EfluxMedia

After AC Milan won the Champions League last night in its final with Liverpool, Carlo Ancelotti is the coach of the moment. Ancelotti, whose job as Milan coach was under threat late last year, praised an "extraordinary achievement" by his side. "Very few fans expected us to win the most important trophy. Maybe no-one. But this is the greatest victory we've had.", he said.

Ancelotti also hoped that the victory might paint Italian football in a brighter light following the corruption scandal which saw Milan start the season with an eight-point penalty in Serie A. "I wouldn't talk about revenge as regards the scandal. But Italian football and Milan suffered a lot," he added.

"It is important for Italian football and we could become more serene because of this and get back some credibility."

Ancelotti said Pippo Inzaghi's goal just before the end of a first half dominated by Liverpool - a lucky deflection from Andrea Pirlo's free-kick - was crucial to the outcome of the game.

"That gave us confidence," added Ancelotti. "Before then we had few chances and few dangerous situations. We made more space in the second half." Milan gained revenge for their defeat on penalties to Liverpool in Istanbul two years ago with the oldest team, at an average age of 31 years and 34 days, ever to appear in a Champions League final.