Tuttosport: A life, that of Stefano Pioli at Milanello, is hanging by a thread. Like the French tightrope walker Philippe Petit, who, among his feats, included a 1974 walk on a 3 cm steel cable between the Twin Towers in New York. Suspended in the void with the risk of falling. That is a similar situation for head coach Pioli, who has been living with the label of being shaky since taking over the reins of AC Milan on October 9, 2019.
Only in the summer of 2022, after winning the Serie A title, did Pioli enjoy a few months of tranquility, just enough time to reach the new year and then see his Milan start 2023 on a roller coaster, with the 2-2 draw against Roma that changed the Devil's fortunes along with the perception of the coach by a large part of the fan base, hurt by the team's inconsistent performance and the five derbies lost in just one year.
As has happened on many occasions, however, Pioli once again overcame the obstacle, balancing on a wire that has seemed destined to break beneath his feet for months. It was supposed to be like that in the spring of 2019 with the shadow of Ralf Rangnick looming large; then it was said he wasn't a coach capable of taking the team to the next level, but in the following two seasons, he brought Milan back to the Champions League after years of absence and secured the 19th Serie A title.
Last season, with the return of the hashtag '#PioliOut' in the darkest moments, but once again overcome, he remained at the helm of the team. Today, Pioli is once again a "dead man walking" for much of the fan base and beyond.
The feeling is that his cycle has really come to an end, with coaches like Antonio Conte and Thiago Motta seen as candidates to replace him in the summer; but publicly and privately, the club has reiterated its trust and support for Pioli, as happened last Sunday with owner Gerry Cardinale supporting him before the Roma match and congratulating him after the 3-1 victory.
Pioli resists and studies how to overturn the odds once again, how to stay on that wire that has allowed him to accumulate 216 appearances on the Milan bench so far, just four fewer than a certain Arrigo Sacchi.
For the coach, there is a double challenge ahead: one is called, in hushed tones, the title fight, and the other, consequently, leads to a sensational and probably unthinkable continuation in the club.
The two missions, after all, are connected and travel on the parallel track of a very complicated affirmation in the Europa League. Milan was eliminated from the Coppa Italia a week ago, but in the league, they have collected 13 points in the last five games. Now, the schedule will pit them against Udinese, Bologna, and Frosinone, with the latter match scheduled for February 3, twenty-four hours before Inter-Juventus.
The top two are running ahead, but if Milan starts to catch up and the front duo slows down - in the direct clash, someone will lose points for sure - the 9-point gap separating Milan from Inter today could quickly decrease.
On Sunday, Pioli and the players dismissed the word "Scudetto" and indeed, considering Milan's inconsistency, it seems like a fantasy to think of the Rossoneri's return to the race. But if they keep collecting three points at a time, who knows, maybe another chapter may begin for Pioli...
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