AC Milan – Sergio antics too much for the Italian Giant?

Sergio Conceicao arrived in Milan at the end of 2024, made his debut in January in the Super Cup semi-finals, and, with wins over the biggest rivals Juventus and Inter, brought the Rossoneri a trophy and hope for better days after the fruitless Paulo Fonseca. 

Conceicao inherited the team in eighth place in the table, and through ten rounds until the 29^th round, he managed to win only 17 out of a possible 27 points and drop the Italian giants to the ninth position.

Conceicao’s Milan is even less convincing and attractive than Fonseca’s, although they have made several quality signings in the winter. 

Therefore, in recent weeks, the Italian media has been talking a lot about the man who will sooner or later replace the Portuguese on the bench. 

Conceicao might have already been the former if Milan had not made up for a 2-0 deficit against Lecce two weeks ago, i.e. suffered their fourth consecutive league defeat, or maybe if they didn’t win over Como at home.

The winner of three championship titles with Porto is still at San Siro. 

Still, it’s an understatement to say that his conference before the match with Cesc Fabregas’ team was unconvincing and took the form of an alibi story. 

Conceicao concluded that the results are better and that the team is evolving, even though they have suffered four defeats, a draw, and only two wins in the last seven games. If you ask Simone Inzaghi, he would not agree with his colleague because Inter usually easily cleans up teams from the bottom of the table. 

Milan is eyeing a new man the team can entrust: its former coach, Max Allegri, and Roberto De Zerbi.

However, Sergio Conceicao is not giving up. Rumours that everything has already been agreed with Max Allegri to take over Milan in June have not derailed the Portuguese. The former Porto coach’s intention is to keep in touch with the teams fighting for a place in the Europa League and Champions League, hoping for the failures of Juventus, Bologna, Lazio and Fiorentina. 

Milan also has the mutual clashes of the four aforementioned teams in mind.

Unlike in previous weeks, when he was very “stubborn” about the first lineup and his tactics, Conceicao shuffled the cards in training. 

And several positions in the starting lineup have not been resolved, starting with the defense where Pavlovic and Thiaw are competing for a place alongside Gabbia, in the middle Musa and Fofana have been forced into a play-off to keep company with Reinders and Bondo. 

In attack there is a dilemma between Leao and Alex Jimenez.

According to the announcements from Milan, Conceicao intends to play in a 4-1-4-1 formation with Bondo as a midfielder between the defensive line and the midfield.

Conceicao left open the possibility of playing with two strikers, considering that all the strikers are available in addition to Santiago Jimenez, from Jovic to Abraham to Camarda. 

However, the Portuguese specified that this would not be the case with the starting lineup; it would be only an option for the second half, depending on how the matches go.

Also, the moves he made in the first game of the play-off for a place in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Feyenoord seriously upset Zlatan Ibrahimovic. 

Although Ibra is an advisor in the club, he is an extended hand of Gerry Cardinale, the first man of the New York investment company “RedBird Capital Partners,” which owns AC Milan.

Ibrahimovic was unpleasantly surprised when, at the end of the match against Feyenoord, Milan lost 0-1. 

Coach Conceicao took the best forwards, Rafael Leao and Santiago Gimenez, out of the game. And Gimenez came to San Siro from Feyenoord in the winter transfer window for 32 million euros.

Conceicao’s contract with AC Milan expires in June 2026. 

Still, it’s hard to imagine him staying on the Rossoneri bench if they fail to secure a place in the Champions League next season, meaning they must finish in the top four in Serie A.

Read More At Serie A and Champion’s League.