AC Milan are expected to part ways with Stefano Pioli at the end of the season and several managers have thus been linked with the club. The current list of candidates is quite long, per a report, but some are more realistic than others.
In a report published on his website, Gianluca Di Marzio has outlined the type of manager that Milan are looking for. Furthermore, he also highlighted some of the candidates on the Rossoneri’s radar, including the favourite Julen Lopetegui.
Indentikit outlined
For the post-Pioli era, Milan want a coach of an international calibre who knows what it takes to work with young players. The feeling is also that the manager won’t be an egocentric or prominent one, but rather a manager who can reason with the management and work in a team.
The management has already added several names to the list and these will be presented to Gerry Cardinale and Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Only then will a decision be made on the manager, albeit always with all parties involved in the discussion.
Before going into the main candidates, the rumours regarding Christophe Galtier and Marcelo Gallardo have not been confirmed, while Paulo Fonseca was evaluated initially by Milan without going any further.
The candidates
Lopetegui appears to be the favourite for now, as the report continues, having met with the Milan management several times in the last few months. The Rossoneri appreciate his methodology and willingness to share ideas and strategies if necessary.
West Ham could be an obstacle, though, as they could offer a much higher salary. At Milan, a deal would be worth around €4m per season for two years, with an option for a third year. The Spaniard is willing to wait a bit longer for the Rossoneri too, but he’s not the only target.
Xavi Hernandez, formerly of Barcelona, is one of them and Thiago Motta is another. The latter has been heavily linked with Juventus as well and it might be too late for Milan. Ruben Amorim, the young Sporting manager, is an option and so is his compatriot Sergio Conceicao.
Finally, the likes of Thomas Tuchel and Unai Emery are also on the list. Other profiles such as Antonio Conte, Vincenzo Italiano and Raffaele Palladino are not part of the plans and the same can be said for Roberto De Zerbi.