While waiting to find out what the future holds for him, Stefano Pioli’s options for next season might just have expanded given the interest of another Serie A club.
This morning’s news is that Napoli have chosen their next sporting director, and it will be former Juventus player Giovanni Manna. One of his first moves will be deciding on the new head coach given that Francesco Calzona’s future beyond this season is far from certain.
Sky correspondent Massimo Ugolini (via Radio Rossonera) explained what Napoli’s strategy is in view of the summer as they aim to appoint the right key figures and stabilise after a terrible Scudetto defend.
“The first piece of the re-foundation will obviously come from the choice of the new coach. Today, the most popular name is Italiano, an old passion of the president since the days of Gattuso,” he said.
“He is in the same league as Stefano Pioli, another coach who could be right for Napoli. As long as the paths separate between him and Milan.
“The re-foundation has already begun with the choice of the new sporting director, a young man with ambition and enthusiasm to start again and make the big leap together.”
According to a report from the Sky website earlier in the week, Pioli has produced enough positive form in the second half of the season to warrant the final year of his contract.
Remaining in the Europa League has also been a factor in the confidence in Pioli, and the hierarchy at the club now think that the conditions are there for him to continue as coach for 2024-25 at least.
Take him, De Laurentis!
You’d be doing Milan double favor. You’d be freeing Milan from Pioli, and Milan won’t have to pay the salary from the final year of his contract.
At 4M net which any top 6 Serie A club can easily afford he would definitely be a good option for any club apart from Inter. ADL has long admired him, I think Pioli will stay until his contract ends in 2025 then after that he could manage any of the Rome clubs or Napoli.
Napoli is still trying to sign Conte, who will likely end up at Juve anyway.
We keep Pioli another season.
You guys are going to cry if Pioli leaves esp with the names we’ve been linked with. Don’t look down on top 4 as a joke.
Its almost like a winning complacency syndrome. Dont take that for granted