Hedge fund owners. They're more excited about the stadium project than anything Stefano Pioli's players produce on the pitch. And after this week, things are only going to get worse.

They won't get back from this. They won't recover. The removal of Maldini and Massara is, of course, a disgrace. A ridiculous, insulting decision by the owner and with the support of his friends in the board room. Indeed, we now learn that a three-year plan Maldini drew up for Cardinale earlier this year did not even warrant an email response from the American.

But Maldini's Monday sacking runs deeper than the mistreatment of a legend. It's symbolic. A watershed moment. A clear, clear sign of Milan downsizing their ambitions.

And we say ambitions because, as we've said, the downsizing of the transfer budget and this once European heavyweight's influence on the market has long been in effect.

Need to know how bad it is? Well, we don't have to go far. Just this morning, the club's president Paolo Scaroni let us all know how out of touch this lot are.

Defending Cardinale's actions, Scaroni said: "In the meantime, I would like to remind you that in four years we have invested more than the others (€200m), some will say not always well, but our shareholders have allowed us to build a strong team and we will continue together on this path."

Hang on, hang on. €50m a year on transfers is nothing to gloat about. Or better yet, in Premier League terms, 40 million quid a year. Even a Bournemouth will spend more than that in a window. Again, Scaroni's words only affirm the genius of Maldini, Massara and Boban.

Oh, but it gets worse. Sorry Milan fans, even with the Champions League cash, more sales this summer will be needed. Scaroni adding: "I think we will have to make some sales, and conclude some important acquisitions: we are ambitious."

Sell before you buy. Again, not exactly the days of Gullit, Rijkaard and Van Basten.

And then, justifying Maldini's dismissal, Scaroni also stated: "I have to say that today, and it doesn't sound ungrateful, we need him less: Milan having come out of Yonghong Li's management was struggling to attract talent, today's Milan, which won the Scudetto and reached the semifinals of the Champions League, I think will be more attractive."

So on a budget of 30-40m quid this summer. Without the charm and know-how of Maldini. Cardinale's Milan expect to compete at the top table this transfer window? What world are they living in...?

Like so many of these American owners, Cardinale will be replacing Maldini and Massara with scouting software. The human ingenuity which brought Zlatan Ibrahimovic from the 'States. Convinced Theo Hernandez to quit Spain. And identified a little known goalkeeper by the name of Mike Maignan running around in France. All will be replaced by the stuff of Moneyball. But no amount of data mining will match what Maldini and co achieved.

The words of Scaroni. The actions of Cardinale. Nothing from this board suggests they're worthy custodians of this great club. The revival of AC Milan is over. This brief successful moment, like Paolo Maldini, is now gone.