There are still a lot of matches left until the end of the season, but there continues to be a lot of speculation regarding who will be AC Milan’s head coach in the event Stefano Pioli leaves.
This morning’s edition of La Repubblica (seen below) reports that Pioli seems to be destined to say goodbye at the end of the season after what will be nearly half a decade at the helm of Milan.
Antonio Conte is the management’s first target to take over and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is leading the charge to try and get him. The Swede is trying to give the decisive acceleration to convince the ex-Inter boss to accept Milan’s proposal.
The Senior Advisor of RedBird and AC Milan has a very close relationship with Conte, who is seen as the ideal coach to return to winning ways, while the Italian is very excited by the idea of being able to win the Scudetto with the three biggest Italian clubs.
There are ‘very advanced contacts between the parties’ as per the paper, even if it remains a very complicated operation for various reasons.
Firstly, other clubs such as Napoli and Juventus could make their move. Secondly, Conte wants around €6m net per season from his next club. Thirdly, he is always very demanding when it comes to transfers.
He is therefore unlikely accept the sale of one of the club’s top players such as Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez or Rafael Leao. As the Sandro Tonali case demonstrated last summer, for RedBird every man has a price and player trading is key.
Its ok that he doesn’t want any of big players to go so he can have better team at his disposal, but at the same time i highly doubt that he want player like Leao in his squad, with that kind of mentality(talking about this seasons Leao, not Scudetto season). In every team that Conte managed he demands of his players courage, fight and above all defensive activities and track back. Leao does nothing of those 3 lately. So getting upwards of 120mil or more for him would decline only a moron, and Conte knows very well that Milan doesnt invest much so thsz kind of money + deketelare and Saelemakers sales could build him very competitive squad with great depth and quality
It’s BS. Conte has now use for wingers, specially ones that don’t defend. Leao will need to go to fund his transfers. Even if he doesn’t leave immediately, he will after the first season given his style/personality will almost certainly clash with Conte’s.
Tactical solidity and a winning mentality is what the team desperately needs right now, and conte can bring both of those things with him so him coming to milan is a welcome change in my book.
I don’t know what to make of it, personally I thought Conte as a poisoned chalice – he might be good for the first or second year, and then he would usually throw tantrums etc. I really don’t know if this would be worth it.
But anyhow..
6m per year? That’s significantly lower than the salary he commanded at Inter (around 12M IIRC?). I think if that’s what he’s asking, then most probably it would be justified. Secondly, I also think that even if he would like to keep our best players, the sale of Leao and Maignan would probably bankroll for building for the team that suits him. I just can’t see Leao and Conte works together fortunately and if PSG is desperate enough after losing Mbappe, then they might just blindly paid the release clause for Leao..
Another thing that I am concerned with is that his preference and relying to older players. Would this be in sync with what Redbird envisioned? As far as I’m concerned, they’re in here to improve the economic value of the club and as we all know, that wouldn’t be possible with older set of players – whose value would either stagnate or decreasing steadily.
With Klopp and Xavi leaving their respective posts, the market for managers would be intense next season. Not to mention that even Roma and Napoli would be looking for a new manager too. Would be interesting to see the merry-go-round of managers this upcoming summer.
No club are willing to pay him 12m euro nett anymore after his disaster coaching spurs. So he cut his asking salary for return to italy club. Like you said he prefer using old player that will be not fit with owner style that wanting use young player. De zerbi or italiano are more fit with owner policy growing young player
wouldnt mind conte for 3 years, he wouldnt last longer anyway. He built the base for juve back then, he build the base for inter why not again for us 😀
I’d rather we roll the dice on Motta but Conte is a sure thing so i get it and so does Zlatan
Yes, but the Juventus “base” continues to be drab defensive football. It’s why they’ve only been able to work with Allegri since. I don’t want 3-5-2 park-the-bus 1-0 to be the way the club plays for the next decade.
3 years lmao, he hasnt lasted more than 2 at a club for over a decade
I don’t know how to feel about this, especially after Lewis signed for Ferrari as well I’m a bit indifferent. I think that has thrown me for a loop. I used to consider both of them the enemy 😂
Ah a fellow F1 fan. I was torn when Lewis signed for Ferrari given the ownership is with Juve. But I’ll support him nonetheless. Hope they can give him a good car. He did miracles in that cr@p car last year. As Horner told Wolff…change the bloody car! 😅
As long as he sees future in our young talent which btw can totally play 3 CB (with versatile young defense that we now in Thiaw, Kalulu, Tomori, Simic, Gabbia can play RB/CB/LB)
But above all he is a winner and can bring top offensive talent with him
Conte is getting older and has become increasingly difficult. He was a total disaster at Spurs.
His football is negative and doesn’t suit our team.
It would be another step backwards.
Why not try Xavi?
Why try Xavi is a better question. He hasn’t given much to Barca.
But Conte is even worse. I don’t like his face. He is an old enemy. He has no connections to Milan, only to Juve and Inter.
als ob xavi zu milan kommen würde
No Conte. We should be looking at:
1. Klopp (a pipe dream, I know)
2. De Zerbi
3. Motta
4. Farioli
5. Maresca
Yeah Milan will suddenly magically be debt free and free of UEFA sanctions and spend 200m for Conte right and buy him his expensive players that’ll add like 30-40m to the current wage bill including his own astronomical salary
all this to get knocked out of UCL in december
Wonderful
Also this report says Juventus will go for him
Lmao why tf would Juventus downgrade from Allegri to Conte, he doesnt even play a different style
Repubblica’s sources: “trust me bro”