Sergio Conceicao orchestrated yet another bit of derby delight for AC Milan in a strange season, and he is not giving up on the idea of staying.
As Calciomercato.com write, Milan showed last night that they are Inter’s Kryptonite in what has been a totally irrational campaign. In the five meetings in 2024-25, the Rossoneri have won on three occasions and drawn two games.
In the most important one, which was worth a spot in the Coppa Italia, Conceicao took great satisfaction by overcoming the reigning Italian champions with a clear 3-0 victory. The determination shown after a damaging defeat against Atalanta was clear for all, and sent a message.
Conceicao admittedly holds a lot of responsibility for a poor league run in 2025 and for elimination from the Champions League. The mistakes made both in managing the group and in some strategic choices remain, but the games against Inter paradoxically show his qualities.
The Portuguese is a coach who never gives up even in the face of enormous difficulties, a professional who loves his job and believes in his ideas. He got the big calls right last night, starting Luka Jovic over Tammy Abraham, ‘caging’ Dimarco and stopping Lautaro Martinez and Taremi from doing much.
Speaking to Mediaset, Conceicao recalled that the last step is missing, the most important one: winning the Coppa Italia in the final in Rome. Those 90 minutes can make his name written in the history of the club with two trophies won.
Conceicao has no choice but to focus entirely on that, and on trying to change a fate that already seems marked. Should he lift the Coppa Italia next month then his candidacy would be considered ‘mandatory’ for Milan next season.
With what percentages we will only find out in the coming weeks, as much will depend on the choice of the new sporting director and the overall evaluations that will be made on the season.
If he wins coppa he should stay another season.
CL elimination is because of individuals player. Musah and Theo, not much he can do there.
And the league was already far gone by the time he got appointment. Sure, some of his choices in the league have been really questionable but regardless if we were ready to back Pioli for so long, Conceicao deserves at least a pre season with a mercato suited to his demands.
We have had several chances to make a comeback in the league had we not thrown away matches that should have been more than winnable as other teams also has stumbled in the spring.
What bothers me is that it took him months to try a new formation
I’m fine with that he is considered but lets get real here he bares a great part of the responsibility both for successes and failures regardless whether its Serie A, CL, Super Coppa or a potential win in the Coppa Italia. Players bares their responsibility as well and so does the Portuguese for fielding said players and for that matter creating the right enviroment and transmitting the right attitude within said squad. Sure he inherited a team mid season but it’s not like Fonseca had a full squad in the summer in his preparations either as most senior internationals arrived 1.5 week before the season kicked in.
If he wins the Coppa Italia then I can understand if the management will consider him for continuation but it also depends of whom they might line up as a potential replacement and if that is Allegri then I’m more than fine continuing with Conseicao. If they line up someone like Ancelotti or Gasperini or the impossible Klopp then his future with us shouldn’t necessarily be carved in stone.
Great winning a Super Coppa or/and an Coppa Italia but as I see it those trophies are more the icing of the cake for a big team winning the Scudetto or CL. Had we qualified for Cl next year then winning those two trophies would also be in a different light for me.
I remember how Milans pioli were beaten by Atalanta 5-0. Then we stay with pioli and the rest it’s history. Milan management should learn something.
Milan no need ricci bla bla bla. We need DM that covered CB. Sergio last night doing great job. It’s simple. He’s caging: lautaro, dimarco and put 3 / 4 players to blocking shot from inter midfielders.
It was a great performance yesterday in the second half but I wouldn’t really call it caging Lautauro as he had a huge chance yesterday at 0-0 that he will usually score on but he instead send it over goal and they also had a shot hitting the crossbar at 0-0. This match could easily have gone in a completely different direction had lady luck not been on our side in the first half.
Nevertheless a great and memorable win yesterday.
Don’t you people read articles here? I at least do that before I go and pour oil on flames.
Two days ago there was an article here comparing the numbers between Fonzy and Sergio which were:
Fonseca’s Milan scored 44 times, conceding 27 goals in all competitions across 24 games. His record was 12W, 6D and 6L with 1.75 points per match.
Sergio’s Milan scored 37 times, conceding 30 goals in all competitions across 24 games. His record was 11W, 5D and 8L with 1.58 points per match.
To sum up – they both s*ck.
