Riyadh to Rome: How Conceicao’s Milan tenure unravelled in record time

SempreMilan

·17 de mayo de 2025

Riyadh to Rome: How Conceicao’s Milan tenure unravelled in record time

AC Milan made the decision to hire Sergio Conceicao after firing Paulo Fonseca, and already, the Rossoneri are looking for a new head coach, it seems.

We go back to Stefano Pioli’s sacking to start this story. A summer destined for change, and throughout, Conceicao’s name loomed. The Portuguese coach even left Porto and everything seemed to be heading towards a move to Milan.

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However, the Rossoneri had other ideas, and in came Fonseca. An experiment which did not work for its own reasons. So, again, the club looked to the market for a new head coach and in came the former Porto man. Maybe six months late, but who cared? A coach who the Diavolo could invest in had arrived.

After just a week, the Rossoneri lifted the Supercoppa Italiana, and an infamous video emerged. Conceicao, a cigar, a trophy, and a renewed feeling of hope. It wasn’t to last though, as in the following Serie A game, Milan dropped points to Cagliari.

Nothing had changed.

Over the next few months, experiments took place, and results wavered. In Serie A, hopes of Europe all but died. Yet, the European dream remained alive through the Coppa Italia, and when Inter were turned over at San Siro, you thought maybe, just maybe, there is life in the Conceicao era.

So to Rome the Rossoneri went, empowered by a win against their opponents just five days prior. It was not to be though as Conceicao’s side were well beaten by Vincenzo Italiano’s Bologna – who is actually now believed to be a candidate to take the Portuguese’s place.

It was a result which effectively sealed Milan’s fate – a year outside of Europe – and in the process, doomed Conceicao to a path away from Milanello. However, it seems that he was already planning for this.

Destined to fail

You can put forward many reasons why Conceicao was almost doomed from the start. However, the biggest feels like a continuation from the Fonseca era.

During his brief spell at the club, there were reports that stated he was being overruled by the management at times – or at least felt this way – whilst seemingly having issues with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who was a constant presence at training.

It went past this though, and when Fonseca’s future was questioned, there was always an answer from the management.

When Sergio Conceicao took over, this was no longer the case. The management, or at least Ibrahimovic, disappeared. No longer were training ground interventions as common, and neither were the words of support from the management.

There is a line, of course. However, it feels as though the management went from one extreme to another with the coaches. Failing to find a middle ground in their roles, which is worrying in itself, but that is a completely different issue.

Since leaving, Fonseca has barely spoken of his time in Italy. The one statement of note though was this: “Between AC Milan and Lyon, I didn’t have a moment’s rest. And you can’t imagine the pressure of coaching AC Milan.”

Of course, pressure is to be expected. But, there have been rumblings of some deeper issues at the club, and this could, perhaps, be what the Lyon coach is referencing.

It would not be a shock then if this is what Conceicao also plans to reveal at the end of his tenure, with him admitting that he may open Pandora’s box this summer, or when he leaves (the same sentiment really).

The support of the management goes below the second level, and it even refer to the top level. Gerry Cardinale, per reports this week, has not been seen since September now meaning he will have never been present for Conceicao’s reign.

Take the Coppa Italia final, for example. Bologna’s management were present and shown throughout. Supporting their team in the biggest moment of their recent history. Cardinale? Nowhere to be seen.

A chance to prove his backing of his team and his head coach, not taken. It is nothing new of course, but there are times to show up, and this would have been one of them. Instead, it felt like a captain abandoning his ship before it had even hit the iceberg.

Whilst that may be the end of the management’s involvement, they are also the fault beyond this.

Fonseca was sacked after six months. Logically, the next appointment is not a point-to-point manager. However, signing Conceicao on a deal with a six-month break clause already laid the plans out it seemed.

Rather than backing him with a long-term deal, the Portuguese was given a mutually beneficial deal. You scratch our back, we’ll extend your deal and keep you, scratching your back. In hindsight, the structure was never going to work.

It is not a sign of faith or looking to the future but rather the club doing something which benefitted them in the short term. Failing to think of the potential effects it may have.

