AC Milan were knocked out of the Champions League on Tuesday evening, and Sergio Conceicao must now fight to keep his job beyond the summer.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) writes this morning, the situation becomes even darker looking at the Serie A table, where Milan sit seventh meaning they are even outside of the Europa League places at present.
However, the possibility to climb the table exists starting with the make-up game against Bologna next Thursday, continuing with the game on the first weekend of March against Lazio, a big rival for the top four.
The major objective
Participating in the Champions League is a necessity because of what it does for exposure and the money it brings in. It is a target that the owners require to be hit by the team and coach, but what would happen otherwise?
Conceiçao’s future depends on the final league position, and therefore the confirmation or start of a new era in terms of the coach. To convince the club to keep him and start the 2025-26 season with him at the helm, the Portuguese has two options.
Firstly, the Rossoneri must climb and finish among the top four teams in the league. The alternative is to persuade with a brilliant style of play and a team spirit that finally reflects his personality. This way, even if Milan miss out on the Champions League zone by even a point or two, there would be something.
The progress in Serie A has so far been judged positive: in seven matches the Diavolo have won four, drawn two and lost only one, away to Juventus. Since joining Milan have amassed 14 points in the league, the same as Inter and Juve, one less than league leaders Napoli and three more than Roma, with Ranieri having had an extra month and a half to reshape the team.
If there are no concrete signs of recovery, Conceiçao will instead be the second Portuguese coach dismissed during the season. His contract runs until 2026, but there is – on the part of both club and coach – the formal possibility of parting ways at the end of the season.
The defendant
The Supercoppa Italiana won in Riyadh is a trophy that enriches the showcase but is not enough to save the coach, just like the Coppa Italia. It obviously remains an objective ,but it won’t shift the balance.
The evaluation of the season will now depend only on the league and the reconquest of the Champions League. For the tie he just lost, Sergio is obviously considered responsible, but not the only person in the dock.
Milan threw away their direct qualification to the round of 16 with the slip-up in Zagreb: another match compromised by a red card. In that case it was Yunus Musah who got a double yellow card at the end of the first half and both were silly.
Then the two-legged playoff against Feyenoord: in the Netherlands the result was affected by Mike Maignan’s error right at the start. Two days ago at San Siro, Theo Hernandez’s stupidity condemned the team to a shock exit.
Back to work
Yesterday the coach called the players back to Milanello in the morning. There was light training for those who had played, more intense for the others.
Everyone, without distinction, listened to Theo’s apologies in the dressing room and above all to the words of Ibra, present together with director Geoffrey Moncada.
Zlatan expressed himself in harsh, direct tones. He made it clear that the club is furious at the elimination and the resulting damage, economically and in terms of image.
Ibra appealed for unity, maturity and sense of belonging which simply must emerge between now and the end of the season. Then, evaluations will be made regarding Conceicao.
