AC Milan needed to win in Newcastle not only to keep their European campaign alive but also to save Stefano Pioli’s job from potentially being under threat, a report claims.
As Calciomercato.com recall, Milan won in Newcastle with an excellent second half comeback, but they will feel disappointed because they have to say goodbye to the Champions League because they ended up finishing third.
However, it is only Milan’s second ever win in England in the competition and it came thanks to a performance with great spirit during a defensive emergency, so there are still positives to take from the game.
The report goes on to mention that by winning the final game of the Champions League group stage, Pioli might just have saved his job. A defeat would have meant crashing out of Europe entirely, but now there is the Europa League to compete in during the new year.
A negative result at St. James’ Park would have put Pioli’s position as the head coach under some threat, as alluded to by CEO Giorgio Furlani who dialled up the pressure with his pre-match comments.
