AC Milan appear to have pulled back on their plans to hire Julen Lopetegui as their new head coach, and a large part of that decision is due to fan pressure as per a report.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) has a two-page spread dedicated to Milan’s pursuit of a new manager, titled: ‘Milan slow down. Fans in revolt: no to Lopetegui. The Diavolo reopen the casting.Online petitions and social media unleashed with #Nopetegui. Cardinale’s club listens to the voices from outside. Now they will look for another coach’.
Retweet after retweet on the #Nopetegui petition arrived, and the news reached Casa Milan. It is a popular wave that overwhelmed the Rossoneri’s plans, because they couldn’t help but notice that it had over 10,000 signatures in less than 48 hours.
The hashtag remained trending for a long time and the idea of unfollowing the club’s official accounts on social media also came about as a sign of protest. The statement from the Curva Sud also fuelled the storm with the invitation to immediately rethink and to be ambitious.
Furthermore, the hypothesis that the discontent of the fans would lead to some form of protest in the next matches at San Siro – starting from Sunday against Genoa – could not be ruled out. Thus, the Lopetegui to Milan idea has already definitively failed.
Positive meetings
The former Spain coach was the chosen one and Gerry Cardinale was ready to hire him. What convinced the owners and management was Lopetegui’s CV: international experience with top clubs and the ability to develop the talent of young players to the point of launching them into senior football.
He also has a professional and human style in line with the ideal profile outlined by the club. The first contacts date back to last December, after the Rossoneri drew 2-2 away against Salernitana. Milan were in a crisis of results, performances and injuries.
The last meeting a few days ago, when a draft contract was final: three years at €4m net per season, the idea of a long-lasting and successful project. A few weeks of waiting and Milan would have started fresh with Lopetegui, once they reached their destination with Pioli.
The club’s esteem goes to the Scudetto-winning coach, which is why every indiscretion about the future was denied after the match against Juventus by the CEO Giorgio Furlani, even if we can all now read between the lines.
An overwhelming response
Once news broke that Lopetegui was coming, thousands subscribed to the idea that the former Real Madrid and Spain head coach was not up to expectations.
Some saw the other side, one whereby Lopetegui won the Europa League with Sevilla, titles with the Spanish youth national teams until he earned the senior national team job, then a run of 16 wins and four draws to lead the team to the 2018 World Cup in Russia.
The federation decided to fire him before the start of the tournament due to an agreement already signed with Real Madrid and announced by Florentino Perez. Lopetegui lasted four months in Madrid before being sacked.
Lopetegui has also coached Rayo Vallecano, Porto and Sevilla. His work at Wolverhampton 2022-23 was interrupted with the termination of the contract due to disagreements related to the mercato and the club’s financial problems.
More so than the distant successes Spain and Sevilla, the fans seemed to focus more on the flops in the knowledge that Milan, who have just seen their rivals celebrate the league title, need certainties.
A sensitive moment
The club listen and have listened to the voice of the fans: they will not be influenced in their choices, but they respect the feelings of the supporters, especially in a moment of widespread despair.
Despite the results of the season finale, San Siro continues to sell out as Milanisti show their loyalty. The club prides itself on having the best fans in the world, so much so that it involves them in numerous initiatives. Their position, so clear, cannot be ignored.
The second casting for the new head coach will reopen shortly, although the club wants to reflect calmly. They have drawn up an identikit: a coach capable of developing young players, with international experience and collaborative in choices.
Now they are looking for the profile that fits perfectly. Including the economic cons: the next manager’s salary must not go outside the club’s guidelines.
In the meantime, Pioli will arrive at the end of the season with a fourth consecutive Champions League qualification secured. Last May he played in the semi-final of that tournament, a year earlier he was a Scudetto winner. To think that he had been welcomed with the ‘#PioliOut’.
