AC Milan have now officially announced that they have sacked Paulo Fonseca as the head coach following the 1-1 draw with Roma.
Last night saw Milan end the 2024 calendar year by sharing the spoils in what was an entertaining game against the team from the capital, but the build-up immediately before the game was dominated by the news of Fonseca’s potential departure.
Reports emerged stating that the Portuguese might be taking charge of his last Milan match. These rumours then continued afterwards too, and it was stated by numerous sources that Sergio Conceicao would soon replace him.
When he was leaving San Siro, some reporters managed to speak to Fonseca and he admitted that his time at the club was over after less than six months in charge, though no confirmation from the club came.
On the official website, Milan have now confirmed that Fonseca has been relieved from his duties as the first team head coach, in a statement that is just two lines long.
“The Club extends its gratitude to Paulo for his great professionalism and wishes him the very best in his future endeavours,” they add.
Fonseca leaves Milan after just 24 games in charge, with 12 being wins plus six draws and six defeats.
Just 2 months 2 late.
But still, better late than never.
Fonseca was always just a rebound coach.
I don’t expect insta improvement tho. We’re still gonna struggle to reach top 4
That’s the thing – there’s an attitude problem too which the new coach needs to sort out. Hopefully Sergio’s that coach.
I think the attitude problem developed because the players never backed Fonseca. These are the same players who bled for Pioli despite him not being great.
That’s a good point, with Madrid and Inter wins you could argue that although not consistently, Fonseca took the players to greater heights than Pioli. He simply didn’t fit and management didn’t do enough.
Presumably some senior players took a dislike and the rot spread…
Truth is Madrid and inter, when we payed them, were not at their best and we managed to surprise them. That’s reality.
Really? Which players didn’t back Fonseca? Let’s be honest and name the TWO players who have had motivation issues: Leao and Theo. If my memory serves me right, both of these players also had moments of struggle with Pioli. Since his benching Leao has been in great form and I had considered that case closed. The only true remaining underperformer was Theo. It’s True that he’s never had such a bad spell, and it’s come under Fonseca, but Theo has also played nearly every game he’s been available for over the last 5 seasons, because this club has never brought in a proper backup, and he came into this season having played for France in the Euros. Then there are the contract negotiations. I’m guessing he’s physically and psychologically exhausted. Is that Fonseca’s fault?
I’m not defending Fonseca’s record. Overall it’s not good enough. Most of our dropped points happened at the beginning of the season before the injury crisis (BTW, another season another injury crisis), but thes players also have some blame to shoulder. If they think, and if we think, some kind of world class manager is going to come to Milan, everyone is wrong. They wanted Lopetegui, got Fonseca and now hired Conceicao. Is Conceicao better on paper than the other two? Sure, but that’s ON PAPER. Is he in the same category as Klopp, Conte, Pep, Ancelotti, etc? We shall see. It’s obvious our cheap directors do not want to pay for a good coach. I’m beginning to think the then only reason we did not get Lopetegui was because he refused to sign a contract that had the clause that Fonseca’s had, which was that the club would only have to pay for 1 year’s salary if the coach was fired within 6 months. What top coach would agree to come to a club that: A. Won’t pay him a good salary; B. Won’t trust him and commit to a long term project by inserting an early termination clause? Our directos would rather pay themselves…
I don’t think there is an attitude problem. From what I’ve seen so far this season vast majority of the players give 100% during games.
Item just their efforts aren’t rewarded. Last night we had 21 shoots. 7 on target, 6 blocked. Roma had 12.
And we scored one goal. That’s not normal.
Amd when that happens for months…
I guess I’m talking more about snatching the ball off Pulisic, cooking break saga, second worse disciplinary record in Serie A
Fonseca got more cards than Emerson royal 😥
Well arguably yes, but it was a great performance in Madrid. I never wanted to hire the guy but when he joined I was happy to get on board, I think there’s some good stuff in there and at the right club, perhaps a decent CL club he will have success, but he was never right for Milan and our history and current needs.
The failure is with Cardinale and those who sanctioned him as the new coach
I feel sorry for him, this is the failure of Cardinale and his pathetic management. He should never have been given the job. He’s a decent coach but that isn’t good enough. You don’t get Ferrari performance from a fiat.
