Last night’s Europa League quarter-final second leg against Roma produced the most damaging defeat of the season, and it seems to have sealed Stefano Pioli’s fate.
As MilanNews recall, Pioli spoke yesterday at his post-match press conference after the loss against Roma and responded to a question about his future, giving a rather interesting answer.
“Be patient until the end of the season, then the club and I will take stock and face the discussions,” he said. In reality, his fate seems to have already been written: at the end of the season Pioli ‘will say goodbye to Milan because his tenure has reached its natural end’.
The seven victories in a row starting in March had increased his chances of staying, as did the words of the management, but the elimination from the Europa League – which came after two very negative performances – seems to have been the final straw for Pioli’s future with the Rossoneri.
Despite the fact that he still has one year left on his contract (which expires in 2025), the report seems fairly certain that the decision has already been taken to move on and bring in some fresh ideas ahead of 2024-25.
Pioli’s era, which boasts a Scudetto and a Champions League semi-final after a long absence, has reached its natural conclusion. Going on like this wouldn’t really help anyone.
Thx for bringing us back hope after that superb banter era and good luck.
@flyingturtle, I would’ve flown with u, but I would not until he is officially sacked.🙂
It’s bizarre we’re sacking a coach that is finishing 2nd behind a cheating Inter side with more points than the season he won the Scudetto.
I look forward to hearing from all the gracious fans if this decision doesn’t work out.
So finishing second is an achievement over going another trophy less season, and beaten by arguably weaker sides.
The mediocrity and standards have truly fallen. Then always bringing up the scudetto, like other title winning coaches have not been fired in history after lack of silver ware.
Both do go on. After all any fan who does not agree with you is not a true Milanista, is an interista in disguise, or should just go support another club.
Counting points while your opponents counts trophies. How sad.
Well said @Briareos. We thank Pioli, Maldini and Massara for taking us out of the banter era. He should have left when they were fired.
Milan needs to take the next step now and unfortunately these 5 years has shown that Pioli isn’t that couch to take us higher.
As they say, “you can’t teach an old dog new tricks” and we have proof of that for Pioli.
Or…..fans’ completely unrealistic expectations and total lack of loyalty will prevent us from returning to the top.
For 10 years we kept chasing the elusive greatness, we spent over a billion, went through 8 managers (whilst the manager we sacked won 3 Scudetti with Juve), turned into a revolving door club for players many of whom we ruined, many of our Primavera ended up playing for our rivals, and we lost all sense of identity.
And Maldini, Massaro and Pioli saved us from that.
But again I am sure you will show a great deal of grace if the decision doesn’t work out.
If we don’t qualify for the Champions League next season you’ll come back here and you’ll admit you were wrong for calling for Pioli to be sacked.
I have. I wanted Allegri sacked.
That didn’t work out, did it?
Boulden stole someone’s nickname?
Champions are never satisfied with finishing second. They never stop trying to win. I know only one can be first, but the effort/method counts. The most titled club on the planet, Real Madrid, will change coach if they go one season without silverware, even if that coach won titles the prior season. What we saw over two legs against Roma, at various points in the CL campaign, in the derby and at many points over the last couple of seasons implies a side that is playing below level. We finished FIFTH on the pitch last season. The atrocious nature of some of these matches implies that someone else, and honestly I don’t know who anymore, but someone else will be able to take us further. We need fresh air.
We’re not champions….
We’ve won one Scudetto in 10 years.
The expectations around here are ludicrous.
PS We finished 4th last season. Stop downplaying your own club’s achievements.
The expectations are simple: to do our best, whether we win or we don’t. The two legs against Roma, the game against Sassuolo, every derby, the losses against teams like Spezia, Udinese and Lecce across the last two seasons, and so on and so forth are far from our best. If we’d put on great performances against Roma and lost, there would not be much to say, but we showed nothing, against a practically novice coach. If we play good football and don’t win the league or a cup, so be it. BUT WE’RE JUST NOT PLAYING GOOD FOOTBALL, often even when we win we don’t play well.
