Something quite remarkable happened on Monday night in Saudi Arabia, as an AC Milan coach won a trophy after just two games in charge.
For many, Conceicao was the man that Milan should have gone for in the summer when the decision was made to move on from Stefano Pioli. He was a prolific winner in his time at Porto, with 11 trophies in seven seasons including three league titles.
Yet, the managerial triumvirate of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada took a couple of rolls of the dice. They seemed to settle on Julen Lopetegui before fan protests kiboshed that, and then – instead of turning to Conceicao or even Antonio Conte – they went for Paulo Fonseca.
Fonseca’s tenure is hard to condense into one passage given the rollercoaster ride that the 200 days provided. The Portuguese departed after just 24 games in charge, with Milan eighth in the league and just about to head to the Middle East for the Supercoppa Italiana.
Step forward Conceicao: flirted with in the summer and eventually courted months later. Just seven days into his reign he was lifting the club’s 50th trophy into the Riyadh sky, and while they might not have been convinced in the summer, the Milan leadership certainly are now.
The (second) chosen one
Conceicao in less than a week has turned Milan around, making it a machine that is not perfect but certainly effective. The Rossoneri under the guidance of the Porto legend obtained two victories against the two main rivals – Juventus and Inter – while coming from behind in both.
In a few days Conceicao won another derby, which is not a given given the precedents of recent years, and above all lifted a trophy. The Supercoppa is certainly not on par with the Scudetto and Champions League but it is still silverware to place proudly into the cabinet.
The last to do so at Milan was Vincenzo Montella in 2016, a coach who – apart from that triumph in Qatar 18 games into his tenure – didn’t do much else. Thus, winning the Super Cup might therefore not be enough to guarantee Conceicao a stay beyond June, especially with the break clause in his deal.
The real mission for the 50-year-old is to secure a spot in the Champions League places, a target that is not easy to achieve given the current distance from fourth place. Logical projections suggest that around 45 points are needed to try and get in amongst the battle for those places.
Despite the victory in the ‘bubble’ of Riyadh, Conceicao has not yet had the opportunity to demonstrate anything, because the league does not give immediate satisfaction but is a path in which enthusiasm must be built and maintained even if the end is still far away.
From this point of view, he is certainly the most suitable man to take the reins. Unlike Fonseca but like Pioli, Sergio is a man who seems to have an innate ability to motivate the team both in the dressing room and in front of the media, striking the right chords.
At the same time, Milan have shown that they are made up of players who, if well-motivated, know how to keep enthusiasm alive even in the long term. We all witnessed the glorious Scudetto under Pioli and the excellent results achieved in the Champions League the following year, two ‘sporting miracles’ that stars like Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez played a big part in.
Conceicao’s qualities do not end there. The true talent of the new Milan coach can be summed up in a phrase he himself said at the end of Monday’s final: “At half-time, the coach has to intervene and fix things, that’s why they pay me.”
It was precisely the coach’s choices during the game that allowed Milan to bring the trophy home on the plane. The Portuguese, who started the match along the lines of Fonseca’s Milan in terms of system, dared to change the team’s formation at least twice in the second half. Each change, made at the right time, achieved exactly what it was meant to.
Reading different moments within a game and being proactive rather than reactive is a quality that Fonseca lacked and that Conceicao instead has. It is an ‘Ancelottian’ gift that Sergio has been able to show admirably in the first two games, despite working with the squad for just a few training sessions.
With the entry of Leao, for example, Milan broke the game open. His first dribble won the free-kick that Theo despatched with aplomb to halve the deficit and spark belief that might have previously evaporated given the sour taste of recent derbies.
By bringing Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek on, Conceicao wanted to send a clear message: go out and win. The victory then arrived even though Inter also had their chances to steal it, with daring moves like Christian Pulisic dropping into midfield and Loftus-Cheek even further back.
A coach has to do that, he has to know how to read and manage the moment. Sometimes the time is right to push the boat out, something Fonseca perhaps didn’t do enough (see the 0-0 draws with Juventus and Genoa at home), and the rewards can be great. After all, that’s what he gets paid for.
