Milan could cut Stefano Pioli loose at the end of the season, with Napoli ready to offer the Italian manager a soft landing. According to Calciomercato, Aurelio De Laurentiis has identified the 58-year-old as a genuine candidate to replace Francesco Calzona.
Saturday’s disheartening 1-0 defeat at relegation-battling Empoli convinced De Laurentiis to widen the search for Calzona’s successor. It’s become clear the Slovakia national team coach isn’t suitable for the Napoli job, forcing the Partenopei president to cast a wide net in search of a new manager.
Speculation has intensified in recent weeks. Antonio Conte, Gian Piero Gasperini, and Vincenzo Italiano have emerged as potential contenders for the job. But those are not feasible options. Napoli fans would prefer Conte, but he’s closer to Milan after Zlatan Ibrahimovic named him the leading candidate to take Pioli’s place.
Milan have decided to sack Pioli in the wake of Thursday’s Europa League elimination to Roma. Aware of the situation at San Siro, Napoli would be ready to pounce. De Laurentiis reportedly holds the ex-Inter manager in high regard. He sees him as an appropriate profile to deal with the current climate at the Maradona Stadium.
Napoli must carefully choose their next manager after wandering between three underperforming coaches in 2023/24. Pioli ticks many of the boxes. His wealth of experience in Serie A and solid track record at top Italian clubs make him a decent solution for Partenopei.
Everything depends on Milan’s final decision on Pioli’s future, but it seems his fate at San Siro is sealed.
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