Samuel Chukwueze may finally have more opportunities to play at AC Milan because their head coach, Stafeno Pioli, is likely to be fired soon, PUNCH Sports Extra writes.
The Nigeria forward’s competitor Christian Pulisic is highly favored by the coach, who is now in danger of losing his job after Monday’s 2-1 derby loss to Inter Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, allowing the latter to secure their 20th Serie A title.
Chukwueze has been making brief appearances since joining the Rossoneri from Villarreal for €20m last summer, starting 10 of his 21 appearances across their 33 fixtures, compared to Pulisic's 27 starts in 31 appearances. Pulisic has a close bond with Pioli as the manager helped revive his career after leaving Chelsea.
Chukwueze came on as a substitute in the 68th minute for Ruben Loftus-Cheek, while Pulisic played the entire match, as Milan were narrowly defeated by their neighbors, who are now 17 points ahead of them.
After the defeat, AC Milan are quickly dealing with their coaching situation since the board has lost confidence in Pioli, according to Fabrizio Romano.
According to reports from Antonio Vitiello in Italy, the Rossoneri are set to hire a new manager, as Pioli is expected to be fired at the end of the current season.
His departure will give both Chukwueze and Pulisic an equal chance to compete for starting spots next season.
Registered as a midfielder by the club, Pulisic has impressed Pioli, scoring 10 Serie A goals and ranking joint seventh for Serie A assists, setting up six goals for his teammates.
Chukwueze could have achieved similar success, or even more, if given the same opportunities as Pioli.
Pulisic expressed his appreciation for the coach’s positive influence on his career in a recent interview with Fox Sports.
The USA international said, “I wanted an opportunity, and Milan really gave it to me. Pioli really kept his promises. It’s not just knowing that I would play; it’s also having someone who supported me, talked about it before, and said that he wanted me badly.
“He gave me the opportunity to play and be myself the best way I know how, and he adjusted me to what works best for the team. I think we found a good balance in that sense. Tactics are definitely an important aspect in Italy, as everyone says. We constantly examine every possible situation in training: how we press and how we execute set pieces. I feel I’ve learned a lot.”
