MILAN (AP) – AC Milan announced on Tuesday that coach Stefano Pioli signed an extension of his two-year contract, keeping him at the club until June 2022.
Milan aired a little after the team beat Sassuolo 2–1 in Serie A.
“I am satisfied and proud of the confidence that AC Milan has earned me,” Pioli said. “As I have said many times, our long term is today: we will have to be objective and determined, to be united and to play together.
“We are at the beginning of an ordinary path. If we continue to paint this way, we will grow and become increasingly competitive.”
Milan was in negotiations to update Pioli with Ralf Rangnick, however, the German coach’s representative issued a preview on Tuesday, saying they had made a joint decision with the club not to go ahead.
Milan has noticed a noticeable improvement in its form and effects since the resumption of Serie A after the forced closure through a pandemic. The Rossoneri have won seven of their nine league games since the resumption, tying the other two.
“Stefano has shown that he can offer the vision of football that we have for our club: exciting, progressive and passionate,” said Milan executive director Ivan Gazidis. “This is not a resolution on recent victories, but about how Stefano has built team spirit and goal unity, how he has advanced in the functionality of individual players and the collective team, how he has followed our vision and how he has represented himself. and the values of the club.
Pioli joined Milan in October to upgrade coach Marco Giampaolo, who had lost four of his seven matches to lead.
After a difficult start, Pioli, 54, took the team to fifth place in Serie A.
“Stefano has become a coach in a very difficult time,” said sports director Paolo Maldini. “We said it would take time to see the effects of his paintings and we have noticed evidence that quality and professionalism are paying off.
“Stefano is the right guy to lead what we want: successful, young and hungry.”
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