++ [ originally posted by Padovano ] ++
Milan finished 4th and won the CL the following season, so the qualifying round is not terrible. Of course, it is better to finish in the top two and qulaify automatically and not put yourself at risk of missing out. There is a whole lot of money at stake, and those minnows can be so tough in a two legged tie. Especially when you consider that the qualifying match will be the first competitive match the side plays, then anything can happen.
Third place and fourth place in Serie A each play one qualifying round to gain entry to the Group Phase.