AC Milan, without much organization, surprisingly managed to set the record straight and fast with the announcement of their coaching change. Announced within four and a half hours was the sacking of Paulo Fonseca and the appointment of Sérgio Conceição as head coach. The suddenness with which it was presented to the public revealed not only the uncertainty lying underneath but also doubts concerning the direction a project that has started to lose its way will take.
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Was the sacking of Paulo Fonseca premeditated or off-the-cuff?
Paulo Fonseca took charge of Milan in June, managing 24 games to date. The record? Twelve wins, six draws, and six losses. That is not a bad record, yet it simply is not sufficient for the ambitions that Milan have. The team currently only takes eighth place in Serie A, having 27 points, whereas the first position belongs to Atalanta, with 41; the situation is not much different in the Champions League, with Milan holding a modest 12th position in the league phase.
While the results explain the dissatisfaction, the manner of Fonseca's dismissal tells of a club in disarray. It was the coach himself who announced his departure after Sunday's draw against Roma, before the club had even issued a statement. For a club of Milan's history and standing, this sort of situation feels at the very least amateurish.
The Curva Sud, Milan's organized supporters, didn't mince words either. In a released statement, it squarely blamed a lack of transparency and organization: "What left us baffled was the way it happened: how can we accept that the coach himself informs the press about his dismissal, without the club issuing an official note or its directors stepping forward to announce a decision clearly made days ago?
Sérgio Conceição is the chosen one
Sérgio Conceição comes to Milan with a contract until June 2026, bringing in his pocket seven successful seasons for the Porto, during which he won 11 titles. The arrival was immediate and not a surprise, as his name had already appeared on Milan's boards of possible coaches at the start of the season. Which directly brings into question whether that of Fonseca was just a patchwork solution from the start.
The announcement of Conceição so quickly does point out that something was going on in the background. The bond between Fonseca and the squad had already worsened, with reports of locker room disputes and lack of public support from players after his dismissal. This gives the impression that Fonseca's departure was inevitable-a decision made weeks ago but only formalized at a more convenient time.
Sérgio Conceição, no entanto, não tem tempo de adaptação. Already this Friday, on the sidelines for Milan, in the Italian Super Cup semifinal against Juventus at Al-Awwal Park, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. An classic match, especially in an elimination tournament, already puts pressure on the new coach.
Moreover, Conceição is inheriting a squad that was apparently divided and demotivated. Improving the internal atmosphere will be at least as important as on-field results. There's also pressure from the most demanding supporters, such as the fans from the Curva Sud, who have already been manifesting their discontent to the board and now expect something closer to an actual change in result with this coaching switch.
Management under fire
The decision to appoint Sérgio Conceição also reveals a deeper problem at Milan: the inconsistency of sports management. But there was an important point in what the Curva Sud said in their statement, too: how could the board spend months touting the "Fonseca project" but include in his contract a clause that would permit his dismissal within the first six months? This now-revealed clause would suggest that the club was never really committed to Fonseca.
The transfer market only made things worse. Most of the players Fonseca needed arrived late in the transfer market, making it so much more difficult to adapt and plan in tactics. How can Milan expect consistency in the results if the coach doesn't get the necessary tools on time?
The weight of bad decisions
For a club with Milan's history, instability in the coaching position is a warning sign. Alternating highs and lows are what this team has received in recent years without making any specific identification on or off the field. Sérgio Conceição is certainly a brilliant coach, but his presence doesn't necessarily solve all structural problems in the club.
While a coaching change may yield an immediate reaction, the question still begs to be asked: is Milan ready to give Conceição the time and resources he needs to set up something concrete? Or will it just be another brief cycle again, interrupted at the first hitch?
Future of Sérgio Conceição at Milan
Sérgio Conceição has an enormous challenge ahead of him: he is not only in charge of pulling up better results for Milan, but also restoring the fans' trust in it and bringing stability to a club that's always rebuilding.
Definitely, the debut in front of Juventus is a gold chance to show what he's capable of. Milan's problems, however, will not be solved in just one match. Patience will be necessary-something that has not always been shown by both the fans and the board alike.
If the board really believes in this project with Sérgio Conceição, they need to prove it with actions, not words. Otherwise, Milan will continue to be in this vicious circle of rash decisions and never reach the heights that history and fans request from them.