Ibrahimovic has not slowed down his pace at AC Milan: his influence has deepened with the selection of a new manager. Jowan Kirovski will be Ibrahimovic in the administrative field. As a central figure in the Rossoneri, Ibrahimovic pushed the 1976-born American manager to join the programme and lead the Under-23s to Serie C, working alongside the development squad.
AC Milan brought in Westerveld under the impetus of Ibrahimovic. Milan followed in the footsteps of Juventus and Atalanta to not only confirm the Under-23 sporting director, but also to work on the coaching staff. Ibrahimovic has locked in a former team-mate as head coach, and there are indications that this person is none other than Daniel Bonella, an assistant to current manager Stefano Pioli, who is preparing to take over as head coach.
Ibrahimovic, meanwhile, is just as busy behind the scenes, looking for a manager for Ajax's under-23 squad, targeting Academy maestro Casimir Westveld, and every step of the way seems reasonable.
When it comes to the selection of a first-team manager, Ibrahimovic's opinion is crucial. At the moment, despite Pioli's impressive performances in the crucial campaign against Roma, his relationship with Milan could change if something goes wrong at the end of the season. Recently, rumours have been rampant about Pioli's successor, with Antonio Conte's name popping up. However, Milan's American boss was not entirely convinced of the choice, believing that Conte's image may not be entirely in line with the team's philosophy. Conte would be a crucial step for Milan, but it will not necessarily win widespread support, with Julen Lopetegui or Fonseca likely to be the safer option in comparison.
AC Milan are hungry for change, both in terms of the coaching staff and the overall strategy, and are looking to achieve a complete overhaul in the next crucial season. Under Ibrahimovic's leadership, Milan plan to follow the example of Juventus and Atalanta by setting up an Under-23 team in Serie C to develop young talent for long-term development. However, the project encountered an unexpected obstacle.
According to the original plan, the formation of Milan's U23 echelon seemed to be a foregone conclusion, but there have been unexpected delays in recent days. To succeed in Serie C, Milan will need to overcome a major hurdle: they have not yet been confirmed to be eligible for Lega Pro. Former Rossoneri Daniel Bonella is anxiously awaiting his chance and is seen as the favourite to lead Milan's Under-23s into the new season. However, Tuttosport reports that the club's registration application is still pending and it is unclear when it will receive a response.
AC Milan's Under-23 team has been hampered, and the key is that Lega Pro wants Serie A's subordinate teams not to compete in the same group. With Juventus in Group B and Atalanta in Group A, Milan can only hope that other teams in Group C will not be able to play as scheduled, thus vacating the places. However, the world of football is changing rapidly, and there are always unexpected turns in Lega Pro, and Milan may be able to make a breakthrough at the last minute.