It is just two games in, but Paulo Fonseca is starting to feel the pressure at AC Milan. The Rossoneri salvaged an opportunistic draw against Torino in the opening round before losing to Parma this weekend. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who is now working as the club’s senior advisor, further escalated the situation. He went into the dressing room in the wake of defeat to the newly promoted side.
As per Gazzetta dello Sport, the Swede wanted to spark motivation and self-belief instead of venting his frustration. It is not a new thing for higher officials to get in the way of the coach’s responsibilities. However, this intervention only fueled more pressure on the Portuguese tactician.
Fonseca started his Milan reign with plenty of promises from the US preseason tour. A comeback win against Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City preceded a convincing victory over Champions League kings Real Madrid.
Milan also comfortably beat Monza, a side that defeated Milan 4-2 last season, in its final friendly game. The early signs had Milan fans dreaming of beating their city rivals for the Scudetto, the Serie A title.
But the lackluster performance against Torino served as the first reality check. USMNT international Yunus Musah and fellow supersubs saved the day as Milan secured a late draw coming back from a two-goal deficit.
There was a similar feeling when Christian Pulisic leveled the score against Parma. Still, Milan succumbed to its first defeat of the season at Stadio Ennio Tardini.
Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao – supposedly Milan’s strongest link in the left wing – were at fault for Parma’s winner on Saturday. The defensive issues were also quite visible with Milan conceding multiple goals in Serie A’s first two games.
After two games, it seems Fonseca has yet to decide on his starting lineup. While Alvaro Morata could lead the forward line once he returns to full fitness, decisions have to be made for a stable environment.
Speaking of decisions, Milan could pull the plug if things don’t improve before the first international break of the season. Fonseca will only have a single game to correct matters to not give his employers ample time to replace him.
Saturday’s visit to Italy’s capital will also be a crucial game for Lazio in the wake of Marco Baroni’s side’s defeat at Udinese. Stefano Pioli’s team beat Roma at Stadio Olimpico on their way to starting last season with three wins from as many matches.
As he failed to reach an agreement with Saudi’s Al-Ittihad, Pioli is still available on the market if Milan wants to bring back the coach who won them the league back in the 2021-22 season. And they can take inspiration from SC Braga. The Portuguese club fired Ricardo Sossa after a single league game to rehire Carlos Carvalhal for the third time.
Pioli is not the only Scudetto-winning coach that under Milan’s consideration if the club sacks the former AS Roma coach. Massimiliano Allegri won his first Serie A title with Milan in 2010-11. He then repeated that feat five times with Juventus. He could be the first option. To avoid all of that, Pioli has to pick up his first three points against Lazio.
PHOTOS: IMAGO
