AC Milan has officially confirmed the dismissal of Paulo Fonseca as head coach. The decision to terminate the Portuguese coach’s contract came after their Serie A match against AS Roma, which ended in a 1-1 draw.
The Portuguese manager took charge of AC Milan on July 1, 2024. Under his leadership, the team played 24 matches, recording 12 wins, 6 draws, and 6 losses. Currently, the Rossoneri are in 8th place in the Serie A standings. Milan has recently performed better in the Champions League, securing four consecutive wins, including a 3-1 victory over Real Madrid. The Rossoneri are currently in 12th place and are on track to qualify for the knockout playoff round. Their next match is against Juventus in the Italian Super Cup semifinals, set to take place in Saudi Arabia on Friday.
Fonseca faced mounting pressure early in the season after securing just one win in his first five matches, but the situation improved following a derby victory over Inter. Ahead of and during the match against Roma, there were protests from fans, though the chants were largely directed at the club’s American owners, with supporters calling on RedBird founder Gerry Cardinale to sell the club.
Before the statement issued by the club, Fonseca himself told journalists outside San Siro he was about to be sacked. “Yes, I’ve left Milan. This is life, it goes like this. I have a good conscience, I did all I could do”, he said before either the club or the directors had spoken to the press after the game.
AC Milan announces Fonseca’s replacement
AC Milan has appointed former Porto manager Sergio Conceição as head coach following the dismissal of Paulo Fonseca. The 50-year-old, who previously played for Lazio, Inter Milan, and Parma, has signed an 18-month contract at San Siro. Conceição enjoyed a successful six-year tenure at Porto, winning 11 trophies before departing at the end of last season. His first match in charge will be on January 3, when Milan faces Juventus in the first leg of the Italian Super Cup semi-finals. The match will see Conceicao manage against his son Francisco, who plays for Juventus.
“The club extends a warm welcome to Sérgio and his staff, wishing a journey full of success and fulfillment.” the Rossoneri said in a statement.
🗣️ Ready to take on this great adventure: Coach Conceição's first thoughts as Milan manager#SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/l1j0C5L9bw
— AC Milan (@acmilan) December 30, 2024
Conceição arrived at Milan’s Linate airport on Monday afternoon and is said to be heading directly to the club’s training ground to meet with the team and staff.
Mohd Faisal Hakak is a sports author from Kashmir. He likes to keep tabs on the sporting world with a keen interest in football, motorsports, NBA, and other marquee sports. He is a science graduate from Islamia College Srinagar.
