AC Milan Names Paulo Fonseca as New Manager

Serie A runners-up AC Milan have announced the appointment of Paulo Fonseca as their new manager on a three-year contract.

Stefano Pioli, who managed the team for five years, departed the San Siro at the end of the season after a second consecutive trophyless campaign. Milan finished 19 points behind new champions Inter Milan, and Pioli left by mutual consent despite having previously won the Scudetto with the team.

Although Antonio Conte and Roberto De Zerbi were heavily linked with the position, AC Milan has chosen Fonseca as Pioli's successor.

Fonseca returns to Italian football after a three-year hiatus, having previously managed Roma for two years. His tenure at Roma saw the team finish fifth and seventh in Serie A, leading to his dismissal in 2021. Jose Mourinho replaced him at Roma.

After his stint in Italy, the 54-year-old Fonseca moved to France to manage Lille. In his first season, he led Lille to a fifth-place finish, earning praise for his attacking approach and attractive style of play. In the 2023/24 season, Lille narrowly missed automatic Champions League qualification, finishing fourth, just two points behind third-placed Brest.

Fonseca's arrival at Milan signals the start of a new era for the club. One of his first tasks will be to sign a new centre-forward to replace Olivier Giroud, with Bologna's Joshua Zirkzee being a leading candidate. If negotiations with Zirkzee's agent, Kia Joorabchian, are unsuccessful, Milan may turn to Jonathan David, a player Fonseca previously worked with at Lille.

Additionally, Milan aims to strengthen its squad by acquiring a deep-lying midfielder and a quality centre-back as part of their strategy to close the gap on Inter following an underwhelming league campaign.