Ancelotti insists he's not under pressure

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AC Milan coach Carlo Ancelotti insists he does not fear for his job following his team's unexpected elimination from the Uefa Cup at the hands of Werder Bremen last night.

The German side progressed to the last 16 of the competition after holding the Rossoneri to a 2-2 draw at the San Siro, going through on away goals after a 3-3 aggregate result.

"I don't feel under pressure," said Ancelotti. "Although I take full responsibility. The season is a negative one."

Ancelotti has been linked with a number of top clubs in the Premier League - not least Chelsea - amid speculation that he could leave Milan at the end of the season.

Milan had high hopes of going all the way in the competition having failed to secure a place in the Champions League after a fifth-place finish in Serie A last season.

Having been knocked out of the Coppa Italia early this year and trailing 11 points behind league leaders Inter Milan with 13 games remaining, the Uefa Cup was considered the only realistic chance silverware.

But Ancelotti admitted his team did not play their best football in a tie which looked to be over when Andrea Pirlo and Alexandre Pato scored first-half goals, only for Claudio Pizarro's second-half brace to give Bremen a 2-2 draw at the San Siro.

"Milan didn't play well," Ancelotti said. "Werder have been very good and it is right they have gone through after their great performance.

"We knew we had to impose our game from the start but Werder have been superior in terms of play and physically."

Ancelotti hopes his team will be bounce back immediately, starting in Sunday's Serie A clash at Sampdoria, but he knows it will not be easy for his team to forget yesterday's disappointment.

"Now we must try to reach our aim, which is to finish second or third in Serie A," he added.

"It will not be easy, especially from a psychological point of view.

"We will have to find a way to overcome this and react as we know how in order to play all of our remaining games at our best."