AC Milan dropped points against Sassuolo this afternoon as the mass rotation once again let Stefano Pioli down, and the feeling is that the head coach is still playing for his future.
According to Corriere dello Sport (via MilanNews), a lot will be decided on Thursday night, when the second leg of the Europa League quarter-final tie against Roma will take place. If he fails to overturn the 1-0 deficit after losing at San Siro three days ago, he could be sacked at the end of the season.
Who will eventually take his place? One of the names mentioned is Julen Lopetegui who is currently out of work, having had previous spells with Real Madrid, Sevilla and Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Milan have had two face-to-face meetings with the Spanish coach and even if there is no official proposal on the table at the moment, it is clear that it is something serious.
The first contacts were made two months ago and Lopetegui – who has been out of action since the end of his time at Wolves – has already given his approval to the idea of potentially coaching the Rossoneri.
However, it is likely that he will have to wait and see how Milan end the season, with the derby also on the schedule in eight days.
A change for the sake of change sometimes can do good.
Ask Napoli how “change for the sake of change” can do…
Yeah..then keep Pioli for life according to you!
Where in his statement did he say keep Pioli for life? And why do you guys take the extreme interpretation of someone’s comment like that? Smh 🤦♂️
Because he doesn’t want a change means he wants Pioli for life??? What sort of logic is that?
It’s sarcasm.
You can ask Roma (yes the same Roma that previously had never won in San Siro for 7 years) too while you’re at it.
De Rossi knew the Roma environment in and out. He knew the people and how to get a message across. A new coach coming from a different league all together is risky (new language, different tactics, etc)
The biggest risk is that he’ll need to have the players follow him (which is not guaranteed, relations take time to build)
A decent option
I don’t think this is the coach we should replace Pioli with … you might give Abate a chance if it’s just for the sake of change. In my opinion we should try everything to persuade Klopp to come to Italy even if it seems impossible. This guy likes challenge and I’m sure we can make the next step with him
Abate? Sure, that will work. Just like it did with Brocchi, Inzaghi, Seedorf and others promoted from our Primavera. 😀 😀 😀
100%… What a joke.
Brocchi, Inzaghi and Seedorf didn’t turn the Primavera into one of the best youth teams in Europe.
Yes. Keep Pioli, he is scudetto coach.
This Lopetegui is not scudetto coach.
best youth teams in Europe???
Milan’s competing in Youth League because the senior team finished top 4, not because the youth team did great. Last year our Primavera were in the bottom teams most of the season. This year we’re 11 points behind Inter, and 8 points behind Roma
Seedorf didn’t coach the Primavera but I get what you’re saying
In fairness to Brocchi and Seedorf they only coached Milan for 5 minutes before Berlusconi changed his mind again.
Seedorf in particular didn’t do too badly but in that period it was just change/change/change.
They were just scapegoat to hide the fact that he was keeping his wallet in his house.
Agreed.
Let’s make Klopp our primary target this summer!
Good opinion and great suggestion also.
This is just another Giampaolo…. He is not who we need instead keep Pioli as he guarantee top 4 season in and out. But with this Spanish coach Milan might regret it all and start all building agaun from scrap
Please nooooo
The problem with this guy is, usually he’ll bring his own Spanish Armada to the teams be coached. Not sure how that would work out with Moncada/Milan has soft spots for French players.
We simply cant afford another wild summer. Replace Pioli if you must, but with coach who could work with the backbone that we have.
Another Sampaoli case…next year after less than half of the season expect to bring another one,most probably Ringhio or Bonera
Maybe Moncada can find a French coach as well 😉 French Milan!
Maybe we can get Zidane who is jobless haha
Zidane won with Ancolloti/Jose’ players.
Ancolloti then won the CL. Pretty much Discrediting much of Zidanes time. Zidane is a weirdo anyways.
How is this guy an improvement on Pioli?
This has a very Garcia to Napoli feel.
Hasn’t anyone noticed the following sequence of events?
1. Milan has an injury crisis.
2. Stories start filtering through that Pioli’s era will end at the end of the season.
3. Motta is the anointed successor. A perfect evolution of the project, by the way.
4. Zlatan gets appointed to his useful idiot role. He wants to win and says the new coach must be Conte.
5. Conte says no (because we can’t satisfy his demands).
6. Juventus starts courting Motta.
7. Milan hits a solid run of form and the Pioli will see out his contract.
Call me cynical but we’re back to sticking with Pioli because the desired replacements have fallen though, aren’t we?
Now we’re scraping the barrel hoping that someone decent will emerge as a possibility, or that the same flaky team will win Europa and not get belted by Inter so that we can justify sticking with Pioli. Aren’t we?
If you’re sitting second in the league and you’re looking around for other coaches you don’t think you have the right coach. You will say you do but your actions speak louder than your words and that will undermine everything, because it always does.
Conte to Milan has never been a serious lead I think. Maybe Zlatan was thinking about it but this makes no sense. First, he’s expensive. Second, it would a complete overhaul of the team with Leao lost in the process due to tactical mismatch. Third, Jerry likes to manage the communication around the team. He fired Maldini after his interview and he negotiated for weeks, maybe months with Zlatan to get sure he would accept his role, I don’t see Jerry hiring crazy Conte.
It seems that Conte would like to return to northern Italy with his family. I don’t see Juventus welcoming him and Inter already has a good coach. With the agitation surrounding Pioli, Conte’s agents probably pushed a narrative in the media so the fans can support the idea and influence the ownership. Hopefully it’s not happening.
Xavi is looking for work. Knows.how to win in constrained circumstances. He plays youngsters. His brand of football isn’t bad to watch.
Xavi knows how to play Barcelona, and he knew everything within Barcelona (players, coaches, management, etc), and Barca youth players know how to play at Barca (same style) but struggle a lot in other teams.
What I mean is that I appreciate what he’s done at Barca, but I’m not sure if he’d be able to emulate something similar in another team and most importantly get the victories (aka Luis Enrique to Roma… the same coach who won the treble with Barcelona).
That said, any new coach would be a gamble with goods and bad.
Sarri Ball
Sarri should be the name on tap. Clear ideas, specific style of play, maybe he can take us to the next level, at least in terms of giving the team an identity. Some clown on here once took exception when i said Milan does not have a clear identity. The yo yo soccer we play should be proof of that. You can’t run riot in one game and be completely clueless in another if you have an identity. You should be able to play consistently, even if you lose games. on occassion
Lmao Sarri
Big problem with Sarri is that he never rotates
I think for me pioli is a good coach for Milan,the problem we have on our team back that time of disaster was not coaching fault it was injuries problem now don’t blame pioli for that that is not fair to judge pioli or blaming pioli for injuries.
Get Motta, Emery or Amorim
De Zerbi is the best option for start a new cycle. He is young, inovative, modern coach and milanista too. But he has a release clause and I don’t think Cardinale will pay that clause. Unfortunately…
De Zerbi? Don’t you think he is still unproven? Brighton has been terrible this season..
Allegri will become available at the end of the season.
If we should change the coach we must go for someone who can put the defence in place in my opinion. None of the mentioned ones, except Klopp, is good enough in that department I think. Valverde of Athletic Bilbao comes to mind. Any opinion on him?