Sacchi ‘expected a bigger name’ for Milan than Fonseca

Milan legend Arrigo Sacchi is thoroughly unimpressed by the imminent decision to appoint Paulo Fonseca. ‘I honestly expected a bigger name.’

The Rossoneri have parted company with Stefano Pioli after five years and were linked with numerous different tacticians, including Julen Lopetegui, Sergio Conceicao and Marcelo Gallardo.

However, all sources point to Fonseca as their new coach after his contract with Lille expires on June 30.

“I honestly expected a bigger name,” Sacchi told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

“Or at least, seeing as I am Italian, I hoped the directors would choose a coach from this country. Milan need a strategist, a coach who is able to give a style of play to the team and through that make the most of the players at his disposal.

“There are several fine Italian coaches who would’ve suited the Rossoneri. I am thinking of Roberto De Zerbi, Maurizio Sarri, Gian Piero Gasperini, Vincenzo Italiano, Thiago Motta. They know Serie A, know the dynamics of our football, have ideas and proved it.

“Fonseca is someone we still need to really discover.”

Serie A experience for Fonseca

It will not be the first Serie A experience for Fonseca, as the Portuguese boss already had a couple of years at Roma.

However, that was not enough to convince Sarri that he is ready to take hold at San Siro.

“Fonseca did very well in Ukraine with Shakhtar Donetsk, in France he got a fifth and a fourth place, he wasn’t exactly enchanting at Roma. These were not exceptional results,” added Sacchi.

“Having said that, we must not be hasty or prejudicial. I will be the first to applaud if he gets Milan to entertain and prove they can be a courageous, modern, European team.

“I hope he can be a strategist and not a tactician, someone who has the desire to dominate the opposition.”

Over the last five years, Sacchi was not always particularly kind to Pioli either and was often critical of his approach to the sport.

The Rossoneri supporters have also been unenthusiastic about the choice of new coach, although not quite to the virulent degree of anger they showed when Lopetegui was going to be appointed.