Planning for the future
It might be exaggerative to say that Conceicao has already entered the hearts of everyone attached to Milan, but he has certainly entered the minds of the management. In essence, he has already earned the right to speak with the directors and have input on decisions.
In fact, as our colleagues at SempreMilan.it have learned, the new manager has expressly asked his superiors for two or three signings in the January market, to strengthen as many positions as possible within the squad.
The most pressing issue
The department that needs the most work is the midfield, which currently consists of two regulars in Tijjani Reijnders and Youssouf Fofana, but lacks reliable deputies. Ismael Bennacer is still far from finding his best form, while Loftus-Cheek and Yunus Musah are good substitutes but not very suitable for a starting role.
In particular, Conceicao has asked Moncada and his associates to buy a playmaker capable of dictating the pace, a sort of Bennacer replica (the best version of) in short. The hottest name in this sense is Reda Belahyane of Verona, who has been linked since the summer.
The directors have now made concrete steps forward having met part of the player’s entourage. The aim is to close a deal for the Moroccan midfielder for a figure around €10m, and Belahyane has already gained the approval of Conceicao.
An agreement with Verona is still missing – they are asking for no less than €15m to sell. Negotiations have begun, but the regista role is not the only area of the pitch that Milan’s new coach would like to strengthen in January.
Bolstering the flanks
Considering the probable sale of Noah Okafor to RB Leipzig, Milan are looking for a versatile winger. The hottest name is Marcus Rashford given his brother’s presence at Casa Milan in the last few hours, though it is far from advanced.
The operation to bring the Englishman to Milan remains complicated because of the salary (£15m per year) that the Rossonero do not intend to guarantee him. In addition, they are pushing for a loan with an option to buy deal.
However, Manchester United’s reluctance to contribute significantly to Rashford’s salary could benefit their competitors, such as Como and Juventus, who currently have no internally-imposed wage restrictions like Milan do at present.
The alternative that is gaining more and more momentum is someone that Conceicao knows well: Francisco Trincao. The Sporting CP winger has a contract expiring in 2026 and therefore an affordable price tag of around €20-25m, a figure that Milan are willing to pay.
Unlike Rashford, Trincao also has a salary that is much more within reach (just over €2m net per year). Although he does not enjoy the same media attention as Rashford, Trincao is considered a more than adequate alternative given he has 18 goal contributions in 29 appearances this season.
The extra coup
Although there has been much talk about the possible arrival of Pepe, his former attacking midfielder at Porto, it seems that Milan are moving on other profiles to strengthen the spot behind the centre-forward.
The name that has come back into fashion in the past few hours is Arda Guler, a Turkish talent who picked Real Madrid over Milan when he went there in January. Given he is only 19 years of age getting regular game time is important, and he is not getting that with Los Blancos.
Milan intend to play on Madrid’s dilemma and relations between the two clubs are excellent. The management are reportedly working on a two-year dry loan along the lines of what was done with Brahim Diaz between 2020 and 2023.
The negotiation has not yet entered into full swing but it is not excluded that important news in this sense could arrive before the end of January. What may be problematic is inserting a clause to make Güler’s stay permanent, given how much they value his talent.
The Theo turn
One of the first moves directly linked to Conceicao’s arrival at Milan concerns the negotiations for the renewal of Theo Hernandez. The Rossoneri have reportedly made a new offer to the French full-back who is now one step away from signing, as per Calciomercato.com.
The new contract would extend the deadline to 2029, significantly raising the salary received by the former Real Madrid man to €6-6.5m net per season including bonuses, putting him just behind Rafael Leao’s €7m/yr.
It is a decision that obviously did not come about solely in the past few days following the goal and assist he got in the Supercoppa final, but sometimes all it takes is a reminder of the high levels he is capable of to create a jolt.
For both Mike Maignan – who has also agreed a deal in principle – and Theo, the extension does not represent a guarantee regarding their permanence. However, the two extensions will give the Diavolo all the leverage if teams do come in.
Benercer is solid better than Loftus cheek and I can’t wait to see Gabbia and thiaw pairing and benercer with Fofana
The next few games will show us where Milan is really at.
