Brocchi secures only a point in home debut as AC Milan coach

MILAN (AP) - New AC Milan coach Cristian Brocchi didn't get the home debut result he was hoping for in a 0-0 draw with relegation-threatened Carpi in Serie A on Thursday.

With Mario Balotelli and Carlos Bacca leading the way, the Rossoneri produced numerous chances but couldn't quite find the target as Carpi consistently positioned its entire squad behind the ball.

"I never thought it was going to be an easy job," Brocchi said. "Tonight, we saw what some of the problems are, and in the future we'll try to correct them."

Winless at the San Siro since February, Milan's draw left it six points behind fifth-place Fiorentina in the race for the final Europa League spot.

Milan's 17-year-old goalkeeper, Gianluigi Donnarumma, preserved the draw by leaping to tip a shot from Marco Crimi over the bar in the 90th minute.

Brocchi was hired to replace the fired Sinisa Mihajlovic this month, and won his first match in charge against Sampdoria.

Bacca glared at Brocchi after being replaced by Jeremy Menez in the 70th.

Carpi, playing its first season in the top flight, moved two points above the drop zone.

Also, Sassuolo coach Eusebio Di Francesco had his contract extended through 2018-19 - an award for the Emilia-Romagna club's unexpected seventh-place standing. Di Francesco had been linked with a future move to Milan or Roma.

Brocchi, who had been coaching Milan's youth squad, has a contract only until the end of the season.

"As the standings show, they've got some problems so they've got some work to do," said Carpi defender Cristian Zaccardo, who spent the past three seasons at Milan. "I hope they figure things out."