Sky Sport Italia claim Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola spoke to Milan over a week ago, so long before they missed out on the Champions League and sacked Max Allegri, with Unai Emery of Aston Villa also on the list.

Multiple sources in Italy and England have said today that Iraola is the top name to take over at San Siro next season, having already declared that he would leave Bournemouth for a new adventure after securing Europa League qualification.

Iraola first on Milan list

It comes after the Rossoneri sacked coach Allegri, director of sport Igli Tare, CEO Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada in one fell swoop.

That was a result of failing to qualify for the Champions League, but Sky Sport Italia transfer pundit Gianluca Di Marzio now suggests contact with Iraola was already started last week.

This means Milan were making plans to remove Allegri even if he had taken them to the top four finish in Serie A.

While Iraola is the hot favourite and first choice for RedBird patron Gerry Cardinale, he is not the only name on the list.

Xavi was already mentioned, despite being out of work for two years since leaving Barcelona, but also included according to Sky Sport Italia are Aston Villa manager Unai Emery, ex-Juventus coach Thiago Motta, and Bologna’s Vincenzo Italiano.

Emery is fresh from winning the Europa League yet again, this time on the bench of Aston Villa, while Italiano is linked with Napoli.

Andoni Iraola and Xavi are the top names emerging to take over at Milan after Max Allegri was sacked along with the entire directorial staff.

The Rossoneri announced in a single brutal statement this evening that they had done away with coach Allegri, director of sport Igli Tare, CEO Giorgio Furlani and technical director Geoffrey Moncada.

Owner Gerry Cardinale and special advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic are now working to completely rebuild the club after failing to qualify for the Champions League.

Iraola and Xavi on Milan list

After initial Antonio Conte rumours, sources from with Milan told the Corriere dello Sport they were instead looking for a ‘Cesc Fabregas type’ of coach.

That fits the fresh reports this evening that the top two names are Iraola and Xavi.

There is some mixed reporting on the Iraola situation, with Sky Sports UK claiming that Milan reached out to his representatives, whereas Italian media are more confident the Bournemouth boss was instead proposed to the Rossoneri by intermediaries.

He turns 44 next month and has been at Bournemouth since 2023, but is set to walk away this summer for a new adventure.

Xavi is 46 years old and currently out of contract after his experiences with Al-Sadd and Barcelona, leaving the latter in June 2024.

There had also been some reports that Iraola was on the radar for Napoli to replace Conte, but that was dismissed by Sportitalia, who again said intermediaries were shopping his name around in Serie A.

BREAKING: AC Milan have approached Andoni Iraola’s representatives about becoming their head coach next season pic.twitter.com/H1voGVw4ku

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) May 25, 2026

Following the Milan collapse and dismissal, Max Allegri is suddenly no longer quite so appetising for Napoli, who Alfredo Pedullà claims are turning to Vincenzo Italiano.

The managerial merry-go-round went into overdrive less than 24 hours after the end of the Serie A season.

Napoli had already announced the departure of Antonio Conte by mutual consent, even though he still had one year left to run on his contract after the Scudetto and Supercoppa Italia victories in two seasons.

Allegri had been the hot favourite to replace him and was reportedly in dinner meetings with director Giovanni Manna over the last few weeks.

However, paradoxically the fact he was fired by Milan and is now a free agent makes him less intriguing to President Aurelio De Laurentiis.

Napoli turn to Italiano rather than Allegri

Sportitalia transfer pundit Pedullà maintains that now Napoli are stepping up their pursuit of Italiano, who is still under contract at Bologna.

Italiano has long been linked with the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona position too, and is very different to Allegri for having a more pro-active style of football.

He proved it when Bologna earned a surprise 3-2 victory away to Napoli earlier this month.

The former Fiorentina boss is expected to sit down with Bologna directors for a summit to work out their next steps later this week.

Andoni Iraola was mentioned by some sources, but Pedullà is confident that will not be a likely scenario for the former Bournemouth coach.

Milan have officially sacked coach Max Allegri, director Igli Tare, CEO Giorgio Furlani and chief scout Geoffrey Moncada in a brutal statement on their ‘unequivocal failure.’

The Rossoneri needed only a point to be sure of a top four finish and Champions League qualification going into the final round of the Serie A season, as they had a two-point advantage and a better head-to-head record than Como.

However, they fumbled a 1-0 lead and lost 2-1 at home to a Cagliari side with nothing left to play for.

Multiple sources today reported that there would be a Monday Night Massacre at Milan, with RedBird patron Gerry Cardinale cleaning house and keeping only special advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

That was confirmed, as the others were all dismissed in a single statement on the club website.

Milan statement

“After the disappointment of last year, the mandate ownership set for the Club was to return to the Champions League and to establish a foundation for winning consistently at the top of Serie A.

“For the majority of this season, we were in the top two positions in Serie A, with a credible shot at competing for the Scudetto. The final stretch was completely inconsistent with the performance up to that point, with last night’s disappointing loss in the final game turning the season into an unequivocal failure.

“It is now time for change and a comprehensive reorganization of football operations. Effective immediately, we are parting ways with CEO Giorgio Furlani, Sporting Director Igli Tare, Head Coach Massimiliano Allegri and Technical Director Geoffrey Moncada.  We thank each one for their hard work and dedication to AC Milan during their respective tenures.

“Further announcements regarding the next appointments will be made in due course – with the goal to be ready and well prepared for the next season.”

Allegri oversaw 42 competitive games this season, resulting in 22 victories, 10 draws and 10 defeats.

Now Cardinale and Ibrahimovic will work together to choose a totally new structure for the club, including a coach, director of sport and CEO.

Furlani had been part of the board of directors since 2019 and then became CEO in 2022, effectively representing former club owners Elliott Management.

