AC Milan: Dramatic twist for Stefano Pioli’s successor

While AC Milan continue the search for Stefano Pioli’s successor, one of the frontrunners to replace him has requested to leave his current club. Critiqued for the team’s results and playing style, the 58-year-old Italian coach Stefano Pioli is unlikely to continue with the Rossoneri next year. Julen Lopetegui, who has previously managed Wolverhampton, Sevilla, and Real Madrid, was initially touted as the favourite to join Lombardy, but the possibility quickly faded, with the Spanish coach now leaning towards West Ham United.

As a result, the Italian press reported that three candidates are now in focus. A narrowed-down list includes Sergio Conceição (49), the current Porto coach, Paulo Fonseca (51), the manager of Lille, and Ruben Amorim (49), the Sporting Portugal manager who now seems to be moving away from Milan. As previously discussed, Paulo Fonseca, who is highly likely to leave Northern France in the coming weeks, is a priority for Olympique de Marseille, while Lille also hopes to extend his stay.

READ MORE: AC Milan: Top three candidates to succeed Stefano Pioli

Sergio Conceição Wants to Leave Porto Bringing him to AC Milan are a daunting task, but the situation is much less complicated for Sergio Conceiçao. According to reports from Gazzetta dello Sport, the current Porto coach will meet with André Villas-Boas, the new head of the Portuguese club, to secure his release from FCP. The former Nantes manager hopes AC Milan will choose him, with an annual salary of €4 million already being discussed. Additionally, his agent, Jorge Mendes, is also pushing for a departure.

Sergio Conceição was also absent from André Villas-Boas’s presentation as Porto’s president this Tuesday. While AVB attempted to justify his absence due to an earlier team training session, the separation seems to be materialising. Recently, Mark van Bommel, targeted by Feyenoord to replace Arne Slot, and Roberto Martinez, who is preparing for the 2024 European Championship with Portugal, have also been approached. While Sergio Conceição now appears to be the frontrunner, the Lombard club’s management will have to make a decision.