Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani says Stefano Pioli was ‘infinitely important’ in transforming the club’s fortunes and they will be ‘infinitely grateful’ to the coach.
The match with Salernitana kicks off at San Siro at 19.45 UK time (18.45 GMT).
This is the final match for Pioli, as the announcement finally arrived that he is leaving at the end of the season, with Paulo Fonseca expected to take over, but how much was he responsible for transforming the side’s fortunes?
“The coach has been infinitely important. The results speak for themselves, we went into the Champions League four times in a row after a seven-year absence, won the Scudetto after 11 years, reached the Champions League Final after a long absence,” Furlani told DAZN.
“It is a completely different Milan today to the side that he inherited when he arrived, so he has been infinitely important and we are infinitely grateful.”
Pioli has been criticised and considered to be on the edge of dismissal many times over the course of the last five years.
“The first time I spoke to the coach was a videocall during the summer of 2020. I congratulated him for how he was doing, told him not to listen to the rumours. A few weeks later, I had another call asking him if he wanted to remain at Milan. We had a very good rapport.”
Pioli not the only departure for Milan
This is also the final farewell to the Rossoneri for players Olivier Giroud and Simon Kjaer, who along with Zlatan Ibrahimovic helped the group step up a level for the Scudetto.
“There was talk about a Milan of young players that lacked experience, so Simon, Olivier and Zlatan certainly brought that kind of experience and leadership. We were fortunate to have them and they had a wonderful experience with us too, so we wish them all the best.”
Rossoneri supporters are continuing their protest against owners RedBird, with banners this evening that read ‘there is no positive season without victory’ and another noting ‘we will never settle for less.’
The ultras will also sit in silence for the first 45 minutes, but intend to break that strike in the second half to give Pioli, Olivier Giroud and Kjaer a proper send-off.
Is Fonseca the man lined up to take over next season?
“I would not talk about names or candidates now, this is above all an evening to celebrate Stefano Pioli,” concluded Furlani.
“The Milan of the future will be even more competitive and we’ll have more targeted interventions than we did last season, when we made many changes.”