Sergio Conceicao’s Effect Already Being Felt At AC Milan Ahead Of His Debut

Written By Onyeka Daniel

It’s barely a week since Sergio Conceição was appointed as the new coach of AC Milan and he has already opted for a firm approach in his first days as Milan’s manager, deciding to hold a double training session on the eve of his side’s match against Juventus in Saudi Arabia in a Supercoppa Italiana clash tomorrow.

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The meeting will be Conceição’s first game at the helm, and he wants his players to get familiar with his methods as quickly as possible despite having little time to prepare for the fixture. Another effect is that players are now less inclined to pushing for an exit from the club. It was previously suggested that Fikayo Tomori would be interested in swapping Milan for Juventus in January.

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But the change at the Rossoneri helm could mark a turning point for his future as he’s now reportedly willing to stay at the San Siro. The former Chelsea centre-back seemed to have fallen out of favour under Paulo Fonseca, with his last Serie A start dating back to early October in his side’s 2-1 defeat at Fiorentina. As a result, the 27-year-old’s discontent grew to the point that he was willing to leave the club.

Juventus were among the interested clubs, but his prospects suddenly changed when Conceição replaced Fonseca in the last days of 2024. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Tomori feels he can return to be considered an important player under the new manager, so he would prefer to stay at Milan for at least a further six months and try to earn Conceição’s trust and return to being an important player for the club.

Also, veterans like Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leão are also said to have asked their teammates to postpone a potential move to next summer and help the team now, prompting the defender to express his will to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the directors. For the former Porto manager, he explained that finding a way to ‘break down’ Juventus’ defence will be key in boosting their chances to come out as winners in their meeting on Friday.

The new Rossoneri coach explained he saw players who are ‘humble’ and ‘eager to learn’ in his first training sessions at the club, but admitted he had to be ‘effective if conveying what is needed’ considering the little time he had at disposal before the first match in charge. While he didn’t want to share any hints about his first line-up as Milan’s manager, which would’ve made Thiago Motta ‘happy’.

He also insisted that he wants his players to ‘work cohesively’ above everything else. “I found a team that is humble, eager to learn, and wants to understand what the coach requires,” Conceição said at a pre-match press conference in Riyadh. “This is very important; it is the foundation for quality work, in my opinion. We haven’t had much time to work, but we’ve been effective in conveying what is needed.

“Each match is different, even considering my past as a player. The timing is what it is. If you had asked me whether I would have liked more time to work and have all the players available, I would have said yes. “But I knew this from the moment I arrived, and there should be no excuses: we must face Juve with our heads held high. “We still have two training sessions before the match.

“We aim to be sharp about what we want to do. We need to easily grasp what’s important for the game in order to try and win, which is fundamental for us. We work the same way regardless of the opponent, aiming to improve areas where I think we can. I know the current moment isn’t great, but we need to change it, and only we, together with the players, can do that.

“Words don’t mean much; at big clubs like this, results are what matter, and that’s what we’ll aim for, starting tomorrow.” The Rossoneri manager went on to describe Juventus as a team composed of ‘quality players’ who ‘understand the game’, although he conceded both sides ‘more afraid of losing than eager to win’ in their recent head to head at the San Siro, ended in a goalless draw.

“They have many quality players, young and hardworking,” Conceição remarked. “They understand the game: it’s the team that has conceded the fewest goals in Serie A. They play compactly, and we’ll need to figure out how to break down their defensive organization. “I don’t want to constrain talent, but we need to work cohesively as a team. That’s the only way football works.

“I saw two teams more afraid of losing than eager to win—that’s my impression. However, there are excellent players. Tomorrow, we must have the desire to compete and win, focusing on the offensive aspect against high-quality players. “I can’t reveal my intentions; otherwise, I’d make Thiago happy.” Asked about what he would like to be remembered for and whether he considered accepting the job a risk, he said:

“I don’t like talking as a visionary. I focus on working every day. “Tomorrow, we’ll play in a full stadium, and we earn a lot—what more could we ask for? We need to be happy and thankful for the talent God has given us. We must change this moment. “That’s life—you take risks. If I hadn’t wanted to reach this level, I would have stayed home near Coimbra. It’s not a risk; coaching Milan is a pleasure and an honour.”

The 50-years-old will face his son Francisco Conceição in his debut match at the helm, but he doesn’t feel ’emotional’ about the reunion and he hopes ‘not to make him happy’. “I’ve already been asked this: I’m not emotional at all; I’m a professional,” Milan’s boss continued. “I just have a cold and had a fever these past days, so if my eyes look a bit watery, that’s why.

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“At home, I’m his father; tomorrow, my son will be my opponent. He’ll think the same way: I want to beat him, just as he wants to beat me. I hope not to make him happy.” He further added. There is no indication on whether he’s a short term solution or here to stay for the long run as he was just given a six months contract with an option for a further year at the end of the season.

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