Milan linked Farioli names Mourinho, Allegri and Sacchi as influences | OneFootball

Nice coach and Milan target Francesco Farioli revealed his coaching influences and the way he approaches modern football.

The 35-year-old Italian tactician has emerged as one of the candidates to take over from Stefano Pioli at the Rossoneri in the summer, alongside other options like Roberto De Zerbi and Paulo Fonseca. His Nice currently sit fifth in the Ligue 1 table, five points behind the Champions League spots.

Milan had also been linked with moves for Antonio Conte and Julen Lopetegui, but the former is looking increasingly likely to head to Chelsea and the latter was not an option that excited fans, increasing Farioli’s stocks ahead of the summer.

Farioli influences

Speaking to Cronache di Spogliatoio via TMW, Farioli opened up about his various coaching influences and how he looks to approach the modern game.

“If you ask me for my references, it’s normal to mention Guardiola’s Barcelona or Cruyff’s Ajax, or Sacchi’s Milan. Teams that changed football.

“But for me it becomes difficult not to remember Mourinho’s Inter or in some ways Allegri’s Juventus.

“The phase in which you have to close down or stay deep, although I don’t like that the team has this attitude, is a phase of the match where you’re forced and for this reason it must be trained.

“Today a complete and competitive team is a team that knows how to do all the phases in different ways and that knows how to be well blended within these phases.

“I feel like a 100% Italian coach, if we’re talking about being meticulous and attentive to detail, while if we’re talking about being a theorist I’d say 0%, it depends on the definition you give of an Italian coach.”

Farioli has been with Nice since July of last year and is contracted to the Ligue 1 club to June 2025.