Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists AC Milan ‘are happy with’ Stefano Pioli despite links between the Serie A giants and former Tottenham and Chelsea boss Antonio Conte

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has given his backing to current AC Milan boss Stefano Pioli, despite the club being linked with a move for Antonio Conte. 

The former Tottenham manager has been out of work since losing his job at Spurs, and reportedly held talks with the Italian club last month. 

It is believed Conte, spoke with former Milan striker Ibrahimovic, who now serves as the club’s senior advisor, about succeeding Pioli next season. 

However, the Swedish superstar has now thrown his full backing behind the current boss in a short and direct response over his future. 

Ibrahimovic confirmed the support behind Pioli by stating: ‘He is our coach and we are happy with him’. 

Pioli has come under pressure this season after Milan fell away in the Serie A title race 

The club have been linked with a move for former Inter manager Antonio Conte for next season

AC Milan currently sit in third place in Serie A, seven points off Juventus and a further two behind rivals Inter. 

The club also crashed out of the Champions League, after finishing third in the so-called ‘Group of Death’, behind PSG and Borussia Dortmund, and exited the Copa Italia at the quarter-final stage at the hands of Atalanta. 

There is said to be a belief that the club has failed to progress following their Scudetto win in 2022 and the march the semi-finals of the Champions League last season. 

Pioli’s side have faced defensive issues this season, leaking  25 goals, giving them only the joint-eighth-best record at the back in Serie A. 

Milan has suffered from defensive troubles this season and are out of the Champions League 

Despite those issues, and the pressure on Pioli, the club are currently on a seven-match unbeaten run and their remains hope that they could still figure in this season’s title race. 

Milan are just the latest club to linked with a move for Conte, after reports he has also held talks about becoming Napoli’s next manager. 

His record in Serie A makes the former Chelsea boss an attractive target, and Milan would have no issues over the fact that he is a former manager of rivals Inter – where he won the title in 2021.

Conte wouldn’t be the first boss to manager both Milan clubs, with Pioli himself a former Inter manager, while legendary Giovanni Trapattoni also spent time in both dugouts.