Mazzara: Conte ‘hoped until the end’ to be Milan manager – the background | OneFootball

Before, and even after, AC Milan hired Paulo Fonseca, fans dreamt of Antonio Conte being appointed as the new head coach, and a report has suggested the dreams were not only one-way.

The end of the Stefano Pioli era was often tied with links to Antonio Conte, and whenever the former manager was reported to be departing, Conte’s name quickly followed, and vice versa – news about Conte’s desire to move back to management broke, and Pioli’s position changed.

There were suggestions that Zlatan Ibrahimovic had held meetings with the 55-year-old before Pioli was sacked, showing there was some interest from the club, and this was the dream of the fans as well – which recent wiretaps from the Curva Sud revealed.

Pietro Mazzara of Milan News writes that the dreams of Conte as the Diavolo’s manager may not only have been from one side, though. According to the report, he did ‘everything’ to be contacted by Milan in the summer – via the press or his own communications – hoping ‘until the end’ to be contacted about the position.

Furthermore, he would have ‘loved’ to coach the squad and admires it heavily, which he has admitted since. So tomorrow could be a test, of whether the management made the right decision or not. However, there may always now be a feeling of ‘what could’ve been’, especially if Napoli end the season with another title lifted.