AC Milan have been left dwelling on the past as they prepare to host Barcelona in a Champions League last-16 first leg tie on Wednesday when Lionel Messi will try to score for the Catalans for the 15th match in a row.
The Italians were forced to hold a fire sale of their top players to try and balance the books at the end of last season, with striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and defender Thiago Silva among those to leave.
Alexandre Pato has also left since Milan were eliminated by the same opponents in the quarter-finals just under a year ago.
Mario Balotelli, their only marquee signing this season, is cup-tied against Barca, leaving the seven-times European champions a pale shadow of their former selves.
Milan seem to have struggled to come to terms with their new reality - a reflection of the difficulties facing Serie A where clubs can no longer compete with the financial clout of other top European leagues.
At times Milan have been happy to play the role of underdogs, with president Silvio Berlusconi and coach Massimiliano Allegri emphasising they are now a young team building for a financially sustainable future.