Given the variety of factors contributing to the fall, it is almost hard to isolate the precise causes of Milan’s fast and severe downfall since the team’s heyday. The manager personnel’s appointment and decision-making processes are two arguments in favor of the demise.
Unquestionably one of the greatest tacticians of all time, Carlo Ancelotti won two Champions League titles and a Scudetto while he was at the Rossoneri. He went on to become a successful coach and had a natural ability to keep fans on the edge of their seats and excitedly awaiting the next matchday.
Eleven managers have come and gone since 2009, whether they were appointed as temporary head coaches or thought to be the best choice to guide the team into the future.
Given those names, one could argue that Massimiliano Allegri is the most polished and capable player the team has brought in. Allegri was once hailed as the future star of Italian football after his stint at Cagliari helped Milan win their 18th Serie A championship.
Zlatan Ibrahimović, Alexandre Pato, Andrea Pirlo, Kevin Price-Boateng, and Alessandro Nesta, to mention a few, were among the elite players who helped propel that trophy, but the football on show wasn’t always visually appealing and left fans wanting more, in an odd way.
While the late Siniša Mihajlović implemented “grinta” and restored pride for the badge, Gennaro Gattuso, Filippo Inzaghi, and Clarence Seedorf did their reputations no favors by taking on the enormous and implausible task of turning around a historic club with little coaching experience and pedigree. From a footballing perspective, there was no clear identity on the field.
In the middle of the ongoing hunt for a new manager to succeed departing Stefano Pioli, Roberto De Zerbi, a long-term contender, has emerged as a viable contender.
Before Brighton & Hove Albion’s season-ending match, shocking news leaked out that the Italian would be leaving his management position. The reason for this was allegedly that he and owner Tony Bloom had different ideas.
Over the previous few weeks, hints of De Zerbi’s involvement have surfaced, but the primary obstacle preventing Gerry Cardinale and the board from moving forward with the plan was the rumored €15 million release clause in the former Sassuolo manager’s contract.
As anticipated, speculation about the 44-year-old rejoining the seven-time European winners has intensified dramatically now that the release clause has been removed.
Former Milan youth academy product De Zerbi declared his passion for the team in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“I was raised in Milan, having spent three years at Milanello, and I received my football education from the real Milan—the Milan of Baresi, Tassotti, Maldini, Boban, Savicevic, and Costacurta,” De Zerbi acknowledged.
According to numerous sources, current Lille manager Paulo Fonseca is still heading the drive to win the top honor even though there may be a chance to change plans.
The former Roma manager has outperformed everyone in the Italian capital and in Ligue 1, where he is currently unable to reach his full potential due to a lack of resources and a constrained environment.
Honesty has to take the win eventually. Are the best teams in Europe forming a queue to sign Fonseca? No, is the response. Instead, Milan should make every effort to get De Zerbi’s services so that they can eventually compete with the best teams in the globe, since he has been linked to some of the biggest teams in the world.
Plans have to be revised when even the smallest opportunity arises, as was the case with the Julen Lopetegui case. This was the case with De Zerbi. Comparing this scenario to the impending signing of Lopetegui, it makes more sense to reverse course.
Naturally, the manager’s head will be the first to go when performance and results fall short of expectations. However, as was the case with Ancelotti all those years ago, a coach’s personality may go a long way toward connecting with the supporters and offering a glimmer of enthusiasm and hope.
De Zerbi is revolutionizing football, and Milan seems to be in a position to make the most effort in order to develop a long-term project. He espouses a popular attacking philosophy that emphasizes possession-based play, intense pressing, fast passing, and continuous movement as the cornerstones of the modern game.
Milan rarely makes things easy on themselves, primarily because they are reactive rather than proactive, so it seems too good to be true.
What does choosing Fonseca over De Zerbi indicate about Milanello’s ambition? What signal does the ownership’s ability to manage these significant decisions send?
The hazards associated with De Zerbi’s aggressive mindset are the other side of the token, which is something that needs to be carefully considered.
His Brighton team, which is still struggling to find equilibrium on the defensive end of the ball, has given up an average of 1.57 goals in the Premier League since October 2022. They were also eliminated by Roma 4-1 on aggregate in the Europa League round of 16, evidently exhausted from his tactical demands.
It’s comparable to the great Arrigo Sacchi, who changed the game in his own right by doing away with the defensive sweeper position and implementing a back four with a high line. Though initially perceived as an insane attack strategy, Milan’s transformation into a formidable attacking force was subsequently praised for its brilliant design.
Remember that during his tenure at Shakhtar Donetsk, De Zerbi has only won one Ukrainian Super Cup. Nothing tangible has been won by him. Are trophies more important to the fans than ensuring they have fun?
Better yet, with the club’s support and a little perseverance, maybe De Zerbi’s forward-thinking may develop into a Sacchi-like era that can combine the best aspects of both worlds.
Following the loss to Manchester United two days prior, the manager, who was born in Brescia, discussed his unrelenting study regimen and readiness to constantly adjust.
“I will work, so it shouldn’t be an issue if I have to stay at home for three, four, or five months,” De Zerbi stated.
I’ll be working on researching various teams, games, and coaching philosophies. Football is still developing. If you want to remain at the top, you must maintain the level because every year is different.
Milan has historically been obliged to make do with unproven players in the Premier League, so this is undoubtedly the opportunity to sign one of the most exciting and knowledgeable young managers in world football—a coach who isn’t on the fringes—into the team.
If not, all it would seem like was a lost chance.
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