From Rangnick to the cold winters – Pioli’s seven lives at Milan

Stefano Pioli’s future as AC Milan’s head coach is unclear, as it has been for large parts of the season. Today, a report has reminisced on times when the 58-year-old has been in similar situations and earned continuation, given there is still time for him to prove he is the right man for the job. 

The fairest evaluation of Pioli’s tenure this season would be a see-saw. There have been highs and lows, and he has survived several points of the season where it looked like his career as Milan’s manager was done. However, he is still the man in the technical area for the Rossoneri.

As Gazzetta dello Sport writes, this is not the first time the Italian has experienced close calls. The paper has drawn comparisons between Pioli and a cat: in situations of distress, he lands on his feet and steers danger away.

In his first season, replacements were considered after a difficult entry to the job, which even Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s arrival could not help, and the man who looked like he could change the side’s fortunes was Ralf Rangnick. Yet, Pioli survived.

This season, though, has seen several lives pass, and Milan have had to quickly recover from setbacks that could have ended the relationship between the Rossoneri and Pioli: the 5-1 loss in the Derby della Madonnina, the 0-0 draw with Newcastle United, the defeat against PSG, and the 2-2 draw with Salernitana.

The latest of these setbacks was the loss against AS Roma last week. A match which had been built as the start of the end or the start of the beginning – defeat would cause worry, whereas a victory would reassure the club of the position.

Ultimately, the side lost, and this now means that everything is back on the table for Pioli, and his position is again under fire if it ever fully recovered from the previous setbacks.