Repubblica: Two potential targets to replace Pioli emerge from the Premier League

The speculation about potential managers to replace Stefano Pioli has finally begun, and there are two names in the Premier League that are reportedly on AC Milan’s radar.

La Repubblica (via MilanNews) report this morning that while the club’s official stance continues to be one of supporting Pioli and making it clear he still has the faith of the management, he has still ended up in the crosshairs of critics after Milan’s disastrous start to the year.

The paper states that Antonio Conte of Chelsea and Roberto De Zerbi of Brighton and Hove Albion are attractive profiles if Pioli were to be sacked between now and the start of next season, but these are two very expensive options.

The former Inter and Juventus boss currently earns €17m net per season at Tottenham, while De Zerbi signed a €5m net per year contract with Brighton which runs for four years, so neither would be cheap.

Tags AC Milan Antonio Conte Roberto De Zerbi

40 Comments

          1. @Jesus, the highest finish Potter, has achieved with Brighton, is 9th place in 2021/22.. No European Football, no trophy! Potter, is just an overhyped, mediocre coach.. Stop showing as if he, build a Premier League winning Brighton side, and De Zerbi is riding on his success…

    1. Conte hates Milan!
      Conte is a Juve man, why would you go for him?
      Zerbi is far more intelligent and more of a manager

      What really surprise me is why all these accusation now of changing manager just before CL match with Conti’s team?

      Is this a case of more miss management?

  1. There is no chance of Conte in Serie A at the moment unless he gives up 10 million a year! The most he would get from any team in Serie A is 7m yearly and that is a big if.
    De Zerbi on the other hand would be awesome at Milan , and with a wage they can match (barely).

  2. LOLOLOLO……Conte for 17M/season?? We cannot even afford to spend 5M on a backup keeper and you think we are going to spend 17M on a coach?????? Hahahahahahaha. Keep DREAMING boys. Will never happen with Elliot in charge. Even De Zerbi at 5M is beyond our cheap ass budget. What established coach wants to come to a team that cannot pay them market value, is subject to a wage cap, is limited on player purchases and will likely miss out on CL??? LOL. Ya sounds like a dream Job 🤪🤪🤪🤪

    1. Agreed! Also keep in mind Milan don’t have top keeper for a long time now, and kessei left a major hole in midfield. Injuries and player left had a lot to do with current status.

  3. We need a coach with good tactical abilities, my preference would be to search from the Spanish League or German League.

    Thomas Tuchel would have been ideal, but is way out of reach in reality.

    One coach who has all it takes but has never really had the opportunity with a more ambitious club is Jorge Sampaoli.
    For the immense work he did with Olympic Marseille and now Sevilla (even though the players have let him down despite playing beautiful football), showing tactical prowess and fluidity, ability to read games and alternate formation depending on the opponent.

    Plus, his salary is very affordable, I would have taken a chance on him, can’t do worse than Pioli at this point if you ask me though.

    1. Pep Guardiola. I mean Tuchel shouldn’t even be there while Guardiola is in the mix. Realistically Milan can’t get a top coach with a policy like this because they want to get players they want, not be fired because of management decisions.

  4. IMHO, if we’re to change coach, I think he would come from Serie-A/B (considering Serie B is actually filled with ex-Italian stars who turned into coaches).

    However, just a hunch that Ivan Juric would be bandied about as well. The guy seems ambitious enough and he’s waiting for his big break. His team is usually solid and MOST IMPORTANTLY, he’s done it with limited budget (something that would light up Redbird/Elliott’s eyes).

    Please forget about Conte, you and I know we aren’t going to pay his salary and he’s divisive enough, and would always demand players, don’t think the owner wants to have a weekly press conference just to deflect the demands from him. I liked De Zerbi, though I think he wouldn’t be tempted to leave Brighton just yet, as he’s catching some form there.

    1. Yeah, Juric is good but I doubt Milan would bring him. He is worse than Conte in terms of asking for players etc. He is quite a character so I don’t think that fits the US owners.

    1. Why? What did he do exactly in his career? He is ok, but he needs to prove much more, did 1 good shift at a club. Guardiola is the dream if you want to dream, he will leave City now.

