Sérgio Conceição reveals hidden truths about his turbulent time at AC Milan: “We lacked the club’s protection”
Sérgio Conceição, current coach of Al Ittihad, did not hide how challenging his brief but intense experience at the helm of AC Milan was, a club he managed only during the second half of the 2024/25 season. In an exclusive interview with ‘La Repubblica’, the Portuguese coach opened up about the unstable environment and the difficulties he faced in Milan, revealing that, despite winning the Italian Supercup in just his second match, his time with the rossoneri was marked by controversies and a lack of structural support.
“It’s not easy being the coach of AC Milan,” Sérgio Conceição began, highlighting the historical weight of the team: “It’s a club that is used to playing at the highest level and winning Champions League finals. But at the same time, I went through a very complicated moment. I came from FC Porto, where I achieved a lot, but it was a completely different context. In Porto, I had a president who had been in office for decades and who left as the most decorated in the world. The club was well-structured and organized. The transition to Milan was not easy at all.”
The Portuguese coach did not hide the instability he felt early on: “After we won the Super Cup, it only took a draw with Cagliari for rumors to start circulating about who would replace me, and worse still, no one denied them. This created a very complicated environment to work in.”
Despite everything, Conceição gives a positive assessment of his time at the Italian club: “We played every three days and trained during the matches. A lot of video, little work on the pitch. But I’m not complaining, as I knew the schedule when I signed the contract. It was six positive months; we reached two finals. We lost one, it’s true, but it could have been different.”
However, the biggest obstacle, according to the coach, was the lack of protection from the AC Milan structure: “I have been in dressing rooms for 25 years and I know that the unstable environment of a club ends up reflecting within the group. It was not easy to play with fans leaving the stands, with social media firing off criticisms, and with everything that was said reaching the players. We needed much more protection from the club.”
This account reveals the harsh reality behind the scenes in elite football, where sporting success is often undermined by internal crises and a lack of institutional support.
In addition to Conceição’s testimony, the AC Milan scenario remains turbulent. Forward Rafael Leão was recently a starter, but was substituted in the 58th minute by Youssouf Fofana, in a match that raised doubts about the future of the Portuguese winger, as the Italian club is asking for at least 60 million euros to transfer him. The market is in turmoil, and Milan seems keen to reorganize its squad to ensure stability and competitiveness.
In the broader landscape of European football, the impact of competitions is also being felt. The elimination of Bayern Munich has left Germany relying on Freiburg in the Champions League. Meanwhile, Sporting Braga, a points booster for Portugal in European competitions, is preparing to benefit even more next season, especially with France and the Netherlands losing valuable points.
Sérgio Conceição, with this revelation, makes it clear that his time at AC Milan was a tough but enriching lesson, and that without a solid structure and unconditional support, even the best coaches face battles that are almost impossible to win. The Portuguese coach continues to prove his worth at Al Ittihad, but his recent past in Italy will forever be marked by the struggle against instability, which he himself considers to have been the greatest enemy of success.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
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