Di Francesco ignoring Milan job rumours

Di Francesco is enjoying a second spell at the Serie A side having returned two months after he was sacked in January 2014.

Having kept the minnows up last season he is in the process of masterminding another season of survival – Sassuolo sit 14th with 10 games to go, 11 points from the drop zone - rather than being distracted by speculation about his future.

A second successive campaign of underachievement at Milan has seen Filippo Inzaghi come under similar pressure to Clarence Seedorf, and Di Francesco's name has been mooted as a possible replacement.

"It's too early to talk about these things," he told Sky Sport Italia. "I'm happy here at Sassuolo, these rumours are gratifying, but I'm focused on survival. 

"We need to discover the spirit we had halfway through the season. Last year we were a bit more together, a bit more of a team.

"Am I ready for a big team? The ambition is there, I can't pretend otherwise. I feel like a Serie A coach."