Let’s not act like Milan didn’t already outplayed and beat inter in serie A and dominated Real Madrid at the Bernabéu in UCL. Just like now, after those wins media was writing how that was the turning point and Milan were brought back to reality again and again.
Outside of the Napoli game, Milan played well in almost all games vs big teams that don’t just show up to defend. And vs Napoli they had to play without their 2 best players this season Pulisic and Reijnders, Theo was suspended and Leao benched.
Let’s see how the next few games go before we start saying that everything is turned around.
Getting a bit carried away from two glorified friendlies here aren’t we lads? And if management believe so much in him, why didn’t they a few months ago?
Let’s see how the league and Europe go before we start self-congratulating
Calling the matches in Saudi “friendlies” is a bit cowardly and pessimistic. The four teams had to earn their spot in Saudi, they were not invited. Plus there was a trophy, though less significant but still very recognizable. Just relax my man.
When it comes to Guler, there are a lot of fans that are led by Cut your nose to spite your face approach. They are more concerned of how that move will benefit Real Madrid instead of how it benefits Milan. Oh, we are developing Real Madrid players. He’ll develop either at Milan or another club on loan.
If the kid helps you finish top 4 , win Copa Italia and go as far as possible in the UCL while you paying a minimal loan fee that’s a win win. Not to mention that anything can happen during those 5 months, the kid can fall in love with the club, the team, the fans, the country and push for a permanent transfer. It’s not like he is going to play much for Real in foreseeable future anyway.
Brahim Diaz was on loan at Milan for 3 years, helped Milan qualify for 3 UCL, a scudetto and a UCL semi. Great deal for Milan.
If there is a chance to get Guler, bring him in.
Yes, I don’t get the Real Madrid hatred. They are not our rivals. They have actually been partners with some interesting business between the two clubs. So what if we help them with developing one of their players on loan, as long as that player can also help us in the meantime? Our rivals are Inter and Juve, and to a smaller degree, Napoli, Roma, and Atalanta. Last time I checked, neither of those is called Real Madrid, who don’t even play in our league.
Sure, Guler for very little money would be nice, and yes, Brahim was very helpful for three years so, we did develop him for Real but it’s not like we didn’t get anything out of the deal. It was a mutually beneficial deal.
Still, like I said, I think the biggest priority should be fixing our defense.
Nooo, no more brits, they are losers. Not rashford. As an italian descedent, We need more germans on the team not Brits.
Go back to the 1800’s. You don’t belong in modern society.
I think the priorities are still wrong. If the rumors in this article are true, then I’m afraid we’ll continue to have big problems and won’t be able to climb back into the top 4.
We need a true DM much more than we need a midfield playmaker. Actually Reijnders can do the playmaking. But nobody else can do the DM job other than (partially) Fofana, and we’ll run Fofana to the ground if we expect him to play every game, and he’s not even a true DM although he has done his best to cover the role.
And we need a RB much more than we need another winger.
Our problem has been conceding too many goals to lesser teams. Yes, we struggle to score when either Pulisic or Leão are not there. But when they both are, scoring is not our main problem. Conceding goals is, and to stop that we need a more specialized DM, a proper RB and even a deputy LB which is something we haven’t addressed in years.
See, even though we did very well against Inter, we still conceded two goals that highlighted the issues with defensive midfielding and full-backing.
In one goal we again allowed the opponent’s left winger to run free through our right back area and cross the ball into the far post, which is how we concede half of the goals we’ve been conceding. And also, we allowed a midfield breakthrough that resulted in their second goal, which is how we conceded a third of the goals we’ve been conceding.
Remember the Cagliari game? Our offense produced not one, not two, but 3 goals. You’re supposed to win the game if you score 3 times. But then, our defense let in 3 silly goals and we dropped two points to a lesser team.
We NEVER properly replaced Kessié. We never granted a deputy to Theo Hernandez. We have an outgoing RB in Calabria who won’t be renewing his contract, and a rather bad Emerson there.
And then, the managers and even the new coach, think that our priorities should be wingers and playmakers? No, that’s wrong. If that’s what Conceição wants from management, I will question my good feelings about our new head coach.
