A surprise new contender in Milan's managerial pursuit [Early Access]

AC Milan's search for a new head coach risks descending into the same lengthy soap opera as the sporting director pursuit, but we can reveal that a new candidate has emerged.

In case you missed the news, Igli Tare finally signed his contract with Milan on Monday and was officially announced later in the day. He was operational immediately, meeting Roma director Florent Ghisolfi and agent Giuseppe Riso before having a four-hour dinner with the rest of the management.

One of the first issues that the former Lazio director will have to tackle is the choice of head coach. As we revealed some weeks ago, Sergio Conceicao is heading for the exit door - something that would have happened regardless of the Coppa Italia final - and thus must be replaced.

It could be argued that Tare showed his eye for a good managerial appointment in the capital. Vladimir Petkovic delivered a Coppa Italia with that dramatic derby final win over Roma, while Stefano Pioli – who would of course go on to coach Milan – got them into the Champions League qualification phase.

Then there is Simone Inzaghi, now at Inter, who brought three trophies including two Supercoppa Italiani and the domestic cup, and got them in the Champions League once. Qualifying for the top European competition is something which Maurizio Sarri also did.

We start from a pre-established identikit: the new coach must be Italian or have an in-depth knowledge of Italian football (therefore having worked in or played in Serie A before) and they must have success on their CV.

The risk of being left behind

There has been a lot of talk in the press about how Milan are starting from a position way back in the grid when it comes to finding a new manager because of how long they took to decide on a new director.

Tare named Antonio Conte and Massimiliano Allegri as the two best Italian coaches in April, with the former expected to leave Napoli after winning the title and the latter having been out of work for over a year. So both could soon be available - great news, right?

Incorrect. Firstly, it seems as though Conte is in advanced talks over a return to Juventus, a club he won plenty of silverware with during his first stint there in the 2010s, and Napoli have swooped quickly to secure Allegri as his replacement.

Here, the risk emerges that Milan are stood on the sidelines watching the carousel go round. Gian Piero Gasperini is making everyone wait over his future, Vincenzo Italiano looks destined to renew with Bologna, Cesc Fabregas will stay at Como or is Roma-bound, while the Maurizio Sarri idea remains cold.

However, to use the starting grid analogy once again, the beauty of racing is that ground can be made up. Sometimes all it takes is a phone call, potentially to someone that no other club seems to be considering.