Stefano Pioli is almost certain to be relieved of his duties before the start of next season, a report claims, and there are two possible options to replace him.
Despite having a contract with Milan until June 2025, Corriere della Sera (via PianetaMilan) reports that it is ‘almost impossible’ that Pioli will remain as the head coach going into next season.
Too many things have stacked up against him this season such as the elimination from the Champions League and the Coppa Italia, the sheer number of injuries and the inability to keep pace with Inter and Juventus at the top of the table.
Some Milan fans on social media are calling for the arrival of Antonio Conte but – as we reported weeks ago on our Substack – he is not a coach that RedBird Capital consider to be aligned with their plans.
Instead, the ownership are thinking of a young coach, with a sustainable salary and with fewer demands when it comes to transfers and investments in the squad.
That criteria has led them to two profiles: Thiago Motta, who is expected to leave Bologna at the end of the season to make the jump to a top club, and Francesco Farioli who is second in Ligue 1 with OGC Nice.
Roberto De Zerbi is a coach that is obviously admired and he has an attachment to Milan, but his mission at the moment is to remain in the Premier League and even then he has a €13m release clause.
sustainable Salary 😂 what a joke. People dream of Conte
I just check pioli PPG(poin per game) history, when he coach mid table team like lazio he got 1,67 PPG. When coaching bologna 1,28 PPG. When coaching sassuolo 1,62 PPG.
Checking motta PPG when coaching spezia 0,98 PPG. When coaching bologna and ongooing now is 1,59 PPG. Its not better than pioli if i must say.
With statistic like that i really think conte is better if we based on statistically. Conte have significantly high PPG for each team he has coached
Sooo the only thing Pioli is is not young? Lol 😂 that’s so silly He definitely has a sustainable salary and doesn’t ask for much in terms of transfers/investments.
Francesco Farioli of OGC Nice. Is the ideal after Conte,Zadindine Zidane
Pioli should stay unless a top top notch coach (eg Klopp level) replaces him. And with our salary cap there’s no one out there at that level.
Better focus on fixing our injury problems, which was an issue way before red bird and Pioli arrived.
Pioli needs to go but not Conte.
Motta or De Zerbi (not likely though).
Conte sure has a lot of friends in the media. Still trying to convince everyone that the fans wante Conte when really hardly any of them actually want Conte. No thanks. Serie A needs to stop recycling the same old coaches. WHo’s next, Mourinho?
Farioli?! He may well end up a really good coach but he would be an extraordinary gamble at this stage.
Even if he didn’t have Nice humming, I tend to wonder whether his reputation is just the reflective glory shining from RDZ more than anything (and I think RDZ’s reputation is wildly disproportionate to his achievements).
People scoffed at the thought of brining Pirlo in.
He coached Juve to 4th on 78 points (where Atalanta was 3rd on 78 and Milan 2nd on 79 points), won the Supercoppa and the Coppa. All that with Juve in transition and overhauling the style of play to something modern.
Tifo Football did a brief show titled What’s Gone Wrong at Juventus in early 2021 discussing Pirlo’s time there. The numbers are not everything but they are reflective of someone who can get player buy-in.
Appointing Faraoli sounds like some half backed idea that ADL would come up with.
It has to be Motta of the realistic options.