Just when Stefano Pioli realized he was gone, he rejoined.
Just a few months ago, the Milan coach seemed on the verge of collapse against the Rossoneri after a series of poor performances and Champions League eliminations. At the end of October and mid-November, Milan were still winless in Serie A, a streak of 4 games in which they could have won against Udinese and Lecce. The attack against the Puglian side saw Milan take a 2-0 lead before throwing it overboard in the second half, rubbing salt in the wound.
The Champions League crusade hasn’t gotten off to a smart start either. Involved in the toughest organization at the highest level of organization while the tournament is being played next season, Milan solved only two problems against Borussia Dortmund and Newcastle – two games they have. He won and, in the end, left Milan with too much to do. A win on the last matchday at Newcastle was not enough, as Paris Saint-Germain qualified on goal difference.
The departure was not only a blow to Milan (both sporting and monetary), but also to Pioli and his chances of staying at the club beyond this season. Rumours began to circulate that Milan were contemplating a replacement in management, with Antonio Conte strongly linked with the 58-year-old’s replacement. Even before the end of the Champions League, the feeling that after 4 years in the service and being the longest-serving coach at Milan since Carlo Ancelotti, the Pioli era at the club had come to an end and there was a new coach. And it was necessary to incorporate new concepts to change things.
Pioli had been accused of missing a tactical plan B, of having no choice in case Rafael Leao was in one of those moods where the Portuguese winger can seem like a passenger. Over-reliance on Leao has been a major theme in Pioli’s time, and signings were made last summer in an attempt to cure that, but at the start of this season nothing seemed to have changed: Milan still relied heavily on Leao to create chances and win games.
And while this remains largely true, the goals have been more shared this season. Leao has 10 goals in all competitions; Olivier Giroud, 14; Christian Pulisic 12; Ruben Loftus-Plays nine; and even Luka Jovic, Noah Okafor and Samuel Chukwueze scored goals. Pioli replaced his formula in some matches, switching from a 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1 to push Loftus-Cheek up the pitch.
Since Lecce’s draw on Nov. 11, Milan have lost just twice in Serie A and are in the quarterfinals of the Europa League, having destroyed Slavia Prague 7-3 on aggregate. A 100% Italian tie awaits them, against Roma. and it’s entirely conceivable that Milan will be in a European final for the first time since 2007, and in some other meeting with Liverpool, the team they faced in their last continental final.
With an almost certain departure from Milos Angeles on the horizon, it’s possible that Pioli will end up staying, but a lot will depend on next month. The Madonnina Angels Derby is on the horizon, with the date set for April 22. Pioli’s record in the derby is shocking: five defeats in a row and Milos Angelesn absolutely dominated in the vast majority of them is a clever feat. CV. La Gazzetta dello Sport claims that a positive result in the derby, as well as beating Roma in Europe, could be the deciding factor in whether Pioli stays or loses his job.
Pioli is popular with RedBird, the club’s American owners, due to his youth roster and lack of demands on the transfer market. Pioli’s attitude is in line with RedBird’s vision of how to run Milan, so hiring a better coach, Conte being an example, would mean a bigger movement budget and potentially more headaches.
Milan may still opt to let Pioli pass at the end of the season, but the fact that this remains a topic of abundant debate after a tricky autumn is a credit to the paintings Pioli has done to turn things around. If they get a derby win over Inter and manage to reach a European final, then extra time may be in play.