Conceicao named Milan coach after Fonseca pays price for poor 6 months

Sergio Conceicao succeeded Paulo Fonseca as AC Milan head coach Monday as the Rossoneri try to correct a faltering 2024-25 campaign.

Fonseca was axed after Sunday's 1-1 home draw with Roma. The result left Milan in eighth place, eight points adrift of the fourth and final Champions League place and 14 points behind leaders Atalanta and Napoli.

Conceicao signed a contract until June 2026 for his first coaching job in Serie A. The former Nantes and Porto boss played in Italy for Lazio, Parma, and Inter Milan.

Milan's latest Portuguese coach joins a club troubled by testy relationships in the dressing room, boardroom, and the San Siro stands.

Fonseca had public fallouts with winger Rafael Leao and full-back Theo Hernandez during his time in charge and seemed destined for the sack on multiple occasions before pulling off timely results. Milan are in good form in the Champions League - their run of four straight wins includes a notable 3-1 victory at Real Madrid - and smashed Sassuolo to reach the Coppa Italia quarterfinals, but they've won just two of their last seven Serie A outings.

Fonseca worked against a backdrop of unrest between Milan's supporters and owners. The club's 125th anniversary celebrations in mid-December were marred by chants against American investment fund RedBird, the team's performance in a drab goalless draw with Genoa, and the absence of icon Paolo Maldini - who was sacked as sporting director in June 2023 - from a pre-match parade of club legends.

Fans later gathered outside a private anniversary party and targeted some players in their protests. One of the banners read, "A club with no ambition, you're not worthy of our history."