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AC Milan appoint Giampaolo on initial 2-year contract

Paolo Rattini / Getty Images Sport / Getty

AC Milan hired Marco Giampaolo as Gennaro Gattuso's successor on Wednesday, appointing the former Sampdoria manager on a two-year contract with an option for a third.

Giampaolo is expected to earn €2 million per season, according to Carlo Laudisa of La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The 51-year-old won plaudits over the past three years at Sampdoria. His direct approach and aggressive football overwhelmed opponents and his two-striker system gave 36-year-old Fabio Quagliarella the wherewithal to win the 2018-19 scoring title.

Giampaolo will assume a Milan side that finished four spots ahead of Sampdoria in fifth place. The Rossoneri missed out on a Champions League berth by a single point.

He's the seventh manager to take the reins at Milan since Massimiliano Allegri was fired in January 2014.

Giampaolo - regarded as the next Maurizio Sarri for his progressive tactics - began his career as an assistant with Pescara in 2000. He earned his first head coaching job with Ascoli in 2006 despite having no valid coaching license.

He bounced around several clubs before making a breakthrough at Empoli in 2015. Giampaolo succeeded Sarri as manager of the Tuscan outfit when Sarri departed for Napoli, and he improved on its position in the Serie A table. Empoli were flirting with a European place until late in the campaign.

Sampdoria caught wind of Giampaolo's progress and named him their manager a year later when Vincenzo Montella took over Milan. Giampaolo turned the Blucerchiati into a formidable home side, but their form wavered in away fixtures.

Giampaolo has developed several players who are now protagonists at their respective clubs, a list of graduates including Piotr Zielinski, Lucas Torreira, Bruno Fernandes, Milan Skriniar, and Duvan Zapata.

He also launched the career of Joachim Andersen, who's gained a host of admirers after anchoring Sampdoria's defense last season.

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