Stefano Pioli’s future at AC Milan is unsure because the seven-time European champions put together for Thursday’s first leg of their Europa League quarter-final with Roma.
By no means within the combat for the Serie A title and dumped out of the Champions League on the group stage, the last-eight Italian derby would be the largest two matches of Milan’s season to date.
They can even be essential to Pioli’s probabilities of staying within the Milan dugout because the 58-year-old has been extra underneath hearth this time period than at every other level for the reason that troubled early months of his tenure again in 2019.
Pioli was anticipated to get replaced by Ralf Rangnick in the summertime of 2020, however a sudden burst of sizzling kind when that season restarted within the midst of the coronavirus pandemic and really public outrage from administrators Zvonimir Boban and Paolo Maldini about how the talks with Rangnick had been dealt with stored him in place.
Holding him turned out to be a successful transfer as Pioli introduced Milan the Serie A crown two years later, however Pioli is now out of favour with followers for not maintaining with Napoli final season nor with Inter this time period.
A run of 5 straight Milan derby defeats has not helped neither has the prospect of formally conceding this 12 months’s Scudetto to Inter within the subsequent conflict with their native rivals later this month.
Additionally exacerbating the state of affairs is the sensation that Milan have been overtaken by Inter on the continent since Pioli dragged them again to the highest desk after years within the doldrums.
However a deep run within the Europa League, a contest Milan have by no means gained neither in its present guise nor because the previous UEFA Cup, would give Milan additional purpose to be proud of the ultimate weeks of a largely disappointing season.
Seven straight wins in all competitions have taken Milan to the final eight and to a possible second-placed end in Serie A, helped by a exceptional drop off in Juventus’ kind.
“We’ve by no means stopped believing in what we do, we’ve by no means stopped believing within the gamers they usually haven’t stopped believing in us,” stated Pioli after Saturday’s 3-0 win over Lecce.
“When a staff struggles so lengthy however doesn’t quit, it recognises when it’s acquired by way of the tough patch.”
De Rossi on a excessive
Pioli can have Ruben Loftus-Cheek again after the England worldwide was suspended for the weekend’s stroll previous lowly Lecce.
Loftus-Cheek has been within the type of his life in 2024, netting 9 instances for the reason that flip of the 12 months from his superior midfield place.
4 of these objectives got here in earlier Europa League knockout ties with Rennes and Slavia Prague which had been comfortably gained by Milan.
The key resolution Pioli faces is who to play alongside Matteo Gabbia in central defence with Fikayo Tomori suspended, with Simon Kjaer favorite over Malick Thiaw who’s getting back from harm.
Milan have already comfortably crushed Roma twice this season however that was whereas Jose Mourinho was nonetheless in cost, and the capital membership promised to be a completely totally different proposition this time round.
Pioli’s Roma counterpart Daniele De Rossi is coming into Thursday’s match on the San Siro on a excessive after successful the Rome derby on the weekend and preserving his staff within the Champions League hunt.
The journey north will present simply how a lot has actually modified for Roma underneath De Rossi because it was their most up-to-date defeat away to Milan in January that did for Mourinho.
Since then Roma have solely misplaced two of 15 matches, one to champions-elect Inter and the opposite to Brighton within the earlier spherical of the Europa League after killing their last-16 tie in opposition to the English staff within the first leg.
De Rossi’s future can be unsure as he was solely employed till the tip of the season however such is the positivity surrounding Roma with their former captain in cost {that a} respectable exhibiting on this tie may get him the job on a everlasting foundation.
AFP
