A.C. Milan had a mediocre season by its own standards, where only the scoring touch of Ukrainian striker Andriy Shevchenko saved it from complete humiliation. Shevchenko scored 24 times in Serie A, and the margin to relegation was a mere 12 points for the former giant. To compound the misery, their attempt to reclaim the Champions League title they had not won since 1994, ended in tears, when they only managed to draw at home against Spanish champions Deportivo La Coruña. With the final taking place at their own stadium San Siro, the disappointment was immense, and resulted in the sacking of their 1999 Serie A title-winning coach Alberto Zaccheroni. With owner Silvio Berlusconi busy being elected as Prime Minister, Milan seemed to lack direction, as Berlusconi was busy leading the country.