Paulo Sousa Potential Candidate for the Milan Bench

The Milan hierarchy backs Paulo Fonseca and would like to continue with him, but he needs to turn things around result-wise to solidify his position. Paulo Sousa has emerged as a possible option to replace him if the situation doesn’t change, Calciomercato informs.

The Portuguese gaffer took over Qatari club Shabab Al-Ahli in June, but he has an exit clause in case a European team wants him. He coached Salernitana for eight months, from February to October 2023, before heading to the Middle East. He previously managed Fiorentina in Italy and a host of foreign sides, including Flamengo, Bordeaux, Videoton, QPR, and the Polish national team.

If Fonseca didn’t right the ship, Milan would evaluate Daniele Bonera as a substitute first. However, they’d prefer not to modify the staff of the Futuro squad. Stefano Pioli is still under contract, but it remains to be seen for how long. However, he’s not a viable candidate in the brass’ mind. Their farewell to him was pretty much definitive.

Sousa is appreciated by the higher-ups for his experience in different scenarios, ability to work with the youngsters and interact with the stars, playing style, presence in front of the cameras, and willingness to listen to the officials.

Our Take on Milan, Fonseca, and Sousa

Given his recent spells, the prospective replacement would be a worse version of their current coach with perhaps a little more savoir-faire. If they pulled the plug, they’d have to go with a completely different profile, hiring a gritty and vocal boss would scare straight their best players and make them perform up to their potential.