The Paulo Fonseca era commences on Saturday for Italian heavyweights AC Milan , who head to Austria to meet Rapid Vienna in their opening pre-season friendly. On the other hand, their hosts have already played three non-competitive fixtures this summer, earning two victories and suffering one defeat. © Reuters While Stefano Pioli should leave San Siro with the utmost respect of the Rossoneri faithful - having taken Milan back to the top of the Calcio game with Serie A glory in the 2021-22 season - a shoddy sequence of results at the end of last season meant that change was inevitable.
Indeed, Milan won just one of their last seven Serie A fixtures - albeit while still finishing as runners-up to runaway champions Inter Milan - in addition to suffering a gut-wrenching Europa League quarter-final defeat to Roma and being knocked out of the Coppa Italia at the same stage. After Pioli cleared out his locker, former Lille boss Paulo Fonseca moved his possessions into the office space, signing a three-year deal with the 2021-22 Italian champions after a personal endorsement from the Rossoneri's new advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic . Ahead of their return to the Champions League - where they will bid to improve on last year's disappointing third-placed group ranking - Milan are yet to make their mark in a transfer market dominated by outgoings, having lost Charles De Ketelaere , Olivier Giroud and Rade Krunic thus far.
In addition, Liverpool cult hero Divock Origi has been ruthlessly axed.