Despite all the talk of Sergio Conceicao’s job being at risk, a report has claimed that the AC Milan management have once again rallied around the coach.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Conceiçao spoke with the team yesterday in the presence of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Geoffrey Moncada before training at Milanello, the first session of a decisive week given the games against Bologna and Lazio.
Milan have no intention of raising the white flag in the race to qualify for the next edition of the Champions League. To achieve the minimum target set at the beginning of the season, the directors have chosen to give their ‘full support’ to the coach.
Ibrahimovic and Moncada being at training should certainly not be considered a big event because it has been a constant for a few months. Yet the visit took on a special meaning at a key moment in 2024-25: the management wanted to make it clear that they are close to the coach.
In other words, they are not thinking of looking for a replacement and that they expect an instant reaction from the players. Getting into the top four and winning another trophy can still give meaning to an otherwise troubled campaign.
Moreover, the Senior Advisor and Technical Director still have faith and are convinced that Conceiçao has the experience, charisma and qualities to straighten out the situation. In short, no assessments will be made until June.
Future at stake
Unlike what happened after the elimination from the Champions League last week, yesterday the management chose not to speak in the dressing room. That ‘task’ was left to Conceiçao who stressed the need to eliminate the errors resulting from a lack of concentration that cost several points.
At the same time the Portuguese noted the progress that has been made in terms of opportunities created. Ibrahimovic and Moncada spoke with some individuals, especially to stimulate them regarding the importance of the match against Bologna.
The chase for fourth place – with Juventus at +8 – is complicated, but there are still 39 points up for grabs including six huge ones this week. Furthermore, it cannot be fully ruled out just yet that fifth place in Serie A could qualify, even if Spanish sides must collapse in Europe.
The idea, therefore, is to have no regrets. That is why it is imperative fight until the end both to obtain the best possible position in the league and to even try and win the Coppa Italia, which would mean a two-trophy season which hasn’t been seen in well over a decade.
Signs of growth
Conceiçao stayed late at Milanello yesterday. He spoke with the team and the management, but he also had meetings with his staff to analyse the physical data.
The positive news is that the athletic numbers are growing, but can further improve from next week onwards, when the team will no longer have commitments in European competitions taking up valuable midweek time.
So, the work at Milanello will become even more intense in March and the tank will be filled in view of the end of the season. The aim is to become a team that can give 100% in every game from now until the final game, without worrying about managing minutes too much or rotating heavily.
However, Sergio did not give discounts yesterday and asked for intensity. He feels the support of the club and firmly believes in what he said after the defeat in Turin, that the Diavolo will fight until the end for fourth place.
He has made mistakes, but blaming him is not right. what the club needs to do is support him to the end, even if he does not get us into the UCL, we should retain him, and ild with him, his pedigree, experience and winning mentality is evident, changing him will not make sense, he is a modern coach who was a winner as a player, and as a Coach, so it’s best to stick with him, and improve, if not we will still be in this situation next season with a new coach…what the club needs to do is plan for a good pre season, all the outgoings and incoming transfers should be handled before the beginning of preseason, and honestly the club should stick to a preseason in Europe, going to the US or Asia takes a toll on the players, and the financial rewards are not that much, instead we could have friendlies in the middle East which is closer, and financially more rewarding.
Either keep Conceicao or give Sarri a proper project.
No half measures.
I feel bad for Conceicao. He came in and basically had a game every 3 days, had a team with some gaps in some positions, received several new players and needing to dig them out of a hole. Some might question his hardline methods but with no preseason or even time to train and instill some tactics and methods, it is not hard to see why we struggle. Perhaps now, with no UCL, the team can actually practice tactics and work together. It’ll be a too little too late but if the team improves, i do not see why with proper preseason, we cant keep conceicao. It is hard to see any coach succeeding in such scenario. The ones that do, are usually avoid relegation specialist.