Pioli to draw level with Sacchi record when Milan host Napoli

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ByPeter Young

Feb 10, 2024 09:26

Stefano Pioli is set to take charge of his 220th Milan match when the Rossoneri host Napoli at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza in Serie A on Sunday, which draws him level with Arrigo Sacchi as the sixth-most experienced Milan coach in history.

Pioli has been in the San Siro dugout since October 2019 when he replaced Marco Giampaolo. His first game was a 2-2 draw against Lecce in Serie A.

He went on to lead Milan to the 2021-22 Serie A title, but has since come under more scrutiny, particularly this season, as the Rossoneri found themselves out of the title race by the new year, and were also demoted to the Europa League after a tough Champions League group.

Pioli is, however, currently the second-longest serving manager in Serie A, following Gian Piero Gasperini at Atalanta. Massimiliano Allegri’s reign at Juventus contains a two-year gap between 2019 and 2021, so he currently ranks in third.

In terms of Milan coaches, Pioli will draw level with Sacchi on 220 competitive matches on Sunday. The next milestone to catch will be Nils Liedholm’s record of 280 games.

Fabio Capello is fourth on Milan’s list of coaches by games managed with 300, Giuseppe Viani is third with 376, Carlo Ancelotti comes second with 420, while Nereo Rocco holds the all-time record with 459.