Ospreys forwards coach Jonathan Humphreys has admitted that the Welsh regions do not have the financial muscle to compete in the Heineken Cup.
Humphreys's side were eliminated from the competition with a 17-14 defeat to Treviso at the weekend, with no Welsh outfit qualifying for the quarter-finals.
"Our expectations are totally unrealistic. We are the least funded and yet we expect the most. Someone justify to me why we should be disappointed," he told BBC Sport.
"We have way less money than everybody else in the competition, that's including the Italians... and we are upset about it?"
The Ospreys, Cardiff Blues and Llanelli Scarlets managed just three wins between them from 18 pool matches, while the Newport Gwent Dragons failed to qualify.
