Rome, Jul 22 (IANS): Stefano Pioli will remain head coach of AC Milan till June 2022 after he signed a two-year extension with the club.

Stefano became the head coach of AC Milan in October 2019, initially on a deal to the end of the season, and brilliantly managed both the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak lockdown and the re-start of the current season, with a very consistent, positive impact to the whole team.

"I am happy and proud of the trust I have received from AC Milan. I want to thank everyone, including our fans, who we are really missing at the stadium, but are always close and supportive," the 55-year-old said in a statement.

"As I have said many times, our future is today: we must be focused and determined, be united and play as one. We are at the begining of an extraordinary path. If we keep working this way, we will grow and be more and more competitive".

"I am delighted with this agreement," said club's CEO Ivan Gazidis. "Stefano has shown he can deliver the vision of football we have for our club - exciting, progressive and passionate."

"This is not a decision based on recent victories, but one based on how Stefano has built team spirit and unity of purpose, the way he has improved the performances of the individual players and the collective team, the way he has embraced our vision and the way he has represented himself and the club's values."