Milan advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave a vote of confidence to Sergio Conceiçao following the Champions League elimination while receiving a satiric award from the TV show Striscia la Notizia (via Calciomercato).
“It wasn’t a positive moment. We lacked maturity. Our goal now is to stay united as a group to reach our goals in Serie A and the Coppa Italia.”
Ibrahimovic was quizzed directly about the future of Conceiçao at Milan.
He’s doing well. Things have changed since his arrival. We’re not at our best yet, but we’re improving. He has our complete trust.”
According to Sky, the former striker expressed his anger and disappointment to the squad in the locker in a brief but impactful speech on Wednesday.
Per La Gazzetta dello Sport, the Rossoneri will make the call on their coach based on how the season ends. The triple elimination from the playoff pretty much ensures that Serie A won’t have five Champions League representatives next campaign. Therefore, they’ll have to gain ground on Juventus and Lazio to enter the top four and grab the final spot. They are five points behind the duo, while Atalanta are significantly more distant. The brass can terminate the contract of the coach through a unilateral clause in June.
Our Take on Milan and Conceiçao
Advancing or not in the Champions League all too often comes down to inches and a couple of key plays, so it’s harsh to judge a boss exclusively based on that. They have generally been better with him at the helm. They would have to splurge on an elite manager for an upgrade, which doesn’t align with what they have done in recent years.