Going back to hindsight, it would have been better to see out a year of Fonseca, and judge the project on a year, and then start afresh literally, rather than giving a second new head coach the handmedowns of two coaches that struggled with the same tools.

Give the new coach a chance to build in the summer, and bring in his own players, rather than giving him a mid-term fixings window. It is a task which almost every head coach would have probably struggled with.

Reasons to look past Conceicao

We cannot sit here and say Conceicao was the answer though, and he very clearly has proved this.

The Portuguese coach has proven to be abrasive with the media, which is never a good look. Whilst also attempting to manipulate the narrative against him, making him look the victim of the situation. To a point where it is difficult to actually assess what Conceicao is as a character.

Speaking to the press is a vital part of coaching job, and the Portuguese has managed to create a situation where it is really difficult to put him together. You have coaches that are slightly difficult with journalists, or quite open. Conceicao is both, and there is no telling which he actually is.

Entering a press conference is normally a box office experience because there is genuinely no idea what will happen with Conceicao, which is impossible to work with in the long run.

You can also look at the fact that Conceicao continues to be tight-lipped over his future, something which is almost definitely having an effect on his players. You would find it difficult to fully buy into a system if you didn’t know how long it would be until you’re changing.

Everyone seemingly knows what will happen at the end of this season. Yet, he continues to play this cat and mouse like game, postponing anything until the end of the season, and even then, we have no idea what will be said and when.

It is not just unattractive for the club to see, but also the players, who, ultimately, are just a pawn in this wider game being played.

Photo by Marco Rosi/Getty Images

As much as he can blame the management for not putting their trust in him. He too is to blame for consistently throwing himself under the bus, making it difficult to support him. Considering it has been a while now since he last stated he wanted to continue with the club.

There can also be frustrations in his handling of situations, and the big one for many – especially recently – was been the treatment of Davide Calabria, who departed in January after a spat with the Portuguese a few days prior.

After four months, you would expect there to be a bit of professionalism with the right-back, however, after the Coppa Italia defeat, the coach avoided a handshake with him. A little gesture, but one that does not reflect the values of the club for many.

It is basic yes, however, so is a handshake. It shows class and respect in a moment, even if it is not meant. For Conceicao, it was a huge chance missed. However, it is just another example of him coming across poorly in the public eye.

Then, you have the biggest reason. Results.

At the time of writing this, Conceicao’s points per game is lower than Fonseca’s at 1.72 putting him alongside Marco Giampaolo and Cristian Brocchi as Milan’s worst coaches in the past 10 years. Yes, he brought a trophy. However, many would probably drop the Supercoppa for European football tomorrow, or at least consistency.

The Portuguese’s team have been inconsistent in terms of results and performances for that matter. However, they have gotten a knack for scraping by and getting three points by the skins of their teeth.

In the least cliche way possible, this is Milan. Scraping games is not a long-term plan that people can or will buy into.

Where from here?

The big question now then, is where do the Rossoneri actually go from here. We’ve spoke a lot about the current, and several head coaches are already being attached to the job, so it is pointless really looking at the situation.

However, we can still provide a few pointers or ideals.

Milan need – bolden it, capitalise it, underline it, whatever you want, just focus on that word – a coach who provides stability. Nothing abrasive. Just a hire that provides a platform to build from and will not create a divide as the past two coaches have both done, albeit for different reasons.

Of course, the structure around the club also needs improvement, and the management could use a reshuffling, or at least defining, as it is currently too muddled up.

A sporting director also would be an ideal to provide direction – the effects are blatant to see from Bologna and the excellent working structure they have in place. That’s how they ended a 50+ year trophy drought despite losing Thiago Motta, Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori last summer.

The Rossoneri need a reset this summer, and Conceicao’s six months have not given him the credit to be a part of that. In Riyadh, it seemed that he would be the man to do so. However, Rome was the final piece of evidence that change is needed.

It’s been a turbulent six months since Conceicao was hired. However, the reasons to part outweigh the reasons to persist. A failed season and proof that change is needed almost everywhere.