AC Milan and the Never-Ending Coaching Search
AC Milan’s managerial seat remains vacant and time is ticking. As of today, Glasner remains the most credible candidate, reportedly locked in by the Rossoneri hierarchy, yet the feeling surrounding Casa Milan is one of a selection process that struggles to find a clear direction. Meanwhile, one name keeps returning to the debate: Antonio Conte.
Why Is Conte Not an Option for Milan?
Many are asking the same question, including industry insiders. Antonio Conte is a manager who has won titles with Juventus, Inter, and Napoli — three Serie A clubs — delivering immediate results virtually everywhere he’s gone. Yet Milan never seems to have genuinely pursued him. The reason? It’s not hard to figure out: a high wage demand, significant transfer market expectations, and above all his well-known habit of speaking his mind publicly — even in press conferences — are elements that sit uncomfortably with the current RedBird ownership’s philosophy.
Conte is a manager who demands a clear project, players who fit his vision of football, and when things don’t go his way, he’s not shy about saying so. A trait that makes him extraordinary on the pitch but complicated to manage for an ownership that prizes financial stability and public discretion.
Perinetti: “Milan Are Seriously Behind Schedule”
Veteran football director Giorgio Perinetti, a figure who knows Italian football’s inner workings well, was blunt in his assessment: Milan are way behind schedule. At this point in the summer, a club with such a prestigious history should already have a defined technical and managerial structure in place. Having neither a manager nor a sporting director is a situation that, for a club of the Rossoneri’s stature, is difficult to justify.
Perinetti went further, stating that for the kind of structure Milan are trying to build, Conte should be seriously considered — and it would be surprising if he weren’t already. An analysis that many in the football world quietly share.
A Question of Philosophy, Not Just Wages
The real issue, however, goes beyond finances. Conte selects players based on a winning project and makes no secret of it. This approach — however effective on the pitch — sits uneasily with a cost-controlled management style focused on developing internal resources. In recent years, Milan have shown a preference for more pliable technical profiles, even at the cost of inconsistent sporting results.
Just look at the recent managerial carousel: Fonseca, Lopetegui (who never arrived), Fonseca again, and then Conceiçao. A dizzying rotation that has failed to deliver the technical stability needed to compete at the highest levels in Serie A and the Champions League.
The Current Picture and Possible Developments
Glasner remains the primary trail, with negotiations progressing quietly. But until an official announcement comes, the debate — fuelled by rumours, reports, and analyses like Perinetti’s — will rage on. AC Milan need to rediscover an identity, a strong technical leader, and a clear vision for the future. The Rossoneri faithful are waiting for concrete answers, and June is already well underway.
