Sérgio Conceição to leave Milan after Coppa Italia final defeat
AC Milan 0-1 Bologna
Sérgio Conceição will reportedly leave his post as manager of AC Milan at the end of the season, following the Rossoneri’s disappointing defeat to Bologna in the Coppa Italia final in Rome on Wednesday evening.
As was the case with his predecessor and compatriot Paulo Fonseca, Conceição will lose his job having failed to overturn sluggish performances across just half a season in charge, according to growing reports in Italy.
A goal from Dan Ndoye early in the second half was enough to give Bologna their first trophy in 51 years. Milan, who had Rafael Leão in the line-up for the full match and introduced João Félix after the hour, have been largely criticised for a lethargic showing in which they failed to react to the setback of falling behind.
The defeat caps a horrific season for the Rossoneri, who are in 8th place in Serie A and were eliminated from the Champions League by Feyenoord in February. Fonseca was fired at the turn of the year despite only taking charge last summer, with Conceição tasked with bringing together a fractious and inconsistent squad of players.
Yet according to renowned Italian journalist Fabrizio Romano, Conceição’s time at San Siro will be cut short at the end of the campaign. Romano’s notification on social media came just minutes after Gazzetta dello Sport suggested the former Porto coach’s departure was probable, following weeks of suggestions Milan have been exploring potential replacements.
Milan came into the final in much improved form, with Conceição having led the team to 6 victories from 7 matches since switching the formation to a 3-4-2-1 system. However, the casual nature of the loss was a continuation of a complacent season, for which the Milan board have again decided the manager must take the fall.
“We could have done more” - Conceição
“The first half was balanced, we had a few chances to score and taking the lead in these games is important,” Conceição said after the match.
“I admit, we could’ve done more in the second half. Bologna had a bit of luck with the goal, I don’t want to take anything away from our opponents, Bologna did well to win the trophy, but after that there was very little football played.
“I don’t want to seek alibis with the referee, there were two or three controversial situations, but I don’t want to make them seem like excuses. We should’ve done more. We won the Supercoppa, we got all the way in the Coppa Italia, now we will try to end this season with dignity.”
By @SeanGillen9