If anything, the way DDR has come in and revolutionized Roma is exactly what I’m talking about. The same squad that was playing mid-table football with a “champion” manager, one of the best of all time, is now going gangbusters because they made a change that shook things up.
What’s so hard to understand about this?
Exactly. But you… You’re wasting your time with this one. Lost cause. After all, he’s the only True Milan Fan in the world and everyone else is inferior to him/her.
Nevermind that we often rely on Theo dribbling into the box past three players for the pass to Leao or Giroud, or for Leao to receive along pass for the dribble into the box for a shot. If that’s not working we are usually dead in the water. Pulisic has been a ray of light this season to pick us up when that strategy fails, but even he can’t do it by himself and he’s clearly showing fatigue at this point. We need proper tactics and an identity. Not this 5-0-5 horrible BS formation, or inverted Calabria, or out of form players playing over reliable ones (Thiaw over Gabbia, for example). These are all basic things.
Relying on that tactic has seen us score a lot of goals.
So why are you complaining so much???
And that to you is how a good team. Play right??.
That’s the making of a well. Oiled team. Pass to one man and pray.
Ah mediocrity…
Because if one of those two players is out of form, suspended, injured or double teamed, we become a relegation side. That’s why.
Do you really believe you’re going to not find fault with the next victim?
When you disagree with one of their decisions?
If they pick the wrong players, play the wrong tactics.
Do you think you’re capable of being happy?
Why do you only look at that? We’re finishing second in a horrible league. Probably the weakest serie a in the last 10 years. We’re also 14 points from first and never once competed for the scudetto. Milan have not played a great game once this year and have shown in Europe that we can’t compete. With all that said, milan have a team that should have been getting better results than they have and that is on pioli.
I’ll thank pioli for everything he has given us but it’s clear to anyone that his time is up. His tactics have been so poor this year and the inconsistencies are far too often. But to his awful tactics like the inverted right back and playing loftus like he’s an actual attacking midfielder has killed this teams potential. Or how about changing 9 players in the starting line up’s. It’s time milan get a world class coach to truly bring these young talented players to the next level. It only takes 2-3 guys in the right position to make this team compete
We’re sacking a coach because the way the team looks on the field is borderline vomit inducing.
MH you are not really a Milan fan just an imposter who like to talk crap.
Finishing 2nd to a Milan fan and no trophy’s means a failure for the season, but to you it’s an achievement?
Get reality check and follow another team please you are shaming to true Rossoneri. Also get off this site and do the true Milan supporters a favour
Thanks Mr Pioli for scudetto now you and Erik Ten Hag can be together at the end of the season 😀
No need to waiting until season end .Just let him go if losing in derby . Give Bonera chance as caretaker until next season. It is very embarassing pioli 23 years experience in serie A beaten by de rossi 3 month experience in serie A in 2 leg UEL , if just one time its okay but 2 time in row defeat ??? More reason to sacking him because he blame his team lacking quality. Really ??? Roma player are just free transfer and loan player while ACM player from cash 120m euro this summer
If decent players who can lead the team to victories are not brought in, no coach on earth can make Milan win. Above all things, Milan has no quality mildfielder who can properly link the attack and defense, and set the rhythm of the game. Some people here blame everything on Pioli, as if Milan has a top quality team.
We have 3 such midfielders. One is out of form (benacer), one is playing whatever pioli wants him to and cant shine the way he can (tijani) and 3rd is a sub with a lot of potential if he had someone 2 guild him a bit (adli).
I’ll blame everything on pioli because a coach is supposed to set the team up to utilise the strength of his players and he’s just trying to do what worked 3 years ago when he had different players..
Milan had second most valuable team in serie a according to transfermarkt. So yeah, top quality. Even globally looking, top 15. If you starting looking at clubs who have a better team than mIlan and clubs who have a worse team than milan, do you know what numbers we’ll find? It’s gonna show we are better than majority of clubs.
