The end of the 2023 calendar year is approaching, and the recent struggles have many questioning what AC Milan will look like going into the new year.
Calciomercato.com recall that the run to the Champions League semi-final was the one saving grace. Elimination in the Coppa Italia against a Torino side reduced to 10 men, a 3-0 defeat in the Supercoppa Italiana against Inter and the collapse in January started 2023 in a bad way.
The draw and defeat against the relegated Cremonese and Spezia didn’t help, finishing in fifth place in the table without Juventus’ points deduction was a warning sign, while the five derbies in a row lost against Inter was the final straw for many.
The massacre of injuries and the vertical collapse of November with only two victories in eight matches risks making 2023-24 a forgettable season, a crisis exacerbated by Saturday’s heavy defeat in Bergamo which put the Rossoneri back in the limbo of the teams that will fight until the final day for third and fourth place in the standings.
The feeling is that on Wednesday in Newcastle not only are Milan’s Champions League hopes are at stake, but also the coach Pioli himself. The disappointment of the fans is mounting on social media as they relaunched the hashtag ‘#PioliOut’.
The Rossoneri can only hope for a win against the Magpies and then for Borussia Dortmund – who have already secured top spot – to win against PSG. Winning at St James’ Park would secure a Europa League finish, a minimum objective but still important from an economic point of view.
Almost nothing filtered out of Casa Milan in the last few hours, with tight lips and palpable tension. In the event of defeat, various certainties could collapse immediately, including those linked to the head coach.
Yeah I wonder though what the line is. What if we win but PSG draws/wins and we are sent to Europa? Still a failure based on start of the season’s objectives but mot ultimate failure (most likely what the management thinks). I can see however, if we lose and crash out, management may think about replacing him in January. I really doubt Pioli is going to be fired though in the next months (unless we lose the last games of the year).