Unai Emery is being lined up to become the next manager of a huge Serie A club after sacking their manager for failing to secure Champions League qualification
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is being lined up for a job in Italy according to reports(Image: Getty Images)
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Aston Villa boss Unai Emery is on AC Milan's wishlist to become their new manager, it has been claimed.
Milan are on the lookout for a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri after sacking the Italian following their 2-1 defeat to Cagliari on Sunday. It was a result that saw Milan fail to secure Champions League qualification.
I Rossoneri were in pole position to seal a return to Europe's elite club competition for most of the season, but dropped off during the latter end to the campaign and ended up finishing fifth, one point behind fourth-place Como following a run of just two wins in eight matches. It meant that Milan are now set to compete in the Europa League in 2026/27, alongside Juventus, who finished one point behind in sixth place.
Following the defeat to Cagliari, Milan sacked head coach Allegri, sporting director Igli Tare, CEO Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada in one damning statement on Monday.
"After the disappointment of last year, the mandate ownership set for the club was to return to the Champions League and to establish a foundation for winning consistently at the top of Serie A," Milan said.
"For the majority of this season, we were in the top two positions in Serie A, with a credible shot at competing for the Scudetto. The final stretch was completely inconsistent with the performance up to that point, with last night’s disappointing loss in the final game turning the season into an unequivocal failure.
"It is now time for change and a comprehensive reorganization of football operations. Effective immediately, we are parting ways with CEO Giorgio Furlani, Sporting Director Igli Tare, Head Coach Massimiliano Allegri and Technical Director Geoffrey Moncada. We thank each one for their hard work and dedication to AC Milan during their respective tenures.
"Further announcements regarding the next appointments will be made in due course - with the goal to be ready and well prepared for the next season."
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery
Aston Villa boss Unai Emery has been linked with a move to AC Milan(Image: Getty Images)
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With Milan now searching for a successor to Allegri, Sky Sport Italia have reported that Villa boss Emery is on I Rossoneri's list of potential replacements. Ex-Juventus coach Thiago Motta, Bologna's Vincenzo Italiano and Bournemouth's Andoni Iraola are among the others Milan are eyeing up.
Emery has been at Villa since October 2022 and has since transformed the Villans into a real competitive outfit in both the Premier League and now in Europe. They have finished in the top six in each of the last three seasons and Emery helped Villa secure their first piece of silverware in 30 years last week, after winning the Europa League.
It's no surprise that Emery is a wanted man, but Villa will be desperate to keep him after a tremendous three-and-a-half years in charge thus far. During his time in the West Midlands, Emery has won 109 and drawn 34 of his 196 matches at the helm, accumulating an excellent 55.6 per cent win rate.
Emery has already spoken about his aims for next season, indicating he has no desire to leave Villa. Speaking after the 2-1 win a Manchester City on Sunday, he said: "The first priority next season is the Premier League, then the Champions League, then the other cups. We broke this year to win a trophy - it was something we needed.
“Now we are going to increase our demands, trying to get more trophies and be consistent to get the top seven positions for Europe or the Champions League. This is the challenge and how we want to be demanding - the club and the supporters.
“Next year the club will work to add 8,000 people in the stadium. Hopefully this process will help us to be challenging, always looking forward and up.”
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