Paulo Fonseca will be announced as AC Milan’s new head coach but there continues to be some mystery regarding the date that he will arrive.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below), Fonseca will become the new manager but doubt remains on the official date of the announcement, on when his first press conference will be and on when he will be able to start building his Milan.
It could still take a while, too. The sporting commitments – after returning from the Australian trip – are now concluded for Milan and the planning of the new course can begin. Fonseca is waiting in Portugal and it is not yet known when he will arrive in Italy, regardless of official commitments.
The first step – i.e. the arrival for the signing of his contract – should arrive around the middle of the month, after which his presentation to the public will be scheduled. It will be an opportunity to talk about objectives and ambitions, which for Fonseca are the highest: bringing Milan back to the top of the Serie A table.
To do this – and this is the coach’s opinion – no huge interventions will be needed during the summer window. The squad is already well structured apart from the need to sign a top striker: he chose Milan because he believes in the strength of the team.
Meeting and friendlies
The ‘Raduno’ (gathering for the start of preseason) at Milanello should be brought forward by a few days compared to recent seasons, when the group met around 8-9 July.
However, the first international commitments of the new Milan are known: on Saturday 20 July the Rossoneri will face Rapid Vienna at the Allianz Stadion. It is a gae that will precede the departure for the American tour given the team will participate in the Soccer Champions Tour 2024.
Fonseca’s beliefs can immediately be put to the test: on Saturday 27 July Milan will be engaged against Manchester City in New York City, at the iconic Yankee Stadium, while on Wednesday 31 a game in Chicago against Real Madrid will come. The last one is on Tuesday 6 August against Barcelona in Baltimore.
For Fonseca, a strong No.9 would be enough to renew the attack on Inter but the club will also give him a new central defender, a midfielder to be deployed in front of the defence and a right-back.
The idea is to sign a few functional pieces that won’t upset the set-up, an advantage for trying to hit the ground running.
I was quite a sceptic when the rumours started regarding his hiring. However, I must say, I’ve turned a bit excited about his appointment. I mean, it is what it is. Hope he can top what Pioli did for the club.
Forza Milan!