He does seem to have high football intelligence. How can he not notice that Emerson is Milan’s worst player and weakest link? How can he not notice that we can’t expect Fofana to play every game? He’ll get injured or exhausted. And Theo still needs to show consistency. He had ONE great game after 20 bad ones. So what do we do with the LB position? Jimenez there isn’t great. Bartesaghi is too inexperienced and young. Terracciano there is a disaster.
We can’t get to top 4 with such a porous defense because if we don’t fix it, we’ll continue to drop too many points and the way things are, we can barely afford to drop more points.
Good points mate. Our main problem since already Pioli’s last days was our defense. But I would point out that these articles are always about rumors, no one knows what’s really going on; we’ve been linked to several DMs in the rumor mill, including this article, so who knows. Plus, an extra winger/playmaker like Trincao can really give us a much better rotation in attack (even allowing Reijnders to rest once in a while), and a great cover when Pulisic or Leao are out. Great buy from my point of view.
Yes, that’s why I said “if the rumors in this article are true.”
Sure, what you are saying about winger/playmaker is true, but what I’m saying is that it isn’t our weakest point, so it shouldn’t be our top priority.
If we do address the points I mentioned and there is still money left for another winger/playmaker, then sure. But addressing that while leaving the defense porous won’t help us.
I agree mostly with what you say.
We must focus on priorities!
Right now they are DM, RB and striker.
Unfortunately our management are going to do what they always do, revamp a position that is not a priority and create another hole in the squad. Last summer that was RB, selling Kalulu and buying Emerson.
Now it is LW, selling Okafor who has been a good back up who never complained and bringing in trouble like Rashford. Not a priority!
Of course we can always improve positions like LB etc but first focus on the glaring emergencies!
I still can’t understand why Milan didn’t hire you. You really have the knowledge. I just have to correct you: Milan haven’t had a real DM since 2000 (apart from Van Bommel for a short time). Kessie was not a DM. Gattuso was not a DM. Pirlo was not a DM. RB is not a priority because we have Jimenez and Emerson (intentionally numbered that way) at that position. Chuck Jimenez proved to be a good replacement for Theo. Milan need someone who will guarantee 20 goals. The defense is good, you just have to work on your concentration. It’s no use having the best defenders if the whole team doesn’t defend. Milan need 2 players to change the course. Not to replace Maldinia, Pirlo, Kaka, Kessie…, but to create a new system that will deliver results.
My menz, we have the 4th best defense in the league per goals conceded. That Cagliari game was a fluke. You focus on it like it’s happened four times this season. Meanwhile, Milan is in 8th place, and of the teams above us, only Bologna has scored less, and that by one goal.
WE NEED A STRIKER THAN CAN SCORE. This is what we need. Conceicao looks set to continue 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2, that’s two midfield positions for Fofana, Bennacer, RLC, Musah, Terraciano and even Reijnders if needed. I get what you’re saying, but given the realities of the statistics, DM can probably wait until summer. Likewise RB. I’m not a fan of Royal, but again, conceding goals is not the problem right now. We need someone to finish what Leao, Puli and Tijji start, and we need someone who can come in when one of Leao and Puli are down to adequately take their place, unlike Okafor and Chukwueze who offer nothing. Striker first, backup winger second, and if you want to throw another signing in there for sh1ts and giggles, a proper backup for poor Theo, who is like the subject character in Faithless’s Insomnia.
I agree we need a goal scorer badly. With all the expense associated with Rashford, why not get Osimhen!
Osi isn’t cheap and is a loudmouth. His Social Media antics precede his time at Napoli. I guess he comes with as much pff field baggage as Rashford.
I wouldn’t want anyone disrupting what fragile trust and atmosphere Conceicao has built with the team so far.
No he is not cheap but neither is paying Tammy and Morata to miss tap ins(plus Origi). Year on year we waste money on strikers who are not good enough.
I agree we don’t want anyone disruptive, thats why Rashford is a worrying move.
Osimhen, I am not aware of issues he cause, though I know Napoli certainly let themselves down with their treatment of him (specifically social media posts)
Imagine Leao Osimhen Pulisic as an attack. Bring in a good midfielder and RB and we legitimately can challenge for CL imo.
