Vincenzo Montella has set his AC Milan team the "credible" target of finishing in the Europa League spots this season.
Milan open their Serie A campaign at home to former boss Sinisa Mihajlovic's Torino on Sunday amid a backdrop of apathy, with reports suggesting only 10,000 season tickets have been sold.
Montella, who took over in July, is hoping to reconnect the fans and the players, but refused to set unrealistic expectations.
"There are stronger squads out there, but the important thing is that we believe in ourselves," he said. "I think my players are better than they think they are.
"We need to set credible targets. We need to get into the Europa League. We need to get back into Europe because that's Milan's home.
"It's important that everyone works hard for the good of Milan and I include the fans. The players need confidence in order to achieve good results."
Montella had words of praise for Mihajlovic, who was sacked by the Rossoneri in April.
"His work was the starting point for mine, because he left something good behind at Milan," said Montella.
"We need to match Torino in terms of determination and then bring in our superior quality.
"The fact Mihajlovic knows Milan could be an extra problem for us, but then the players know how Sinisa thinks too."
