Stefano Pioli

Stefano Pioli (born 20 October 1965) is an Italian football manager and former player who played as a defender.

Pioli has managed several clubs in Serie A, including Bologna, Lazio, Inter Milan and Fiorentina. He most notably led AC Milan, whose previous scudetto was accomplished over a decade earlier, to the Serie A title in the 2021–22 season. He was later awarded the Panchina d'Oro for best coach of the season. In 2022–23, he returned Milan to the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League before leaving the club at the end of the 2023–24 season.

Playing career

Pioli, a native of Parma, began his playing career with his hometown team, Parma. Successively, he was signed by Juventus, with whom he made his Serie A debut in 1984, winning the league title, the European Cup, the European Super Cup and the Intercontinental Cup during his three seasons with the club. After being sold to Hellas Verona in 1987, Pioli moved to Fiorentina in 1989, where he spent six years of his career winning the Serie B in the 1993–94 season, before spending two seasons with Padova. After successive season-long spells in Serie C with Pistoiese and Fiorenzuola, he ended his career in 1999 with Colorno of Eccellenza Emilia-Romagna (the sixth-highest level of Italian football at that time; the top level of the Emilia-Romagna regional league system), playing alongside his brother Leonardo.

Style of play

An elegant, tenacious, physical, and mobile defender, Pioli was capable of playing anywhere along the back-line, although he performed best as a man-marking centre-back, or "stopper," in Italian. Considered to be a promising and consistent player in his youth, his career was affected by numerous serious injuries.