He still masterminded a win over the hateful Madrid which for me I’ll always thank him for and the Milan derby. I also think he had some good ideas, just not the tools to implement them at this level. Thanks for those Fonseca
But you can. Just Google fiat spider.
Well..I think you get the analogy….he was never fit for purpose
I get it. Kinda. So fonseca is a fiat and we wanted a Ferrari coach?
Well, we needed an elite coach, we just weren’t prepared to pay. Tuchel would have been perfect. Fonseca was a sideways step from Pioli..we needed the step up
We did. They thought they can cheap out and still get results (top4) but they was wrong.
Abate would’ve done better than fonseca.
Well said.
I disagree that Fonseca is a decent coach. How? Just because he won Madrid and ShInter doesn’t make him a decent coach. Even Prime Pioli is better than the mediocrity that is Fonseca.
He is decent, just not good enough for a top club , but if you hire a cheap coach you get cheap results. He did a good job in France…
This all falls on those who hired him and wasted half a season based on a pathetic cheap recruitment strategy.
It a shame on Cardinal, Ibrahimovic and the management they fail and blame it on Fonseca, if you sack that not the end of the problem and he will get another job elsewhere but for Milan let see where it takes us as a club … Pls Mr Cardinal sell Milan to the Arabians let them run Milan.
Now we will aim Conference League spot with the new coach. Go Sergio!!!!
Nice suits, great hair, nice guy… but time to go (at last). Thank you Fonzy for finally beating Inter, smashing Real in Spain and… some other things I can’t remember right now.
This sacking is two months late. As such the drain is ruined. If you were going to sack him, why wait for even more damage to be done! Everyone has seen the writing in the wall since October? This is just an utter failure by the management team, specifically Ibra, Moncada, Scaroni and head honcho Gerry. Furlani is just the guy holding the calculator, he doesn’t count or matter.
Season*
No more foreigners. We don’t want another clueless Portuguese. They’re on the same level as the English when it comes to football.
Woah
Murinho, Nuno Espirito, Concesao, just to name few.
I know Italy has great managers but at this point they made the perfect choice.
He will turn this side around. If you compare Atalanta to Milan, we have better players, more money, what we lack is the right coach, and no Conte is not it.
You can’t even spell and you expect me to take you seriously? No more foreigners also Nuno Espirito Santo is a rubbish coach, there are 19 coaches in Serie A better than him. All of them outside of Mourinho have done nothing, and even Mourinho hasn’t done anything in years. Conte has been a lot better than Mourinho for years. No foreigners, no Spanish, no Portuguese no English.
That’s what you get for fielding Emerson Royal week after week. Let’s see if the other Portuguese is wiser than The Fonzie. If he wants to stay longer than 6 months, he should bench that clown.
The rapper Emerson royal and Chukwueze even can’t complete the easy pass last night, my goodness… Bennacer came in and they play more stable but everything’s being too late..
I agree, both those signing were waste of money, we would have been better of to use primavera
You know if jimenez was playing rb since the beginning of the season he’d probably have a handful of G&A by now and his value would be close to 30M
True, And we’d be fighting for the UCL spot.
Bring back Pioli if you want to play CL next year, no other coach can fix what Fonseca ruined in last 6 months!!!
I disagree, Consesao is the right one.
He turned Porto around in a comoetition that is not easy to win, they dominated Portugal with him and had good results in CL
Fonseca sacked. What about the clueless management and owners? Cardinale should sell Milan to the Arabs who are willing to buy Milan.
Ehats wring with Cardinale?
Bye bye
Now I can start posting again…what a relief. He is finally gone, he came in and distabilises everything that was already good.
24 games: 12 win, 6 draw and 6 defeats. Not bad for new coach. But I think it’s the matter how the way to approach the game and the methods. Just my analysis
He is a terrible coach .. he has undo all the good work that exists. Also, the management are jau as clueless to think that Sergio Concecaio will be able to do any better.. Get the likes of Sarri in for 6 months and if he deliver external for a year or 18 months
This not is going to save Milan.
