Stefano Pioli will take charge of his final AC Milan game tonight against Salernitana, but he should have another job by the time next season rolls around.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, a few hours ago there were two big question marks in Pioli’s short-term future, with the second closely related to the first. Firstly, will Pioli be sacked or will he reach a mutual agreement with Milan?
The answer was the latter, which means that after the ‘last dance’ against Salernitana, the Parma-born coach will choose a future that he believes is best for his career. Where? Here is the second big question mark, which is currently without a clear answer.
The certainty is that Pioli should not contemplate a sabbatical. The five seasons at the helm of the Rossoneri ended in a decidedly complicated way, but we are talking about a coach who in any case does not feel worn out.
Rather, he was stimulated by the most important experience of his career, meaning he has the desire to get back into the game, and to do it quickly because Pioli loves to plan and learn before actually getting to work.
The horizon that until now seems closest remains Napoli. Aurelio De Laurentiis is an admirer of Pioli, but he is also considering other names such as Antonio Conte and Gian Piero Gasperini, so there might be competition for that job.
In recent weeks Fenerbahçe has also popped up, a strange destination decidedly different from the standards Pioli is used to, but certainly a stimulating place in which to possibly get back into the game.
From Turkey they say that Fenerbahce have already carried out an enquiry, which for the moment has not been followed up on, and that means a stay in Italy remains more likely.
In addition to Napoli, two other clubs emerge in Serie A. One is Atalanta, where the management are waiting to discuss with Gasperini to understand if the objectives and project of the club and the coach will coincide. If this were not the case, Bergamo could really be an ideal place for Pioli.
Finally, Bologna, recently deserted by Thiago Motta. There is no meeting, simply a suggestion due to the fact that Pioli would return to where it all began in his journey as a coach in 1999.