The money will come back to us in multiples
Problem is a proper striker is not something you fix with 20-25 million, especially in January.
But yes, we have the weakest striker position amongst all top teams in Italy
Id1otic menagement ,everyone (fans) wanted conceisao over fonseca ,everyone except our menagement who wanted to pretend to be some very clever visionaries and intellectuals,they should all get sacked.
We are all excited about the new coach but a few things to consider.
1. Can he motivate them for league games
2. What will his system look like when he has had time to implement it and what players will that suit/not suit.
Lets not forget Tiji has been having a break out season
3. How will he get on with management because he has had violent fallings out in the past and I’d bet it’s a matter of time before he and Ibra butt heads
“to secure a spot in the Champions League places, a target that is not easy to achieve given the current distance from fourth place”
Milan are 8 points behind the 4th place, Lazio, but have 2 games in hand. If they win them, then the distance becomes only 2 points, which is not that hard to recover actually. The 8th place does not give the full picture.
for me, the best player to replace Calabria is Jackson Tchatchoua. If you don’t believe me, just look at him at Verona. He is very suitable for Milan when they want to press and
he is very solid, fast, and invulnerable.
This is like reading BBC articles about Man U honestly.
Do not put too much pressure on him, he started off brightly, in the best way possible, even. But, most teams do have “new coach bounce” syndrome. Of course, we hope that he would turn out to be as good as advertised, and by the way things are going, it sure seems promising. Just leave him alone to work peacefully.
Just hope that the management also don’t undermine him like they did Fonseca. I meant, 6months contracts (with option) is kinda an insult honestly, and now after 2 games they say they wanna build the team around him. Sod off.
Excellent post, Bunga2. We finally seem to have a good coach but we still have lousy managers who will likely clash with him, and purchase the wrong players for his system. God help Conceição!
It’s easy to get the boys motivated in derbies and when the win means an immediate trophy (however meaningless it is). Our problem has been mostly low level teams. Our players always played like the game was already won before it began, and once resistance was shown, they couldn’t adapt. This is due to overconfidence and lack of discipline. Coaching wise, Fonseca was unable to put an offensive strategy that works against teams that came for a draw and that doesn’t expose us, he is either too offensive and we end up conceding a lot, or too shy and we end up not scoring.
I hope Conceição watched some of our previous games and has understood this problem as well, but in the meantime, less not put the cart before the horses.
finally, Ibra found the brain. that’s the best news.
If we cant get Guler, i think Nico Paz could upgrade our AM position…. Surely there are other players who is out there , who can be better than Nico Paz… I choose him, cause he knows Serie A and he’s young and talented…
Anyone who says we need a RB, they are wrong… Jimenez is not a winger, his one on one with the GK against Como, shows he lacks calmness and composure to chip( dink) the ball over the GK… He is more a Theo kind of player, he can be our RB… he is not a winger for sure, but has the technical ability of a winger and the speed of a winger… We need another DM who has another characteristics comparing to Fofana( someone more vicious) … Krunic was not great, but he was willing to do the dirty job that Tonali was doing… Wish we had Tonali, but selling him helped us!!! Tonali , Paqueta and Calhanoglu was 3 mistake that im sure the Milan management wish they didn’t make…. Paqueta and Calha could have stayed , only if we had more patience… CDK falls in the same box !!! CDK needed confidence and support, somehow he didn’t got it, Chuck is the same! Chuck plays with one foot, So did Robben 🙃🙃🙃….
He lacks the support and confidence, i don’t know where, but its clear he lacks it… You can’t be a good dribbler all your life , and suddenly don’t know how to dribble… He who has played football, knows that confidence is important when you are in the field ….
MY MAIN POINT IS… WE NEED A COACH WHO CAN BRING THE BEST OF ALL OUR PLAYERS , NOT ONLY TACTICALLY, MENTALLY AS WELL….
And we need 18 starters, no one should feel that he is in the starting eleven! Competition helps players grow , when players grow, their teams becomes unbeatable, when a team is unbeatable , we as fans walks with pride in the streets