As said, no one can make the leap in quality, next season if a new coach come, non of our MC are enough good, don’t overhype them
Reindjers : good technic, good at passing but not impressive, defensive skills very very poor, fighting spirit below the average
Musah : even at valancia, he didnt stand out, no smart moves, no accurate and risky passes, just stamina and phisics
Adli : please remove him the “7”
RLC : 😑
bologna made a leap when they got a new coach. bayer made a leap when they got a new coach. Atalanta made a leap when they got a new coach.. WTF you on about?
This one is good. Milan made a leap after they got a new coach…
What “leap” did Bologna and Atalanta make? They improved but still are behind Milan in the Serie A. Yes, Milan with a new coach can improve and make a “leap”, but with this kind of team Milan has that “leap” will not be like you imagine it.
Jesus, you’re on here as someone who follows serie a and you’re wondering what leap bologna and atalanta made?
Stfu man. Nobody is thinking that Milan wil become serial winners with a change
Indeed. Bennacer has been on decline, he is far from his past level. Reijnders is good but not decisive and can’t control the mildfield. Adli, with all due respect, is of lower quality and should be sold together with Pobega. Musah too is like Adli but since he is 20 one can give him the benefit of the doubt. A team where the best mildfielders are supposed to be Bennacer and Reijnders can’t ecpect to win trophies every season. On a more advanced position, RLC has some goals but his overall play is quite dissappointing. He more damages and helps the team with his lack of effort and ideas. He seems to be lazy.
*more damages than helps
You seem very animated on a team you claim not to follow/support.
Why the unnecessary benevolence towards Milan.
They do, Pioli just started him on the bench…
If Allegri comes, this will be the straw that will break the camels back.
whenever i come to the comment section and see maldini’s heir name, i just automatically say “nope, nothing to see here, keep scrolling”
Pulisic, RLC and Giroud, underwhelming in big games. Bennacer is not a go to midfielder. Great complimentary piece with a Tonali or Kessie making up ground for him and covering for his weaknesses, which is a lack of physicality and durability. He is not built for war, said it 3 years straight. Okafor and Jovic are decent as jokers, scramble the cards off the bench.
Against disciplined, fast or stronger, well balanced teams, we always fall flat on our face.
This is entirely upper management. As bad as Pioli is, Mr. Beane and Furliani need to be put to pasture with him. They tried to stop us from getting Theo, Bennacer, Tonali and Leao. Maldini had to press them, insist and force their hands to buy them. They are the true culprits as to why this team went from complete, to reconfigured in one summer with bit parts and purchases from another club under Beane’s umbrella and clubs looking to turn around their entire rosters. Chuk was replaced before we bought him in Spain, Okafor couldn’t be depended on to stay healthy and Jovic had serious commeitment with attitude problems.
If you seriously think moneyball will get you above mediocrity, you are out your minds. Our acquisitions did well against much less talented teams. Players that are worth their weight in gold, cost a price that makes you not want to buy them. It is a necessary evil to buy solid and proven players. The injuries in defense and elsewhere were a culmination of three years of inactivity. Pioli was forced to rely on players because we let our depth and most talented players leave without adequate replacements. You can’t replace a Hakan, Kessie and Tonali with loaned players from Germany and kids from Belgium expected to perform in their first seasons.
People celebrated a profit, that was what cost us the last two seasons. Poor asset management from terrible decisions in regards to wage increases. Our players that left never asked for above market value or unsustainable salaries, just more than Mr.Beane and clown bankers computers stipulated.
THIS AND LAST SEASON BETTER HAVE FURLIANI AND BEANE OUT THE DOOR.
Straight up 💯
That 120m in purchases don’t fool me. It fooled alot of people in the summer. I’d rather let Kessie get his 8m per year or Hakan 0.5m more. “You don’t need analytics to buy Pulisic and RLC” lol 😂. It’s really the other guys that were “new”. I like the irony when fans bad talk Tonali but he gave them the money to fund the summer campaign after the same said people (Furlani/Scaroni etc) never wanted him in the first place
Milan still 2nd position and leap frog the cheatinf juventus. Think its progress when you bring some new playes at the same time.