National coach Domenico Tedesco responds to AC Milan rumors: “I sent a clear signal with extension”

Domenico Tedesco does not want to deal with the rumors that were launched in the Italian press last week. La Gazzetta dello Sport then stated that the Belgian national coach is being mentioned as a possible successor to Stefano Pioli at AC Milan, the current number two in Serie A.

The 58-year-old Pioli still has a contract at San Siro until mid-2025, but could possibly leave this summer. Last week, the Rossoneri painfully missed out on the national title, losing 2-1 in a direct match for the Scudetto to city rivals and arch-rival Inter, which thus became Italian national champions for the twentieth time.

Domenico Tedesco has been national coach of Belgium since the beginning of 2023 and, after a series of excellent results, extended his contract mid-last month until mid-2026, so after the World Cup in the US, Canada and Mexico. So nothing at all points to an early departure for the 38-year-old tactician. “I have extended my contract and in doing so I have sent a clear signal – to everyone: clubs, players and the association,” Tedesco responded to the DPA news agency on Tuesday.

“I feel good here at the Belgian association and therefore external affairs have little influence on me. Rumors will always be there, I guess. But they have little to do with me. They cannot touch me,” said Tedesco, who was born in Italy, but grew up in Germany and can therefore play a kind of home tournament with the European Championships this summer. “I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t anything special.”

The Red Devils open their European Championship on June 17 in Frankfurt against Slovakia. Domenico Tedesco’s team will then play against Romania in Cologne on June 22. The Belgians close group E with a match on June 26 in Stuttgart against Ukraine. So it was more of a feasible draw that came out in Hamburg at the end of last year. “For me it would be a disappointment if we were eliminated in the group stage,” said Tedesco, who sees two favorites for the overall victory: Germany, because of the home advantage, and England, because of the quality of the selection. The Devils have played practice matches against both countries since the arrival of Tedesco. Last year the Mannschaft won in Cologne, and recently an international match at Wembley against England ended in a draw.