Conceicao: ‘It’s not easy to be the coach of Milan, rumours started after one draw’

Sergio Conceicao admits that it is ‘not easy’ to be the head coach of Milan, especially in a difficult period for the Rossoneri, and says that he and his players could have benefitted from more protection from the club during the second half of the 2024-25 campaign.

Conceicao replaced compatriot Paulo Fonseca as head coach of the Rossoneri on December 30, 2024, signing a contract until the end of the 2025-26 season that included a break clause, which Milan decided to activate at the end of the 2024-25 season after missing out on European qualification altogether.

Conceicao has since returned to management with Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, but has recently sat down with La Repubblica to discuss his time in charge of the Rossoneri.

Conceicao managed to win the Supercoppa Italiana within his first two matches in charge of Milan, and also led the team to the Coppa Italia final a few months later, but oversaw a disappointing eighth-place finish in the league.

“We played every three days, we trained during matches. There was lots of video, not a lot of work on the pitch, but I’m not complaining. I knew the schedule when I signed,” Conceicao said in reflection of his time in San Siro.

“But they were six positive months,” he continued. “We made it to two finals. We lost one, it’s true, but it could have gone differently.”

There is no denying that there is a weight of expectation at a club like Milan, though.

“It’s not easy to be the Milan coach,” said Conceicao. “It’s a team that is historically used to playing at the highest levels and winning in Champions League finals. It’s a difficult moment, though.

“In Milan, after the victory in the Supercoppa Italiana, a draw against Cagliari was enough for rumours to begin circulating about who would take my place. And nobody denied it.”

Conceicao feels that he and his players could have done with more protection from the club.

“I’ve been in dressing rooms for 25 years and I know that instability from the club reaches there too. It wasn’t easy to play without the fans, who deserted the Curva. And with social media, whatever was said about us got through to the players. We needed a lot of protection from the club.”

Conceicao also revealed which two players he considered his biggest ‘leaders’ during his time with Milan.

“A leader is someone who sets an example, even in the way they behave away from the pitch. Pulisic and Gabbia were leaders because of the examples they set, but they weren’t the only ones.”