Even before Stefano Pioli’s departure was finalised, fans romanticised about the possibility of Roberto De Zerbi joining AC Milan. In the end, it did not happen, but Filippo Galli has spoken about the move and how it could have happened.
The post-Pioli process was rather strange. Throughout the season, Milan flirted consistently with the idea of parting ways with the 58-year-old, but they never made the final call, at least until the end of the season.
As it is understood, there was a continued ‘weighing-up’ effort, where the Rossoneri didn’t want to risk a season without any positives, but also didn’t want to end the relationship disrespectfully so to speak.
Irrespective of when Pioli left, De Zerbi’s name was constantly attached to the soon-to-be vacant post, but the potential move never occurred for several reasons.
Speaking to La Fiera del Calcio (via Milan News), the former defender spoke about the De Zerbi saga and revealed that he had spoken to the now-Marseille manager about the job.
“De Zerbi wanted to come to Milan, he would have come in a hurry. He showed me the photo of when he was Rossonero. When you talk to him, you hear the Rossoneri soul, what some call Milanism, but then things go differently.
“And then I went to see him on a run when he had finished training with Marseille, always in his office, and he is always moving, talking, totally immersed in the reality in which he goes to work, because this great job of knowing how to involve people, everyone, from the player, of course, to the staff, but also the people who are around him and live for the club.
“It’s clear, that Marseille always has its own identity, but Roberto’s passage, which I hope can be as long as possible, will have left something behind and will have built a certain kind of football identity if nothing else.”