CorSera: Pioli passes the baton to Fonseca as Milan enter new era | OneFootball

AC Milan said goodbye to several important figures after the game against Salernitana last night, including Stefano Pioli, and now it’s time to focus on the future. A cycle has ended and a new one is on the cards, as a report highlights.

Today’s edition of Corriere della Sera, as cited by MilanNews, discussed the emotional farewell of Pioli, Olivier Guroud and Simon Kjaer on the San Siro pitch. However, now the management must shift focus to the future, with a new manager to appoint.

Emotional farewells at San Siro

Indeed, it was an emotional evening at San Siro as a ceremony took place for Pioli, Giroud and Kjaer after the game. The result was second on the night, even if a 3-3 draw against Salernitana was far from ideal, as the fans were fully focused on the farewell of the trio.

Together, they made Milan history and certainly deserved the farewell that they got. The Curva Sud ended its protest for the final 45 minutes of the clash and this made for a beautiful scene as the trio each held a speech on the San Siro pitch.

It had been a very complicated season and an evening like this was needed, showing just how much Milan means to everyone. Hopefully, it will also prompt the ‘new leaders’ of the team to step up and assume responsibility.

Focus on the future

As one cycle comes to an end, a new one is on the cards. Curva Sud have made it clear that a leap in quality is needed to compete at the top. Second place is not enough for a team like Milan, trophies are needed to really satisfy the fans.

The friendly against Roma is scheduled for next week and will take place in Australia. Daniele Bonera should be on the bench for Milan, instead of Pioli, and then the new manager will be announced at the beginning of June.

All clues point to Paulo Fonseca, even if the fans are far from happy with the Lille manager. It’s similar to what Pioli had to go through in 2019, heavily criticised prior to joining the club. In any case, a three-year deal worth €3m per year is ready for the manager.