Former AC Milan defender Gianluca Zambrotta has leapt to the defence of coach Stefano Pioli.

Pioli's position is in doubt for next season.

He told La Gazzetta dello Sport: "And I'm sorry. I think Pioli is being treated unfairly.

"In recent times he has perhaps exaggerated with his experiments, like the one with Calabria who enters the field almost as a midfielder, but his work at Milan has been much more than positive.

"Then it's always the coach who pays if you don't win, even when the mistakes were made by others. For example, it was a mistake to send Maldini and Massara away, can you say?"