After Iraola's "no", Milan advances on Oliver Glasner

AC Milan has been stalling since their 1-2 defeat against Cagliari which cost them qualification for the Champions League. Gerry Cardinale's patience reached its limits: Massimiliano Allegri was fired, as were three key managers of the club (CEO, sporting director and technical director). The Milan owner is now working with club advisor Zlatan Ibrahimović to speed up the search for a successor on the bench.

Several names were initially mentioned to take over: Andoni Iraola, current coach of Bournemouth, and Xavi Hernández, former coach of FC Barcelona. According to several Italian media, neither of them plans to lead the “Rossonero” club. Iraola, recently linked to Crystal Palace, also sees Bayer Leverkusen progressing in his file.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the option that is now gaining strength is Oliver Glasner. The Austrian coach, stationed at Crystal Palace, is not expected to continue with the London club next season and a meeting with the Milanese leaders would be scheduled for next week. Glasner has made Palace history since his arrival in February 2024: he led his team to an FA Cup success against Manchester City last season, then to victory in the Conference League final against Rayo Vallecano, giving the club its first European title. Added to this is his Europa League title won with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2022.

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At the same time, Milan is considering the appointment of Ralf Rangnick as future sporting director after the World Cup. An arrival of Rangnick could facilitate the arrival of Glasner: the two men worked together in 2012 (Rangnick as sports director in Salzburg and Leipzig, Glasner in sports coordination) and have a long-standing professional relationship.

If the Glasner file were to collapse, the club has other avenues in mind, notably Matthias Jaissle (Al-Ahli, Saudi Arabia) and Mauricio Pochettino, current coach of the United States, under contract until after the World Cup.

The search for a new coach is now urgent for Cardinale and his entourage: the identity of Allegri's successor should become clearer in the coming days.