AC Milan have appointed Portuguese tactician Paulo Fonseca as their new manager following the exit of Stefano Pioli by mutual consent after the expiration of the 2023/24 season.
Fonseca has signed a three-year deal with the Rossoneri, and this will keep him at the San Siro at least until 2027.
Paulo Fonseca was previously in charge of French side Lille between 2022 and 2024, with the 51-year-old leading the club to a 4th-placed league finish in the 2023/24 season.
The former FC Porto boss also departed Lille by mutual consent after they missed out on an automatic ticket to the UEFA Champions League.
The Ligue 1 side were also defeated by Aston Villa on penalties in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa Conference League.
Paulo Fonseca replaces Pioli, who led AC Milan to the Serie A title in the 2021/22 season for the first time in 11 years.
It will be fascinating to see how Fonseca will rally the Italian giants, who finished the 2023/24 Serie A season in 2nd-place with 75 points, 19 points behind eventual winners and rivals Inter Milan.
Paulo Fonseca has experience managing in Italy, having in the past tutored AS Roma between 2019 and 2021.
The Portuguese have in the past also taken charge of top teams like FC Porto, Shakhtar Donetsk, and Braga.
AC Milan Statement Confirming Paulo Fonseca As Manager
Confirming the appointment of Fonseca, AC Milan put out a statement on their website which reads: “AC Milan can confirm that Paulo Fonseca has been appointed as the Head Coach of the Men’s First Team.”
In concluding the lengthy statement, the Milan-based club wrote: “The Portuguese coach now joins AC Milan on a three-year contract. The Club would like to wish Paulo and his staff a warm welcome.”
Paulo Fonseca has also had a relatively successful career winning some notable trophies, including; 3 Ukrainian Premier League, 3 Ukrainian Cup, and 1 Supertaça Cândido de Oliveira.
Fonseca has managed 546 matches in his coaching career, winning 308 matches, drawing 127 and losing 111.
Paulo Fonseca’s teams have also scored 1001 goals in those matches, whilst conceding 582 goals.
Based on Transfermkt, his preferred formation is 4-2-3-1 and he is expected to do great things in Milan.
AC Milan have placed lofty expectations on the shoulders of Fonseca, and the Portuguese is certainly expected to deliver in quick time.
They are aiming to secure the Serie A title in the coming seasons and as such, the Rossoneri will be hoping that he can lead them to the league crown.
Seeing what his predecessor achieved in Milan, he will be spurred to do more in managing one of the biggest clubs in football.
Paulo Fonseca has a competitive list of matches lined up for him to prepare his side ahead of the 2024/25 football season.
AC Milan face Rapid Wien, Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Barcelona in their 2024 preseason.
