The Albany Gazette - AC Milan hire Conceicao after firing coach Fonseca

Fonseca paid the price for the Italian giants' inability to mount a Serie A title challenge.

"Sergio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceicao has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men's First Team until 30 June 2026," Milan said in a statement.

Conceicao, 50, was available after ending a seven-year stint with Porto in June this year having guided them to three league titles and four Portuguese Cup successes.

His only head coaching experience outside of Portugal was a season with Ligue 1 side Nantes, although he knows Serie A having played for Lazio in two spells, Parma and Inter Milan from 1998-2004.

Conceicao has shown extraordinary character to rise to the heights he has.

The 56-times capped winger once contemplated quitting the sport after losing his father, mother and younger brother while still a teenager.

Fonseca, 51, had pre-empted the announcement of his dismissal by saying he had been fired as he left the San Siro following his press conference after the draw with AS Roma on Sunday.

The 1-1 draw was the sixth of the season and left Milan in seventh spot, eight points off Lazio in the fourth and final Champions League place, and also a massive 13 adrift of city rivals Inter, who are in third spot and challenging for the title.

In a statement, Milan thanked Fonseca for his "great professionalism".

Milan, the seven-time European champions, have been battling inconsistent form and anger from their supporters.

Fonseca has been in open conflict with senior players and questioned his squad's commitment, repeatedly going after countryman and star winger Rafael Leao and dropping France full-back Theo Hernandez for a teenage academy player in a dismal goalless draw with Genoa earlier this month.

Meanwhile the cub's fans are on a war footing, attacking the owners on December 21 when a celebration of the club's 125th birthday was marred by the very obvious absence of Paolo Maldini among the iconic players parading on the pitch, but also chants demanding that owners, US investment fund RedBird, sell up.

Supporters then turned up outside a private party for the anniversary, barracking most of the arriving players and displaying banners with messages including "a club with no ambition, you're not worthy of our history".

(A.Moore--TAG)