It may well be complicated for Stefano Pioli to win back the full backing of the AC Milan fanbase, but he has once again dragged the team out of a difficult moment.
Milan managed to record another win against Napoli on Sunday in the league, padding the gap to last year’s champions to 17 points, and they take on Rennes in the Europa League tonight. If you’re watching the game on Friday morning due to time zones, try William Hill New Zealand.
Back to Pioli, and La Gazzetta dello Sport write that he would like to regain the lost affection of the fans after his four and a half years with the Rossoneri which saw him win, skid and then get out of difficult situations.
Pioli has the more or less unique ability to start extracting energy from his team again when those observing from the outside see a crisis apparently devoid of solutions.
Despite the tactical interpretation, which can sometimes be revised throughout this season, the Rossoneri coach always know how to turn the switch back on.
This is something that also positively affects the club, which obviously cannot help but go into serious reflections when things go wrong, but at the same time roots for its coach to find a way to stabilise.
One thing, even if we are only in February, must be very clear: Milan, more specifically the ownership, have not yet decided anything regarding who will be the head coach for the 2024-25 season.
The situation remains very fluid for the simple reason that between now and the end of May there is still a good part of the season in which to do something concrete.
Scaroni’s fresh words further certify it: “I borrow the words of both our CEO Furlani and Ibra. We have total faith in Pioli and the results are strengthening it. So for the moment there is calm on this front.”
Of course, Scaroni is a man of the world and therefore with that ‘for the moment’ he potentially leaves all scenarios open but, in short, in the last month and a half Pioli has gone from the cold of the north wind to the mildness of the foehn wind.
The fact remains that Milan have lost only once in the last 12 games and since the end of November – net of other people’s games to recover – they are traveling at Inter’s pace and have the most goals scored in that phase of the season. They are also nine games unbeaten in the league, with seven wins.
A spark seems to have been lit under the players and it is thanks to the coach, who has made the right changes and done some psychological work too, amid injury crises and growing discontent.
