SUPER Eagles winger Samuel Chukwueze will be working under a new manager at AC Milan next season following the sacking of Stefano Pioli.
The Nigeria international joined the Serie A giants last July in a €20m deal and was beginning to justify his worth after a slow start under Pioli when he got injured two weeks ago.
Pioli has now been sacked two years after guiding Milan to the Serie A title and almost six years after he joined the club.
AC Milan said in a statement that 58-year-old Italian Pioli, who was under contract until 2025, “will be departing after the end of the current season, after having been in charge of the First Team since October 2019”.
They will finish second this season behind city rivals Inter, who clinched the title by beating Pioli’s team 2-1 at the end of April.
Apart from the 2021/2022 Serie A title, Milan’s first since 2011, Pioli also guided them to last season’s UEFA Champions League semi-finals — the first time they had gone that far since the 2006/2007 campaign — where they lost to Inter.
However, they left the Champions League early this term and are 19 points behind Inter with just one round of Serie A games to end the campaign.
According to reports in the Italian media, Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, who has been in charge of French club Lille for the last two seasons, is expected to take over from Pioli.
The Milan board paid tribute in the farewell statement to Pioli.
“AC Milan extends heartfelt thanks to Stefano Pioli and his entire staff for… securing an unforgettable League title and re-establishing AC Milan’s consistent presence in the top European competition,” read the statement.
“Stefano’s professionalism and human touch have significantly contributed to the growth of the squad, embodying the Club’s core values from day one.”
