Tomorrow Milan will take the field at the Olimpico stadium against Roma: at stake is the Europa League semifinal.
To reach it, the Rossoneri will have to overturn the 0-1 defeat against the Giallorossi six days ago at San Siro. Then, five days later, on Monday, April 22nd, the team of Stefano Pioli will face the derby against Inter, who are eager to become Italian champions against their cousins. And it is precisely in these five days that Stefano Pioli's future will be decided.
This morning, the Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport highlights the period of five days that will put stress on Milan and especially its coach, aware that he's playing important cards for his stay on the Rossoneri bench even in the next season. After five years, a change can also be expected, especially in today's football, but the coach still has another year on his contract. Yet, the season has been a continuous up and down, with Milan experiencing positive moments but also some very negative ones.
Clearly, a double defeat between Thursday and Monday could irreparably compromise Pioli's position. If instead the coach manages to at least reach the semifinals and even the final of the Europa League, his stock could rise again, as it did throughout the month of March. However, the feeling is that the future of the Parma-born coach is indeed linked to results: considering the Champions League qualification on thin ice, everything hinges on the European journey.
Pioli's possible replacement? Here's Julen Lopetegui...
Meanwhile, thenewspaper follows up on some rumours about possible replacements for Stefano Pioli. As of today, one of the most accredited would be the Basque coach Julen Lopetegui, already coach of teams like Real Madrid, Sevilla, Wolverhampton, and the Spanish national team. According to reports, Milan executive Geoffrey Moncada has already met the Spanish coach twice. For him, if things don't go well with Pioli, a two-year contract is already prepared. At the moment, Lopetegui is on a break but reportedly very proud of the rumors and interest at Casa Milan. So, the club also finds itself at an important crossroads: if things change between Roma and any potential semifinals, Pioli could have a new chance, otherwise, the path leading to Lopetegui (or another important profile) could become increasingly concrete.
