This season has seen AC Milan flirt with the idea of moving forward without Stefano Pioli at the helm several times, and after defeats to AS Roma and a defeat to Inter, it seems the parties are all but confirmed to be splitting.
Several instances can be counted where the 58-year-old has been close to being removed from his job, and most of those have come this season. However, Pioli has somehow managed to evade the sack and revitalised himself and Milan on more than one occasion.
Nevertheless, the past few defeats have forced the management to play their hand, and the future will be under a new manager instead of Pioli. According to Footmercato, the divorce will happen at the end of the season, and work is already being done to identify the next coach – several candidates are being looked at.
For Ibrahimovic, though, there is a candidate who stands out amongst the rest – Mark van Bommel – and the first steps have been taken in recent days, according to the report. The former midfielder has coached with PSV Eindhoven and VfL Wolfsburg, but his spell at Royal Antwerp is creating real intrigue – he won the treble with the club last season, which is heavily appreciated.
Reportedly, Zlatan has requested that van Bommel be considered for the role by the other executives at the club – with their relationship a noted reason for the former striker’s interest. However, analysis needs to be conducted before he is seen as the favoured candidate.