Stefano Pioli’s time as the head coach of AC Milan could well be coming to an end, and Carlo Pellegatti has urged Gerry Cardinale to reach out to Pep Guardiola about replacing him.
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Given that Pioli’s future continues to be the subject of speculation, there have been a number of different options suggested as long-term replacements. Several sources believe Thiago Motta is being evaluated while Antonio Conte, Raffaele Palladino and Francesco Farioli have been mentioned.
The Spaniard has a CV which speaks for itself. After winning 14 trophies with Barcelona as head coach and seven with Bayern Munich, he went to Manchester City in 2016. He won a domestic treble in 2018–19 and a full treble last season, for a total of 16 trophies.
Pellegatti has an even better solution, even if it is somewhat of a dream: to try for Pep Guardiola who is the current manager of Manchester City. he talked about it in the video published on his official channel on YouTube, with his comments relayed by PianetaMilan.
“Yesterday, Guardiola, on the eve of the match against Everton, said a surprise phrase. His contract expires in 2025, but he said: ‘I think the work is finished here’. Some thought he could leave Manchester City after the Champions League against Inter, but he wanted to win the Club World Cup first,” Pellegatti began.
“I’m dreaming, I’m imagining what happened in the past. In the Milan of Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani it happened. When Galliani, a man of great intuitions, understood that the relationship of the various Rivaldo, Zlatan Ibrahimović, Ronaldinho and Mario Balotelli with the their club was now broken, the phone call went out. In 2010, when I asked him to try for Ibra, he told me ‘Let’s try’.
“These intuitions of his have always been successful. Carlos Tévez ‘s would have been successful too, before the phone call came that stopped everything. Today, after Manchester City’s victory, Galliani would have phoned and probed the ground for Guardiola.
“I want to dream, I delude myself. I invite the Milan managers, or rather Gerry Cardinale, to consider the hypothesis of Guardiola at Milan. You will tell me ‘you’re crazy, he costs 22 million’. But I reply: next year we take a striker and we get Guardiola as coach. We’ll leave the rest the same.
“Do you want great players? We’re starting to understand if he might be interested in coaching Milan. Not pizza and figs, Milan. The second most decorated team in the world in the Champions League. He could still go to England, to PSG, to Saudi Arabia.
“But do you think he could return to Italy, where he has friends in Brescia? He could be fascinated and have fun, he is fighting with Alex Ferguson to be the coach who has won the most in history.
“He could be Carlo Ancelotti’s heir, he could coach the team that belonged to Paolo Maldini, to whom he dedicated the Champions League victory in 2009. I would say to Gerry Cardinale: ‘Think to this possibility. He is sensitive to entertainment, to the international image as well as to sporting victory’.”
“A very high investment, but we are within the budget: the usual 50 million euros with Guardiola and a great striker. If Cardinale thinks about it and tests the waters, think of the emotional drive of the fans.
“The season tickets, the enthusiasm, the desire to return as a protagonist with one of the greatest coaches in history with our Arrigo Sacchi, Fabio Capello, Ancelotti himself.
“A phone call, a survey. I hope that Cardinale thinks about what Guardiola could bring in terms of sponsors, merchandising, income, 22 million is nothing. But you have to have the desire and strength to believe in it. I hope that someone recommends him to Gerry: it would give a boost to coat of arms of Milan.”
