Evaluating Potential Successors to AC Milan Coach Sinisa Mihajlovic
AC Milan coach Sinisa Mihajlovic is in an interesting position.
As his first season at the San Siro enters the home stretch, he has, by most accounts, had a successful season. He has the Rossoneri in sixth place—four places better than they finished last season—and qualified for the final of the Coppa Italia.
They've already matched last season's win total of 13 with eight games to go, and if they hold their four-point lead over Sassuolo for sixth, they'll make the UEFA Europa League regardless of whether or not they beat Juventus in the Coppa final.
But when your boss is Silvio Berlusconi, sometimes the expectations can get...unrealistic. The team's owner has repeatedly criticized his coach this season, and in an interview with Tele Radio Stereo last week (h/t Football Italia), he insinuated that the Serbian would have to win the Coppa in order to keep his job.
If he were to get fired, it would be wholly undeserved. Mihajlovic has picked a Milan team that was completely dejected by the end of last season and given it an identity that it sorely lacked under his predecessor, Filippo Inzaghi. It would also continue the cycle of instability at Milan. If Mihajlovic is sacked, they will start next season under their fourth manager in three years.
But whether or not he deserves it, when Berlusconi has something in his head, he follows through on it, however foolish it might be.
As the ax looms, the question now becomes who might be Mihajlovic's replacement. That's what we'll be doing in this slideshow—examining potential candidates for Milan this summer. This will be done in no particular order and will mention candidates who have already been identified by the media and maybe a few dark horses no one may have thought of.
Who might be the man who replaces Mihajlovic if Berlusconi pulls the trigger and relieves him of his duties? Let's take a closer look.
Eusebio Di Francesco
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If bookmakers were making odds as to who might replace Mihajlovic, Eusebio Di Francesco would undoubtedly be the favorite.
If you don't include the two-plus months after he was sacked in 2014 before being reappointed (and we won't), Di Francesco has coached Sassuolo since 2012. He guided them to an historic promotion to the top flight in 2013 and shocked the country by not only keeping the Neroverdi in Serie A but making them contenders for a European place, despite representing a city whose entire population could fit into the San Siro almost twice.
He has also been a nightmare for Milan. He has beaten them three times and pressed them hard even in defeat. His first win against them in 2014 ended Massimiliano Allegri's tenure as Milan's manager, and if there were any doubt over Inzaghi's future at the end of last season, Sassuolo's 3-2 win over the Rossoneri put them to bed.
Di Francesco was mentored by Zdenek Zeman, whose famous attack-at-all-costs approach has produced some exciting attacking football as well as some dismal defensive displays. Di Francesco isn't quite as extreme as his teacher, but his game still highlights the direct, vertical attacking that was Zeman's hallmark—and that could appeal to Berlusconi's imagination.
He has certainly been the man the media has made most mention of. Corriere dello Sport reported last week (h/t Football Italia) that he was Berlusconi's top choice for the job.
Not only would he bring an exciting brand of football to the table, he could also bring a huge prize. Shortly after Di Francesco was connected with Milan, Gazzetta dello Sport reported (h/t Football Italia) that 21-year-old attacking phenom Domenico Berardi could follow his coach wherever he goes. If he did, it would be a huge coup for the Rossoneri.
Di Francesco is probably the most qualified candidate Milan could get their hands on if Mihajlovic leaves this summer. The question is whether he would leave Sassuolo—or be poached by another club looking to fill a vacancy.
Unai Emery
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Sevilla coach Unai Emery was heavily linked to Milan last summer. The speculation was so heavy at one point that Sevilla began planning a contract extension to keep him in Andalusia.
Emery's Sevilla has won the UEFA Europa League in each of the last two years and are facing a Spanish derby against Athletic Bilbao in the quarterfinals of this year's tournament as they look for an unprecedented third straight win.
One of the reasons Emery rejected the overtures of teams like Milan was probably that his latest Europa win had qualified his team for the UEFA Champions League. But even if he wins again this year, it might be easier to tempt him away.
In the group stage of the Champions League this season, Sevilla was expected to cause major difficulty to Group D's top sides, Manchester City and Juventus. But while they did end up denying Juve the top spot in the group with a 1-0 win on the last day, for the most part, they disappointed. They were pummeled home and away by City and even lost to Borussia Monchengladbach away. Indeed, it took that hard-earned home win over Juve to even reach the Europa League in third.
It's clear that, as currently constituted, Sevilla isn't equipped to compete with the top dogs in Europe. That could tempt Emery to new projects. He's only been linked with Milan tangentially by Calciomercato (h/t Football Italia) this time around, but perhaps a reunion with striker Carlos Bacca could tempt him to try his hand in Serie A.
Emery can outcoach anyone on any given day, and he would be an asset to Milan if appointed.
Roberto Donadoni
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The links between Roberto Donadoni and Milan are obvious. He had two spells at the San Siro as a player, totalling 12 years and 285 league appearances. During those years, he won the Scudetto six times and the European Cup/Champions League three times.
Donadoni confessed to Corriere dello Sport in January (h/t the Daily Mail) that he dreams of managing his old club and also admitted interest last season when Inzaghi's status was in doubt and his own free agency was impending after the Parma debacle.
But recently he told a group of students to whom he was giving a talk that he intended to stay at Bologna (h/t Football Italia), distancing himself from both Milan and speculation about him taking over for a second stint in charge of the national team.
Donadoni has performed a minor miracle in Bologna, taking the team from 18th in October, when he took over from Delio Rossi, to 10th, all but certain of Serie A safety.
He has shown the ability to keep teams together through incredibly stressful times, particularly last year when Parma kept playing with 100 percent effort despite the walls falling down around them.
It may take some convincing for Donadoni to leave Bologna; if he were to manage Milan, he'd be a little bit of everything. He can bring a sense of what winning at Milan means to a dressing room that hasn't experienced it, much the way Antonio Conte did with Juventus when he arrived there in 2011.
Milan could certainly do worse than Donadoni, and given what he's doing at Bologna, they might not be able to do all that much better.
Cristian Brocchi
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Currently the coach of Milan's Primavera side, Cristian Brocchi has been suggested as a possible successor to Mihajlovic.
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported (h/t Football Italia) that Brocchi and former Italy manager Marcello Lippi looked set to take over the team in tandem as early as January.
That rumor is still alive, with Brocchi handling on-field matters and Lippi taking on a supervisory role.
Brocchi ended up being a key reserve for Carlo Ancelotti's Milan by the end of his time there, but his coaching experience is limited to the Primavera. The Rossoneri just ran that experiment last year and it didn't end well. If this happens, it will be a complete last resort.
Fabio Capello
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There have been absolutely no links in the media between Milan and Fabio Capello, but it may not be that far-fetched an idea.
Capello has been managing national teams since 2008, first England and then Russia. With Antonio Conte departing Italy after UEFA Euro 2016, Capello has been linked with the job, but he has categorically denied interest.
"I do not want to be in charge of a national team again," he told RSI (h/t Football Italia) earlier this month. He did add this: "If there was a side I could train daily, that would be OK."
Milan would certainly qualify for his attention in that regard. His second spell at the San Siro wasn't nearly as successful as his first, when he won four league titles and reached three Champions League finals, winning one, but if Berlusconi's pursuit of Carlo Ancelotti last summer before hiring Mihajlovic is any indication, he may not say no to someone with a connection to the glory days of his time as owner.
Capello returning to Milan would be unlikely, but it could very well cross Berlusconi's mind if a coaching search begins.
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