Milan’s yo-yoing results during this opening stretch of the season haven’t affected the club’s trust in coach Paulo Fonseca, but their future in the Champions League will be key in determining whether he’ll be confirmed on the bench next season.
The Rossoneri’s 2-1 defeat at Atalanta on Friday was their fourth Serie A defeat in 14 games, meaning they are currently 12 points behind the Serie A leaders, with a chance to see such a gap extended to 13 points if Napoli beat Lazio on Sunday.
While the club are aware that their troubled start to the domestic campaign has essentially compromised their chances to fight for the title, they believe the team can still prove their worth on the international stage, and Fonseca must do everything to make sure they’ll have the same chance next season.
Milan’s Champions League future essential for Fonseca’s permanence
As reported by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan’s Champions League campaign has become a major focus for the club as they expect them to secure a top-eight finish to get direct access to the round-of-16 and climb through the Serie A rankings to qualify for next season’s competition.
As much as they have a game in hand, the Rossoneri currently sit six points behind the fourth place and, even if Italy were handed a fifth spot in the Champions League for a second consecutive season, they’d still have to battle it out with the likes of Fiorentina, Lazio and Juventus.
However, qualifying for the 2025-2026 edition of the major European competition is a minimum goal for Milan, and it is a target Fonseca needs to achieve if he wants to stay at the helm of the Rossoneri for another year.
The Diavolo have brilliantly bounced back after losing their two opening Champions League games against Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, picking up three consecutive victories.
They’ll host Red Star on Wednesday in a match that could give a further boost to their hopes of finishing in the top eight, which is currently just one point away, despite several teams separating them from eighth-placed Monaco.
