Bacca expects swift return to Champions League

Carlos Bacca may have given up UEFA Champions League football in moving from Sevilla to Milan, but he expects to be playing in the competition with his new club next season.

Milan got their campaign off to a winning start with a comfortable 2-0 success over Perugia in the Coppa Italia on Monday.

Bacca failed to find the target in that game but offered evidence that he could develop a strong understanding with strike partner Luiz Adriano – the Brazilian netting Milan’s second after a neat exchange between Bacca and Keisuke Honda.

Sinisa Mihajlovic’s side travel to Fiorentina in the opening round of Serie A this weekend, and Bacca is convinced they will have a successful season and seal a return to Europe’s premier club competition.

“My wish was that of playing in a top team and that’s what happened,” the Colombian told the Corriere dello Sport. “I feel like I’ve been here for a very long time, thanks in part to structures like Milanello and Casa Milan [the club’s training facilities].

“The difference between Milan and Sevilla is that the latter is a great club, but Milan are a top club, among the best in the world.

“I felt really driven to come here and I gave up on playing in the Champions League for that.

“It makes no matter, I know I’ll have to wait only one year and then I hope I can win it with Milan too.

“Our targets have to be the Scudetto, a return to the Champions League and the Coppa Italia.”