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Milan and Pioli: Are we reaching the end?

Milan and Pioli: Are we reaching the end?

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AC Milan supporters are unhappy. That comes with the territory of watching your closest and fiercest rivals stroll to the title, but there is more to the Rossoneri’s malaise than Inter’s Scudetto success. This is a team that should, according to the banner displayed by Milan fans during Sunday’s match against Genoa, be performing better.

By Graham Ruthven

Stefano Pioli is widely expected to bear the brunt of this frustration at the end of the season when the 58-year-old will most likely leave as Milan manager. Discussion has already turned towards potential candidates to replace Pioli with the San Siro club reportedly already talking to a number of targets.

Julen Lopetegui was believed to be one of those targets until a negative reaction from supporters to AC Milan’s interest in the Spaniard ended negotiations. Lopetegui is now close to taking over at West Ham, leaving the Rossoneri at square one in their efforts to find a new manager that both fits their criteria and appeases the fans.

Sérgio Conceição has emerged as a contender over the past few days. The Porto manager is believed to be interested in a switch to Serie A and is ready for the next step in his managerial career having reached the end of a cycle in his current job. Conceição is expected to hold talks with new Porto president André Villas-Boas before the end of the week. Things could move quickly.

There are, however, some concerns over Conceição’s style of play. The 49-year-old is renowned for his conservative approach which has helped Porto achieve success in Europe, but Milan fans might expect their team to play a more attack-minded game considering the talent in the San Siro dressing room. Fans could bore of Conceição quickly. 

Paulo Fonseca is another name reportedly on the shortlist. The 51-year-old is doing an excellent job at Lille and is widely seen as one of the most exciting coaches working in European football right now. In contrast to Conceição, Fonseca likes his teams to control possession and play through teams with the ball. Milan would be more attractive under his stewardship.

That Conceição and Fonseca are both on the club’s shortlist doesn’t say a lot about the vision they have for the team. Conceição and Fonseca are good candidates, but there isn’t much to link the two in terms of how they view the game. Do the Rossoneri decision makers really know what they want from their next manager?

A whole host of other names have also been linked with the AC Milan job that hasn’t even been vacated yet. Thiago Motta has earned admirers for pushing Bologna into top four contention in the Serie A table this season with Zlatan Ibrahimović reportedly an advocate for the hiring of the former midfielder. 

Antonio Conte has been linked with the Milan job in the past and is still out of work after leaving Tottenham Hotspur last season. However, Conte is more likely to take over at Juventus where recent reports claim the former Chelsea and Italy boss feels he has some unfinished business. Some claim Conte has already spoken to the Old Lady. 

Then there’s Roberto De Zerbi who until recently appeared restless at Brighton. Napoli wanted De Zerbi to replace Luciano Spalletti last summer and the 44-year-old has so far resisted a return to Serie A despite interest from more than one club. Milan’s sales pitch, however, might be more compelling than anything else made to De Zerbi.

Roberto Martínez, Maurizio Sarri, Mark van Bommel and Francesco Farioli are also candidates reportedly being assessed by Milan who are doing everything they can to ensure their next appointment is the right one. Sacking Pioli – who won the Scudetto only two seasons ago – only makes sense if his replacement represents a step forward.

However, there is a point at which such a broad process becomes scattergun. Milan find themselves at a critical crossroads in their recent history and need a more accomplished manager to take them to the next level. It’s possible they will find that figure this summer, but the stakes are increasingly high.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Serie A game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Milan and Pioli: Are we reaching the end?

AC Milan supporters are unhappy. That comes with the territory of watching your closest and fiercest rivals stroll to the title, but there is more to the Rossoneri’s malaise than Inter’s Scudetto success. This is a team that should, according to the banner displayed by Milan fans during Sunday’s match against Genoa, be performing better.

By Graham Ruthven

Stefano Pioli is widely expected to bear the brunt of this frustration at the end of the season when the 58-year-old will most likely leave as Milan manager. Discussion has already turned towards potential candidates to replace Pioli with the San Siro club reportedly already talking to a number of targets.

Julen Lopetegui was believed to be one of those targets until a negative reaction from supporters to AC Milan’s interest in the Spaniard ended negotiations. Lopetegui is now close to taking over at West Ham, leaving the Rossoneri at square one in their efforts to find a new manager that both fits their criteria and appeases the fans.

Sérgio Conceição has emerged as a contender over the past few days. The Porto manager is believed to be interested in a switch to Serie A and is ready for the next step in his managerial career having reached the end of a cycle in his current job. Conceição is expected to hold talks with new Porto president André Villas-Boas before the end of the week. Things could move quickly.

There are, however, some concerns over Conceição’s style of play. The 49-year-old is renowned for his conservative approach which has helped Porto achieve success in Europe, but Milan fans might expect their team to play a more attack-minded game considering the talent in the San Siro dressing room. Fans could bore of Conceição quickly. 

Paulo Fonseca is another name reportedly on the shortlist. The 51-year-old is doing an excellent job at Lille and is widely seen as one of the most exciting coaches working in European football right now. In contrast to Conceição, Fonseca likes his teams to control possession and play through teams with the ball. Milan would be more attractive under his stewardship.

That Conceição and Fonseca are both on the club’s shortlist doesn’t say a lot about the vision they have for the team. Conceição and Fonseca are good candidates, but there isn’t much to link the two in terms of how they view the game. Do the Rossoneri decision makers really know what they want from their next manager?

A whole host of other names have also been linked with the AC Milan job that hasn’t even been vacated yet. Thiago Motta has earned admirers for pushing Bologna into top four contention in the Serie A table this season with Zlatan Ibrahimović reportedly an advocate for the hiring of the former midfielder. 

Antonio Conte has been linked with the Milan job in the past and is still out of work after leaving Tottenham Hotspur last season. However, Conte is more likely to take over at Juventus where recent reports claim the former Chelsea and Italy boss feels he has some unfinished business. Some claim Conte has already spoken to the Old Lady. 

Then there’s Roberto De Zerbi who until recently appeared restless at Brighton. Napoli wanted De Zerbi to replace Luciano Spalletti last summer and the 44-year-old has so far resisted a return to Serie A despite interest from more than one club. Milan’s sales pitch, however, might be more compelling than anything else made to De Zerbi.

Roberto Martínez, Maurizio Sarri, Mark van Bommel and Francesco Farioli are also candidates reportedly being assessed by Milan who are doing everything they can to ensure their next appointment is the right one. Sacking Pioli – who won the Scudetto only two seasons ago – only makes sense if his replacement represents a step forward.

However, there is a point at which such a broad process becomes scattergun. Milan find themselves at a critical crossroads in their recent history and need a more accomplished manager to take them to the next level. It’s possible they will find that figure this summer, but the stakes are increasingly high.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every Serie A game live with FotMob — featuring deep stats coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.