Paulo Fonseca, former coach of Roma, is set to make a return to Italy as the new head coach of AC Milan, announced the Serie A runners-up on Thursday. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, representing the club's owner, confirmed the appointment at a press conference.
"We have chosen Paulo Fonseca as Milan's new coach," Ibrahimovic stated. Fonseca, 51 years old, has inked a three-year contract with the club after his tenure at French side Lille since 2022.
Fonseca takes over from Stefano Pioli, who was dismissed after the 2023-24 season after five seasons in charge. Ibrahimovic emphasized the club's meticulous assessment of Fonseca's coaching achievements and match preparation.
"We expect him to bring his distinctive style of play, known for its attacking nature, to our team and players. After five years, we wanted a fresh approach, with full respect to Stefano Pioli," Ibrahimovic remarked.
Born in Nampula, Mozambique in 1973, Fonseca began his coaching career in Portugal, managing clubs like Pacos de Ferreira, Porto, and Braga. He then spent three successful years at Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine, securing seven trophies with a record of 103 wins in 139 matches.
Fonseca moved to Roma in 2019, guiding them to fifth and seventh-place finishes in Serie A before his stint at Lille, where he achieved fifth and fourth in Ligue 1, ensuring European qualification in both seasons.
AC Milan endured a season without trophies, having last won the league title in 2022. They finished significantly behind city rivals Inter in Serie A and were eliminated from the Champions League group stage, finishing third behind Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain. They also exited the Europa League quarter-finals to AS Roma.
The announcement of Fonseca's appointment marks the second major managerial change in Italy in as many days, following Juventus naming Thiago Motta as successor to Massimiliano Allegri, who was sacked last month.
