AC Milan appoints Sergio Conceição as coach after relieving Paulo Fonseca of his duties | Football News
AC Milan on Monday sacked coach Paulo Fonseca after only six months in charge, following an erratic run of results that sees the team sitting eighth in Italy’s top football league. The club has named Sergio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceição as its new head coach.
“AC Milan announces that Sérgio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceição has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men’s First Team until 30 June 2026. The Club extends a warm welcome to Sérgio and his staff, wishing a journey full of success and fulfillment,” the club said.
Milan sacked Fonseca earlier on Monday after only six months in the job after an inconsent run of form left the club eighth in the Italian top flight.
Conceicao, 50, had been without a team since leaving Portuguese giants Porto in June despite signing a four-year contract extension only two months before. In his seven-year tenure he became the club’s most successful coach, guiding them to three championships, four Portuguese Cups, a League Cup, and three Super Cups.
Milan, who drew 1-1 at home against struggling AS Roma on Sunday, has won only two of their last seven league games. The 19-time Italian champions are eight points behind the top four, with one game in hand, and 14 points behind leaders Atalanta.
Fonseca was appointed in June to succeed Italian Stefano Pioli, who led Milan to a single league title in 2022 during his five-year stint, finishing second and 19 points behind champions Inter Milan in his final season. Former Roma coach Fonseca, who arrived after two seasons at French Ligue 1 side Lille, faced high expectations from the start.
However, Milan started slowly under the 51-year-old, drawing 2-2 with Torino and Lazio before losing 2-1 to promoted Parma. Fonseca guided Milan to their first win of the season in mid-September, a 4-0 home triumph over Venezia, before defeating Inter 2-1. After a similarly bad start to their Champions League season, with back-to-back losses to Liverpool and Bayer Leverkusen, they went on a four-game winning streak, defeating champions Real Madrid along the way.
Fonseca previously won the Portuguese Super Cup with Porto in 2013, the Portuguese Cup with Braga in 2015-16, and three straight Ukrainian Premier League titles with Shakhtar Donetsk from 2017 to 2019.
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