Sixth consecutive derby lost and Inter celebrating their second star at San Siro in front of Milan fans.
That alone would suffice to describe the nightmare moment in the Rossoneri world. What's certain is that last night's match, with the Nerazzurri winning yet another city derby with a score of 2-1, marked the end of Stefano Pioli's era on the Rossoneri bench, as suggested this morning by Gazzetta dello Sport in their match commentary.
Yesterday's performance sealed a terrifying April for the AC Milan team and a very disappointing season, especially when it came to the real big matches where the Rossoneri faltered. The 17-point gap in the standings was evident, as were the tactical and technical limitations of a Milan team that arrived frustrated at yesterday's commitment.
Pioli tried to provide some certainty, but even yesterday's choices proved wrong: like against Roma, the Rossoneri suddenly lost all certainties, and not even the most representative players were able to turn the tide. And in the end, the Rossoneri, nervous with two red cards (captain Davide Calabria and vice captain Theo Hernandez), had to watch their cousins' celebration in their own home. Now the Rossoneri club will have to start over, but not with Stefano Pioli, whose cycle has come to an end. The coach, who will be allowed to work until the end of the season out of respect and recognition for what he has done at Milanello in recent years, once again deferred questions about his future after the match: "Cycle over? Honestly, I don't know. I feel good here, I work well, I believe this team has room for improvement. Now we finish the season and then we will make all possible evaluations."
Now the ball is in Gerry Cardinale's court. As mentioned, Pioli will remain on the Rossoneri bench until the end of the season: the coach admitted that such a defeat hurts a lot, but at the same time, the club recognises his work in recent years that has made the club competitive in Italy and in Europe. Hoping to consolidate the second place as soon as possible, however, Milan are starting to look for the next coach. Several names and profiles have already been put forward in recent days, but none definitive yet because Cardinale will have the final say.
