By Associated Press - Tuesday, December 18, 2018

ROME (AP) - Following a week in which it was eliminated from the Europa League and hit with a financial fair play penalty, AC Milan didn’t do much to help itself with a 0-0 draw at relegation-threatened Bologna in Serie A on Tuesday.

Milan finished with 10 men after midfielder Tiemoue Bakayoko was sent off after picking up his second yellow card in three minutes.

Gonzalo Higuain and Hakan Calhanoglu both missed chances for Milan.

Desperate to qualify for the lucrative Champions League, Milan is fourth in Serie A, two points ahead of fifth-place Lazio.

The top four teams qualify for the elite European competition.

Last week, Milan was fined 12 million euros ($13.6 million) by UEFA and threatened with a one-season ban from European competition for breaking financial fair play rules.

UEFA said its club finance panel ruled the ban will be activated if Milan fails to break even on soccer-related business in June 2021. If Milan fails to comply, it will be banned for the next UEFA competition it qualifies for in either of the 2022-23 or 2023-24 seasons.

The decision was announced the day after Milan was eliminated from the Europa League in the group stage. The 12 million euros will be deducted from its prize money.

The fine is one of the biggest imposed by UEFA since financial fair play sanctions began in 2014.

Bologna remained third from the bottom.

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