AC Milan’s search for a new coach is not expected to end quickly with a whole host of names being linked with the not-yet vacant post held by Stefano Pioli.
The expectation is that Pioli will be asked to step aside at the end of the season with Milan failing to win a trophy or launch a real challenge for the Serie A title.
For that reason, names are being linked with the job at an alarming rate and three of them are Julen Lopetegui, Domenico Tedesco and Paulo Fonseca. La Gazzetta dello Sport (as seen below) has assessed the three coaches for their pros and cons.
Julen Lopetegui
Spanish coach Julen Lopetegui views Milan as his priority, which counts for something given how many big clubs are seeking a new coach. The former Real Madrid and Wolves boss is being pursued by West Ham United, though.
A negative for Lopetegui is that the Milan fanbase does not seem very enthused by the idea of him replacing Pioli. He is not viewed as a long-term appointment who can take the team further than Pioli has.
Domenico Tedesco
Italian-German coach Domenico Tedesco is another very plausible option for Milan as it would be his most high-profile job, but he would not be able to start work as Milan coach until July because he is the Belgium coach and Euro 2024 needs to take place first.
He has coached Schalke, Spartak Moscow and RB Leipzig in the past, winning the DFB Pokal with Leipzig in the 2021/22 season. He is seen as lower down the list compared to Lopetegui and Fonseca.
Paulo Fonseca
Finally, Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca is doing a great job at Lille and is playing an attractive brand of football with many young players in the side. That makes him an ideological fit for Milan in the modern day.
He has worked in Serie A before with AS Roma and was commended for handling of off-pitch issues. He favours the 4-2-3-1 formation that Milan currently use, but his sides are known for conceding a lot of goals. He finished a Serie A season with Roma having conceded 58 goals; only Cagliari, Frosinone, Sassuolo and Salernitana have conceded more than that this season with five games to play.
wow what a pro and contra
mid vs average vs mediocre
If you are going to hire a coach that likes to play 3 at the back, then go hire Conte.
Don’t have money to sign him
Why are we even considering a coach who is known for conceding a lot? Do we not need an overhaul in the defense department?
Since it seems that they don’t want to spend any money Motta would be the most reasonable choise. Cheap, can work with any players you give him, has high ppm (with small team which is a +) and has seria A experience.
3 busts….😂😂😂
Here’s my guess: these guys will turn out too expensive
– we will look for a foreign (non-Italian) coach
– we will hire the cheapest coach available who is obedient (can’t cut into profits & can’t hire someone who undermines Cardinale’s huge EGO)
What really matters is what players they sell – and what french cheapos we hire to replace them.
Why is Xavi not even part of the conversation? He is new to coaching but did a good job w Barca. Plus he has the perspective of being a former player and can develop a rapport similar to Ancelotti at Madrid. There have to be more options than just these three.
Pioli has done a great job in terms of points in the league but his mistakes outshine the positives as they are ones that seem avoidable (weird player rotations/dropping points to bottom-table teams).
If we are to replace him, we need to be confident the new manager can reach a higher level. Either it’s a coach with accolades or one like Xavi/Motta who are showing the potential to be great. I think it’s stupid to replace Pioli with someone who is bang average just for the sake of replacing him.
Some degree of dropping points against smaller teams is normal, big teams will run into mental fatigue and rotation problems while the small teams go all out. Inter only dropped 4 points against big teams as well.
He was just confirmed to be staying at Barca until 2025.
🫣
It will be Abate as the Milan First Team coach.
Management will not hire any coach, just Abate, because they want to buy new players, so the coach will be Abate.
But it’s okay, Abate was good.
Tedesco makes zero sense. He’d be ready to start working for the club just before the start of the next season and the team would be caught pants down in the first 5-10 matches. Not to mention that they’d be active on the mercato for the last weeks only and everyone knows the good fish have already been caught by then.