Who Milan Should Look At Instead Of Ancelotti

Carlo Ancelotti has naturally been linked as the man to succeed Pippo Inzaghi on Milan’s bench next season. The Real Madrid coach spent eight years bringing joy to the Milan fans, but after looking at why it wouldn’t be a good move by Rossoneri management to bring him back, the club is in need of a coach proven he can build a squad from scratch.

Here are the candidates the Berlusconi family should possibly look at to takeover from the struggling Milan legend…

Vincenzo Montella

Winning Percentage: 46.97%

Considered one of the best young coaches under the age of 45, Montella is naturally considered as a perfect replacement at Milan. His arrival at Fiorentina in June 2012 saw him implement a massive upheaval in the team, indicating that he isn’t scared to kick out the waste. This is exactly the type of intervention the Rossoneri need, as there are many ‘deadwoods’ with big salaries at the club.

With each passing season Montella has been showing signs of progress. He is becoming more tactically intelligent and in just three years at Fiorentina he was won half of the games Ancelotti did in his eight years at Milan.

Eusebio Di Francesco

Winning Percentage (Serie A): 53,38% 

The 45-year-old coach has been tutoring in Serie A for two seasons now and has done exceptionally well with minnows Sassuolo. Despite receiving a rather shocking dismissal from the club back in January 2014 – which came two weeks after an impressive 4-3 win over Milan – Di Francesco was back on the Neroverdi’s bench six weeks later. Young, innovative, headstrong and a coach who knows how to build a team, Di Francesco should certainly be considered as an option by Milan. His attractive and attacking style of play has left many onlookers appreciative of the coach’s work, while getting the best out of a squad with limited resources has certainly seen him rightly earn his praises.

Di Francesco has not only helped Sassuolo stave off relegation these past two campaigns, but he has created a team that fights for results, one that enjoys its football and he has developed a formation that compliments his players’ skills to perfection.

Roberto Donadoni

Winning Percentage: 36.16%

With Parma set to play in the lower leagues of Italy next season, Donadoni is a coach who is too good to mentor outside of Serie A and he is Calcio In Heels' wild card entry. He should be considered as a potential replacement at Milan because he knows the club during his playing days and is considered a club legend. Despite rocky spell on the Italian national bench, Dona has proven himself at Parma, leading them to Europe a year after barely staving off relegation. The 51-year-old knows how to implement an adaptive style of play and is a hugely instrumental motivator – something Milan are desperate for as they look sadly dispirited. The only thing that may make him hesitant to return to the San Siro is the way the club has handled their legends in recent years, but his understanding of the game and the club could prove useful. While his winning percentage may be low, it must be noted that Donadoni has never been tested at a ‘big’ club during his career.

Luciano Spalletti

Winning Percentage: 45.84% 

When brought to Roma, Spalletti was tasked to bring order to a chaotic and disorganized side. It took some time but the coach eventually got things going, and this is something Milan can take confidence from. His ability to create the Giallorossi into an attack-minded side even without the services of a proper striker is proof of how credible he is as a coach. The bald coach isn’t scared to get his hands dirty and grab the bull by the horns - a factor the Rossoneri have been lacking in the soft-spoken and timid Inzaghi. His record with both Roma and Zenit St Petersburg speak wonders of his coaching aptitude, while his new-age philosophy could bode well with a team often stuck in the past.

All coaches have proven themselves one way or another, but whoever is chosen to mentor the Diavoli next season, one can only hope they are given enough time and leeway, as well as a decent budget to make things work.