Now that Cardinale has refinanced the vendor loan with Elliott, his services were no longer required.

Tare arrived only last summer along with Allegri, so their tenure has been swept aside within 12 months.

Moncada had been chief scout since 2018 and then promoted to technical director in 2023.

Max Allegri will be fired by Milan today after throwing away Champions League qualification on the final round of the season, claim multiple reports.

Sky Sport Italia, Sportitalia, Sport Mediaset and MilanNews are all confident the decision has been made by patron Gerry Cardinale.

Allegri will be informed of the dismissal later today and then a formal announcement is set to be released.

Milan slam the door on Allegri

He only took the job last summer, his second stint at the club after a run from 2010 to January 2014, and had for many months been challenging for the Scudetto.

However, the team’s form collapsed in the closing stages straight after the Derby della Madonnina victory over rivals and leaders Inter.

That success on March 8 was followed by just three wins, a 0-0 draw against Juventus and six losses.

Allegri oversaw 42 competitive games this season, resulting in 22 victories, 10 draws and 10 defeats.

His exit is expected to be part of a wider revamp of the entire club hierarchy, with only Cardinale and special advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic surviving.

President Paolo Scaroni should remain, although with the focus only on the new stadium project.

CEO Giorgio Furlani, director of sport Igli Tare and chief scout Geoffrey Moncada are all expected to move on this summer.

According to the Corriere dello Sport, Cardinale and Ibrahimovic are seeking a ‘Cesc Fabregas type’ coach who will be more attacking and proactive.

As for Allegri, he has been heavily linked with the Napoli job, even before this Rossoneri collapse.

With Maurizio Sarri set for Atalanta and Gennaro Gattuso replacing him at Lazio, plus reports Milan will sack Max Allegri, the Serie A managerial merry-go-round is in full swing.

The 2025-26 season only concluded last night, but there is already a whirlwind of activity and numerous clubs are set to change their coaches.

Sarri sparking domino effect

It was already known that Sarri was heading for the Atalanta job, and today multiple sources including Sky Sport Italia confirm the details of the agreement.

This is going to be a two-year contract with option for a third, with wages set at circa €3m per season plus bonuses.

His replacement at Lazio has also been secured already, with multiple sources noting that former Italy boss Gattuso has shaken hands with President Claudio Lotito.

This is also a two-year contract to take the bench at the Stadio Olimpico.

Antonio Conte and Napoli announced their separation by mutual consent yesterday, while multiple sources are confident Milan will sack Max Allegri after failing to secure Champions League football.

Going into next season, the only coaches who seem absolutely rock solid to remain are Cristian Chivu at Inter, Gian Piero Gasperini with Roma, Como’s Cesc Fabregas, plus probably Luciano Spalletti at Juventus.

There could be a surprising exchange of coaches in Serie A this summer, with reports Milan are pushing for Antonio Conte at the same time that Napoli are in talks with Max Allegri.

Conte walked away from Napoli after two years in which he won the Scudetto and the Supercoppa Italiana, steering them to second place this term.

It was expected that he would aim for a return to the Italy job, but that might not be the case.

Conte on Milan wish list

According to the Corriere dello Sport, Milan have zeroed in on Conte as the ideal man to revitalise their fortunes after missing out on Champions League qualification again.

Allegri is on the verge of dismissal at San Siro in a general revamp of the club’s hierarchy, and curiously has for the last few weeks been in talks with Napoli director Giovanni Manna to take over from Conte.

It would make this an effective exchange of the two coaches, but also an unusual one for the man who already won the Scudetto on the benches of Juventus and Inter.

Following the report from Alfredo Pedullà last week, now Fabrizio Romano also confirms Gennaro Gattuso has agreed to replace Maurizio Sarri at Lazio.

The change became inevitable after a season of tension at the Stadio Olimpico, where Sarri was openly frustrated at the lack of clarity from the club over transfer strategy and the on-going protest from ultras.

Sarri still has a contract, but will terminate it by mutual consent this week so that he can start a new role with Atalanta.

Gattuso ready for Lazio job

Meanwhile, after the first report from Sportitalia transfer expert Pedullà on May 23, now Romano also confirms that Gattuso has been chosen to replace him at Lazio.

It is the first job for the coach since his failure to qualify Italy for the 2026 World Cup, losing the play-offs to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

There were other alternatives, such as Atalanta boss Raffaele Palladino, but it would seem that Gattuso has won that particular race.

Lazio failed to qualify for Europe for the second season in a row, the first time that has happened in the Claudio Lotito era.

Massimiliano Allegri is set to leave Milan following the club’s failure to secure Champions League football, with a wholesale restructuring of the Rossoneri’s leadership imminent, and both Napoli and the Italian national team waiting to see where the coach lands next.

According to TuttoMercatoWeb, Allegri will not resign but his departure is considered all but certain as part of a broader reset at the club. Igli Tare, Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada are all expected to follow him out of the door, effectively undoing the entirety of last summer’s managerial and directorial structure.

Allegri emerges as frontrunner for Italy & Napoli jobs

Two scenarios are emerging as the most likely destinations for the 58-year-old.

The first is Napoli, where Antonio Conte has already confirmed his exit. Aurelio De Laurentiis has long been an admirer of Allegri, and the pair have come close to an agreement on previous occasions. With the Partenopei now in the market for a coach of proven pedigree, Allegri fits the profile precisely.

The second possibility is the Italy national team job, though the appointment of a new coach is tied to the outcome of the FIGC presidential elections scheduled for June 22.

Allegri is considered one of the frontrunners alongside Conte himself, who could conceivably swap roles with his former rival, and Roberto Mancini.

The starting point for everything, however, is Milan’s formal confirmation of his exit. That announcement is expected imminently, after which the picture for both Napoli and the Azzurri will become considerably clearer.