Journalist Giancarlo Padovan believes that Stefano Pioli has put his own position as head coach of AC Milan at risk because of two key reasons.
It has been a quite disastrous 2023 for Milan so far in every competition bar the Champions League and the stats speak for themselves as Milan are now 22 points behind leaders Napoli and there has never been a bigger gap to top spot for a defending champions in the three-points-per-win era.
Only Cremonese (23) and Salernitana (23) have conceded more league goals than the Rossoneri in 2023 (21), while Milan have lost seven games this year when factoring in all competitions which is far more than any top four rival.
Padovan spoke during a column for Calciomercato.com and the Sky journalist revealed his belief that Pioli’s position is not as watertight as other sections of the media have perhaps suggested it is.
“Just over a year ago, Milano had won everything. The Scudetto with Milan, the Coppa Italia and the Supercoppa with Inter. Grateful to Pioli and Simone Inzaghi, the respective clubs had renewed the contracts of their coaches extending them until 2025 (Pioli) and 2024 (Inzaghi),” he said.
“Today, less than three months from the end of the season, everything has changed to the point of questioning both of them. However, at the moment, Pioli is more at risk and for two reasons: the minimum objective of the season (qualification in the Champions League) is not at all safe and the team’s game has regressed to the point of being cloying.
“We had all been in too much of a hurry to judge Milan as being healed after the bad month of February. In reality, the 3-4-2-1 was a palliative that camouflaged some problems without solving them.
“Today Milan, as well as losing, are off without a glimmer of logic and with nebulous prospects. When you change your game system, and you believe you have found the solution, it really means that the situation is not only serious but deceptive.
“Pioli – and this is what worries the most – tried to stimulate the group, but the answers didn’t come. And now the coach is likely to make a hasty return to the back four. But if Milan do not find cohesion, compactness and pride, they will fail across the board. And Pioli will most likely be left without a team.”
