AC Milan appointed Sergio Conceição as their new head coach just hours after dismissing fellow Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca on Monday, following a disappointing six-month tenure.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Fonseca’s inability to challenge for the Serie A title led to his departure.
“Sergio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceição has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men’s First Team until 30 June 2026,” the club announced in a statement.
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Conceição, 50, was available after ending a successful seven-year spell at Porto in June, where he led the team to three league titles and four Portuguese Cup wins. His only coaching experience outside of Portugal was a brief season with Ligue 1 side Nantes. However, he is no stranger to Serie A, having played for Lazio, Parma, and Inter Milan between 1998 and 2004.
Conceição’s rise to prominence is a testament to his resilience. The former winger, who earned 56 caps for Portugal, once considered quitting football after losing his father, mother, and younger brother while still a teenager.
Fonseca, 51, had hinted at his imminent dismissal after Milan’s 1-1 draw with AS Roma on Sunday, which marked the team’s sixth draw of the season. The result left Milan in seventh place, eight points behind Lazio in fourth and a significant 13 points adrift of city rivals Inter Milan, who are in third and in contention for the title.
Milan thanked Fonseca for his “great professionalism” in a statement but made it clear that his tenure had come to an end.
The club has been struggling with inconsistent form and mounting fan dissatisfaction. Fonseca’s relationship with key players, particularly star winger Rafael Leao and full-back Theo Hernandez, has been tense, leading to public criticisms and squad changes, including dropping Hernandez for a teenager in a goalless draw with Genoa earlier this month.
Milan’s fans have also been vocal in their frustration. On December 21, a celebration of the club’s 125th anniversary was overshadowed by the conspicuous absence of Paolo Maldini, which led to protests against the owners, US investment fund RedBird.
Chants demanding that the owners sell the club were heard, and fans rallied outside a private anniversary event, voicing their anger with banners accusing the club of lacking ambition and disrespecting its history.
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