As I SAID many times this year. If players doesnt start to sacrifice themselves, start playing collective defence and attack… next season is without Europe.
But maybe that is something necessery, for Cardinale, to pay difference between lost money in Europe and small difference in investments this year.
He was a mediocre and wrong choice since the beginning. But RedBird laid rotten foundations to build on and any coach coming in will have problems achieving something in this toxic environment. At least before there was Paolo everyday making sure players were looked after and gave support to them on and off the field. Now there’s an errand boy, self proclaimed lion turned into Gerry’s lap pooch and that fraud one hit wonder scout showing their mugs only when sh*t hits the fan and even then they only come to lecture and demand more from the lads.
Horrible management. Why did they hire him at the first place, when stats, history showed that Fonseca is just a midlevel coach at best. The way that they did too is just unprofessional, leaked it to the press first before roma game was over. Hope the new coach will do better, for the love of milan. But i have my doubts since this is a poorly built team. Time will tell. If he fails too hope cardinale finally realizes what the fans did a while ago. That this management sucks.
“The way that they did too is just unprofessional, leaked it to the press first before roma game was over. ” Bro these are the same people who didn’t say a word when rumours were abound that they were going to sack him at the end of the season. And this was well before the end. They also did t say anything when the curva demanded a new coach….and we had things to play for still. This whole team is unprofessional
This dismissal of Fonseca is a pathetic attempt by our cowardly management led by Ibraclown to mask their own incompetence. They are to blame for the team’s situation with the selection of Fonseca and all the missed transfers they made last summer. It is the most incompetent management ever. Now they want to bring in this Conceicao, another coach who has no value to coach a club like Milan. This is what incompetent management does, is unable to recognize its own stupidity and persists from mistake to mistake to an announced disaster…
Ngl, the team shown a glimpse of hope during pre season in the US.
But that went down in the drain.
But tbf, fonseca was never fans first choice.
That being said, i feel bad the way the management sacked him.
Could have done in a classier or more professional way.
But if it’s true milan has contacted conceicao since juve match, then fonseca has been a dead man walking all this time.
I hope some people in the management also shown the door following fonseca.
He can’t be the only one to blame.
It’s good they realized their mistake on time, and also taking Conceicao for six months, with option to extend. After beating Madrid, we have been on a downward slide, as per results and overall game play. I hope they can make right choices going forward. Also, a lot of our players are under-performing. The new coach has to deal with that, too. Lastly, we need quality additions in January. Some players need to move on.
Not a really bad time to replace him given many people didn’t like the management’s calm nature with him and were expecting him to be around for at least a little longer.
I’m satisfied with the timing and situation even if he’d have been gone after the Juve match left to me. I don’t think anyone was particularly dying to see him remain while I believe he’s been given a fair chance which some of us have been asking for in the beginning despite not supporting his appointment in the first place.
I also think that the management have handled the sacking well. As should be done, being quite supportive on the out side at least and giving very little to the media and the likes leading to the dismissal.
I thank Fonseca for the derby win and the brave stance against some of the players. I wish him well.
Well what did I wake up to this morning. Christmas came a bit late but it came nonetheless lol 😅
Why now,u sacked….,milan Management pos bring quality dont quantity player even just 1 or 2 player,keep maignan,Theo,gabia,pavlovic,Fofana,rijnders,Leao,Pulisic sell the rest
Blame Fonseca all they like, this is a massive failure of the board and the latest in a long line. We sacked an excellent coach, the best we’ve had in a generation and replaced him with one who has very set methods and has taken time with every club, even though we weren’t prepared to give that time or a pre-season.
We’ve missed out on first choice transfer targets for the last two windows and watched players who were not appreciated by us flourish elsewhere (Kerkez for me is going to be an all-time Milan fail).
And crucially we are terrible at selling players and maximising value from them. We cannot move on the ones we want to and we’re selling in dips every time – Theo’s fall from form this year was entirely predictable, due to wanting out and playing with France all summer, but we have made no effort to find a proper backup and now he’ll leave for less than half his value from last summer.
This is a fail of Cardinale and his board, not of Fonseca.
So the fans were right once again. At this rate perhaps the management of the club should be passed on to the fans ?