Yeah, some of the comments are strange. I think people are really hyped up about last night’s match, but forget the previous several months. Since the Super Cup, we’ve played so many dreadful matches where the team looks poorly prepared at the start of practically every single match. There doesn’t seem to be a coherent pattern of play or principle. It’s just “grinta.” Don’t get me wrong; it would be great to win a trophy. But backing him just because he won a trophy would be so reminiscent of Ten Hag at Manchester United after he won the FA cup. As it stands, I don’t think we’ve gained any spots in the Serie A table since he took over. And that’s after a transfer window with so-called better players.
We need to think long and hard about a manager we can back for several years they can instill a football philosophy. But Conceição is not that man, I’m afraid.
Fonseca created the team that allowed Conceicao to fail.
Management have a bit part in this as well. If they had fired Fonseca before Christmas, Conceicao would have had 2 weeks between then and 2025 to train with the team and learn their characteristics, instead of winging it from January to March because we had to play a game every 3 to 4 days because of our packed schedule, which wouldn’t allow him to train the team in his tactics, or allow him to adjust the team according to the best of their abilities. After the Lazio match was when we actually got to play a game every week, and by then the players were already physically and mentally fatigued.
You can all see what that sort of a schedule does to players, Inter right now are basically going through what we did in Jan-March, this Derby was their 8th game in 24 days or something stupid like that, and look how they failed.
Conceicao came in and adopted Fonseca’s mess of a team. The 5 players he brought in during January wasn’t going to change the team or tactics up that much, and the schedule didn’t help either.
Give him a full pre-season and a mercato where he can bring in players that fit his system (remember we were hampered also in January by the UCL/Serie A lists as well, only 3 players could be replaced), and then complain if he doesn’t meet expectations.
So far, he’s been the one coach that has gotten through to Theo and Leao since the Scudetto winning season, and I’m all for them improving under him.
I will say this since Conceição changed to a back 3 we have only conceded 1 goal while scoring 7 and we have only loss 1 game out of 3 games.
If his win ratio continues like this in the league and we win the Coppa Italia then it would make sense for him to stay next season.
Because he has now found the right formula for this team and it would make sense to build on that instead of starting with a new coach. The club still needs to strengthen the team as Tomori, Thiaw and Pavlovic are just not good enough in my opinion to be our starting CBs.
If we look at the goal we conceded against Atalanta both Gabbia and Pavlovic were ball watching and Tomori got beat on the inside too easily for Lookman to make that cross. That’s extremely poor defending at this level.
Let’s be real – the fact that we even care about the Coppa Italia shows how far we have fallen. I don’t know if social media has managed to convince newer fans that the Coppa is some kind of Italian parallel to the FA Cup, but it’s not. They could scrap it and most fans wouldn’t even notice.
Conceicao (like his predecessor) was a rush job and it’s not worked. The fact that a few of his various upturns fell on tin cup games doesn’t change that. Yes we were great last night (I’ll be honest I only watched highlights), but if you think we’ll take that form into the Venezia game you’ve not been watching.
Out.
It’s still a trophy. We haven’t win it in 20 yrs. Coppa Italia is not like carabao cup. It’s still significant
People seem to forget Sergio Concaecio is a coach with pedigree, he was a world class player, part of the golden generation of Portugal, he played with the best players and opponents of his era, played for big clubs, was Coached by great Coaches, and had won titles both as a player and Coach, if you look at the options mentioned , Conte will be a bad move, he is too petulant, Allegri despite been a winner, has a provisional mentality, Sarri is old and also has a provisional mentality, Italiano has not won anything and honestly lacks the pedigree to turn us to winners in Europe, and when it comes to Ancelloti, does he still have the hunger and desire.
If you look holistically and objectively at the squad, we have at least 70% of it sorted, we just need to do precise buys, no need to dismantle the team, we already have a coach who understands what is needed
I have a feeling if we bring back either Allegri or Ancelloti , the same thing will happen to us when Arrigo Sacchi or Capello came back, they all had lost their hunger and idea’s.
If we keep the 343 and it continues to work in these last 6 games (league and coppa final). Then I can understand the temptation to keep him. Only time would tell I guess.
The numbers of his tenure so far are quite poor.
The choices have often been bad.
Did he make the right subs choices in this game?
Not really.
Leao played the whole game and looked to be well off. The fast CBs (just like with Atalanta) had him covered.
I would have taken Leao off in the first round of subs and kept Jovic on. Moved to 352.
And why did Felix come again?
When you are protecting the game you take off Rjeinders for Felix? Why not Bondo?