AC Milan new head coach Paulo Fonseca during the Europa Conference League round of 16 second leg soccer match between Lille and Sturm Graz, at the Pierre Mauroy stadium in Villeneuve d Ascq, northern France, Thursday, March 14, 2024. AP
Fonseca, who signed a three-year contract, replaces Stefano Pioli, who left the club at the end of the recent season after a nearly five-year stint that included the 2022 Serie A title.
Milan finished second in Serie A last season but was a distant 19 points behind Inter. Milan was routed by Inter 5-1 in the derby in September and lost the second meeting 2-1 in April.
Under Pioli, Milan ended a seven-year absence from the Champions League in 2021 and reached the semifinals last year, losing to Inter.
This past season, Pioli’s team failed to advance from a tough group that included Borussia Dortmund, which ended as runner-up, and Paris Saint-Germain. Milan then switched to the second-tier Europa League and was eliminated by Roma in the quarterfinals.
Fonseca coached Roma from 2019-21. The Portuguese manager’s most recent job was at Lille, having gained attention for his performance at Shakhtar Donetsk from 2016-19.
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