AC Milan are set to fire coach Clarence Seedorf and replace him with youth team coach Filippo Inzaghi, according to reports from Italy.
Seedorf is only four months into a two-and-a-half year contract and has overseen a considerable improvement in results, but rumours about the Dutchman’s future have been rife for several weeks.
His dismissal would leave Claude Makelele as the only black manager in a major European league, with the former Chelsea midfielder taking up the post at French club Bastia just last Saturday.
Embrace: Even despite his popularity with the players and the improvement of results
Club president Silvio Berlusconi reportedly met chief executive Adriano Galliani to discuss the move late on Monday night.
Seedorf, 38, who spent 10 years of his playing career at Milan, took over at the end of January to replace Massimiliano Allegri, who was fired after two-and-a-half years in charge.
Former Italian prime minister Berlusconi had been chasing Seedorf for several months before finally appointing him, yet the Dutchman quickly fell out of favour.
And despite having no previous coaching experience, results improved markedly under him with 11 wins in 19 league games, compared to five in the previous 19 under Allegri.
Milan climbed up the table to finish eighth, missing out on Europa League qualification by one point.
Icon: Filippo Inzaghi played 300 competitive games for the club between 2001-12
Winner: Inzaghi scored both goals in Milan’s 2-1 Champions League final victory over Liverpool in 2007
However, they also suffered an embarrassing exit from the Champions League after losing 5-1 on aggregate to eventual finalists Atletico Madrid in the round of 16.
Similar to Seedorf, Inzaghi has no previous experience of coaching a senior professional team.
The 40-year-old spent 11 seasons playing for Milan, where he won two Serie A titles and two Champions League titles, and also won 57 caps for Italy.
He has been in charge of Milan’s under-19 team for the past two seasons.
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