Listen to the audio version of the article
«Paulo Fonseca will be the new coach of Milan. We studied him well, we chose him to bring his identity to those players we have with a dominant and offensive game. To bring something different from Pioli, who I thank for what he did for Milan, whoever wins makes history and for this I want to thank him.”
This was said by RedBird’s senior advisor, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, during a press conference at the Milan Sports Center to present the Rossoneri’s next season.
After Ibra’s announcement, the company’s official press release also arrives: – «AC Milan announces that it has entrusted the technical management of the men’s First Team to Paulo Fonseca. The Portuguese coach now joins Milan on a three-year contract. The Club extends a warm welcome to Paulo and his collaborators.”
Who is Paulo Fonseca
Born in Nampula (Mozambique) on 5 March 1973, Fonseca began his coaching career in 2005, starting from the youth team of Estrela Amadora and then continuing, among the professionals, in the Portuguese minor leagues. In 2012 he made his debut in the top league with Paços de Ferreira, a club with which he reached the Champions League play-offs. In 2013 he moved to Porto, with which he won the Portuguese Super Cup, his first trophy as a coach. After a spell at Braga, with which he won the Portuguese Cup, he coached Shakhtar Donetsk for three seasons, with which he won seven trophies and collected 103 victories in 139 matches. In 2019 he made his debut in the Italian championship with AS Roma, a team with which he reached the semi-final of the Europa League in 2021. Coach of Losc Lille since the summer of 2022, Fonseca ends his adventure in France after two seasons in which he contributed to bringing the club to as many European qualifiers.
Ibrahimovic: «We are working to win all the trophies and make history»
«I want to win as much as possible, obviously. When you are at Milan you have the chance to win in every competition. I missed the Champions League as a footballer but it’s not a revenge because I didn’t win it as a footballer.” Thus Zlatan Ibrahimovic during the press conference. «I want to make a difference and do it in a place where I can bring my ideas and my vision. Many former footballers when they enter a new chapter think they know everything – he added – it’s the opposite and I start from the bottom. We start from scratch. We are working to win all the trophies and make history, obviously I want to win the Champions League.” «We are like a Formula One and if you lap fast there is the risk of going off the track. Instead you have to be controlled. It’s not easy to stay at the top all the time, we’re smart and we do things intelligently”, concluded Ibra.
