Massimiliano Allegri: AC Milan Right to Keep Faith in Coach for 2013-14 Season

AC Milan have confirmed Massimiliano Allegri will stay on as head coach for the 2013-14 season.

The discussion of whether the 45-year-old would lose his job has been the talk of the last few months, and Rossoneri fans have been left clinging for information on the matter since March.

But scraping into a third-placed finish in the Serie A table—and with it a UEFA Champions League spot for next season—appears to have swayed the board into keeping him around.

As Goal.com reports, Adriano Galliani and Silvio Berlusconi ironed out the details after a prolonged meeting:

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We reached an agreement on the rights and duties of the club towards the coach and the coach towards the club.

We also talked about the type of football that Milan must play and the squad for next season, setting out guidelines for the transfer window.

The rapport with the coach, which has never been interrupted, continues with faith and in absolute reciprocal respect.

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In the club's, fans', players' and board's interests, this is the correct decision.

Milan had an awful start to the season, but it's arguable that Allegri can be exonerated for what happened. In May 2012, The Independent noted Allegri's vehement expectation that star men Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Thiago Silva would not be sold.

The Rossoneri ended up selling them both, and Allegri's team had its spine ripped out. The poor start to the season—in which Milan dropped as low as 16th—could hardly come as a shock, yet the board still held unrealistic expectations.

The way Allegri dealt with the intense pressure of the situation speaks volumes of his humble character, and to have an element of continuity at the club could be a pivotal factor next season.

Roma, Napoli and Internazionale are all changing managers ahead of the 2013-14 campaign. Should Napoli lose Edinson Cavani, they will be weakened; should Inter not adapt to Walter Mazzarri immediately, they will falter.

Juventus are out on a level of their own right now, but with several top clubs in flux, Milan have an excellent chance of taking advantage of any teething problems that arise. Finishing second is not an unrealistic target.

Allegri polished off several promising youth prospects in M'Baye Niang, Stephan El Shaarawy and Mattia De Sciglio this season while also unlocking the very best of Mario Balotelli.

If his side enters the new season in the sort of form they displayed from February to May, Allegri could be looking back at the prospect of losing his job and laughing.

The Italian coach was haunted by star player sales, ridiculous comments from the board and the consistent media buzz surrounding one of the world's largest clubs.

But he powered through it and did a lot of good for the Rossoneri this season. He deserves the chance to continue his good work next year.

Milan made the right choice in keeping Allegri on board—it's just a shame they made such a circus of the whole thing.

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