    2. My thoughts too. I had actually been hoping for De Zerbi way back when we ended up hiring Pioli. I think he’s the next great Italian manager. Unfortunately this move to the PL might have made him out of reach of us, as he now has a large salary and has a foot in the must lucrative league. Oh well.

      I’m completely against Conte, as that would be the first half against Inter for a whole season and I’ll want to tear my eyes out.

      My suggestion: Andre Villas-Boas. His ppg record is very good, at 45 he’s still young and hungry but his been around forever, so has a lot of experience, including coaching in three of the big five leagues. He plays 4-2-3-1, which would suit our personnel.

      Dark Horse Candidates: Maurizio Sarri. They should poach him from Lazio as he seems to be constantly discontent with Lotito. This is the kind of football this club should be learning how to play, not Conte bus-parking. He plays 4-3-3, which would suit our personnel. Rafa Benitez, because his record speaks for itself. He also plays 4-3-3/4-2-3-1, which would suit our personnel.

      Again, my choices are based on a combination of experience, availability, realistic chances of the coaches wanting to work for Milan, and being able to afford the coach.

  5. Pioli just won a title and after 5games lost even though he is still on charge the” mega fans for life” already trashing him.Pretty same the same kind of idiots that were booing Paolo on his retirement match and Pirlo after he left.You will eat your words in a few weeks you bunch of clueless ungratefull trolls🙄

    1. Calm down. Nobody is trashing Pioli. People are simply discussing alternatives. We do this every day with players. Coaches are no different in times like these, particularly when we have won in 7 matches including where we conceded 3, 4 and 5 goals in consecutive matches.

  6. Conte is not realistic nor i want him at Milan. He is unstable. He will make you sign only players that fit his system and then he’ll quit out of nowhere. You can’t build a project with him.
    Always liked De Zerbi and reportedly if Ragnick was hired to run Milan sporting department he was going to hire De Zerbi as his coach. I doubt he leaves Brighton.
    Marcelo Gallardo is free after leaving River Plate, a very talented coach and affordable.
    From within Serie A i’d like Sotil from Udinese.
    Used to rate Italiano but he has disappointed at Fiorentina. If we compare squads, top to bottom, Fiorentina might have better players than Milan and still struggle under Italiano.

  7. Stop the discussion, in the end it will be Abate promoted to senior side from Primavera, that’s what Maldini can do if they have to fire Pioli in the middle of season, that’s the only thing our owners suggest when Maldini asks budget to hire new coach.

    Pioli or Abate?
    Decide yourself!

  8. First of all I think this article is just pure speculation. I don’t think Milan are currently looking at anyone to replace Pioli. But as long as we are just pulling ideas out of our arse, Klopp might be an interesting way to go. He seems on his way out at Liverpool and has said recently that he really likes the Milan project.

  9. Conte is a good coach but he is also a mental case, he can just get up one day and walk out of your club, do you all really want a coach like that.

  10. K, you said Klopp might be an interesting way to go. He seems on his way out at Liverpool and has said recently that he really likes the Milan project.

    But are the Milan owners willing to support him with the players he wants to build his team, I don’t think so.

  11. We can’t afford Conte, not going to happen with De Zerbi.

    I’m honestly pretty tired of this. Both of these managers currently have a higher salary than every player except for 4 of them, 5 when we get Leao’s renewal.

    Do you honestly believe Redbird is going to pay that amount of money when they don’t invest more than 50M in a whole season? You’re also aware that severance is paid when you sack a coach, right?

  12. Well, Ancelotti will soon leave Madrid and he just may desire to retire at Milan, a club where he played and coached and won the greatest trophies in both phases.
    This will be a labour of love and heart, and not for money. He shouldn’t charge much.

    1. You know, I also had this thought, but Carlo is still only in the second year of his current contract with Madrid, which expires in 2024. Unless they suffer some kind of tanking form it’s unlikely he will shift this summer.

  13. Let them bring anyone they want to, as far as am concerned pioli is a good coach, no one will do better with this below average players.

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