AC Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani said he will resign from his post after claiming his reputation had been "seriously damaged" by recent criticism amid an ongoing crisis at the Serie A giants.

Galliani, who has helped oversee the most successful period in the club's history, said he will resign in "a few days".

"With or without a severance package I will resign, with good reason, in a few days, probably after the Milan v Ajax game," Galliani was reported as saying by Italy's news agency ANSA.

Galliani said his reputation had been "seriously damaged" by recent comments made by Barbara Berlusconi - the daughter of club owner and president Silvio Berlusconi - who also holds the role of vice-president.

For the second successive season Milan are struggling in Serie A prior to the festive break and currently lie 13th, 20 points behind leaders Juventus.

Coach Massimiliano Allegri, who was lucky to retain his position last year, has so far escaped the axe. Instead, Galliani came under criticism from Barabara Berlusconi who said his efforts at the club over the past two years had not been satisfactory.

Galliani admitted changes were needed at the club, but, in comments appearing to hit back at the recent criticism, added: "I agree we need a change of generation at the club, but it must be done with elegance, not like this."

Galliani's decision appears to have prompted a show of solidarity, the Italian claiming he has been "called by presidents from big clubs, even from abroad, telling me they don't understand what is going on."

Although owned by Berlusconi, Galliani has been the former Italy prime minister's right-hand man for the best part of 27 years, simultaneously forging a reputation for attracting top name players to the club.

The likes of Ruud Gullit, Marco Van Basten, Clarence Seedorf, Andriy Shevchenko, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Mario Balotelli and Kaka were all lured to the club while Galliani was running operations on the ground.

Having joined the club in 1986, Galliani saw Milan win five European Cup/UEFA Champions League titles, eight Serie A titles, one Italian Cup, six Italian SuperCups, one World Club Cup title and two Intercontinental Cups.

Since 1986, Milan players have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or award seven times, Van Basten winning the trophy three times while a Rossonero and Kaka being the last Milan player to do so, in 2007.

Kaka, who enjoyed a hugely successful spell at Milan from 2003-2009, is likely to become Galliani's last notable acquisition for Milan.

Galliani appeared to underline the influence he could wield when he revealed details of how he managed to secure both Kaka and Ibrahimovic from Real and Barcelona respectively.

"I went to Madrid in the summer to bring Kaka back (to Milan). I didn't have an appointment, and the doors of the club were opened to me," Galliani added.

"And when I went to Barcelona in August 2010 to secure Ibrahimovic, the club president returned from a holiday he had planned with his family."

Milan host Ajax in the Champions League in a fortnight with qualification for the last 16 of the competition hanging in the balance.

However their lack of domestic form this season means a third-place finish, the minimum required to qualify for Europe's premier club event, is highly unlikely prompting speculation of an end-of-season clear-out.