AC Milan has announced that Paulo Fonseca, the former coach of Roma, will be returning to Italy as their new boss. This news comes as the Serie A runners-up make their announcement on Thursday.
During a press conference, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a former Milan forward and representative of the owner, announced that Paulo Fonseca would be the new coach of Milan.
Fonseca, 51, has recently joined French club Lille on a three-year contract.
He replaces Stefano Pioli, who was dismissed after the 2023–24 season following a five-year tenure.
“We thoroughly analyzed his strategies and match preparations,” stated Ibrahimovic, who had two stints as a player with the club, concluding his on-field career with Milan in 2023.
Our team is eager for him to bring his unique game identity and offensive style to our players.
“After five years, we were ready for a change while still acknowledging Stefano Pioli’s contributions.”
In 1973, Fonseca was born in Nampula, Mozambique. He embarked on his coaching career in Portugal, gaining experience at Pacos de Ferreira, Porto, and Braga. Later, he spent three successful years at the Ukrainian club Shakhtar Donetsk, where he achieved an impressive record of 103 wins in 139 matches and secured seven trophies.
In 2019, he assumed control of Roma and successfully guided them to fifth and seventh place in Serie A. He then moved on to Lille, where he continued his impressive track record by leading them to fifth and fourth place in Ligue 1, securing European qualification in both seasons he spent in France.
Milan had a season without any trophies, with their last league title being in 2022. However, they were overshadowed by their city rivals, Inter, who emerged as the champions.
The team’s journey in the Champions League ended prematurely as they were unable to advance past the group stage, finishing third behind Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. In the Europa League, they faced a tough defeat in the quarter-finals against AS Roma.
The announcement signifies Fonseca’s second significant managerial alteration in Italy within two days.
Thiago Motta has been appointed as the new manager of Juventus, following the departure of Massimiliano Allegri last month.