AC Milan sacked coach Pioli two years after title triumph

AC Milan said in a statement that Pioli, who was under contract until 2025, "will be departing after the end of the current season, after having been in charge since October 2019". They will finish second this season but way behind city rivals Inter.

Pioli was hailed a hero in 2022 after delivering the once dominant force in Italian football their first league title since 2011. He also guided them to last season's Champions League semi-finals - the first time they had gone that far since the 2006-2007 campaign - before losing against Inter.

However, an early exit from the Champions League this term and failure to run Inter close in the title race set the alarm bells. According to reports in the Italian media, Paulo Fonseca, the Portuguese coach who has been in charge of French club Lille for the last two seasons, is in line to take over.