AC Milan have confirmed that they have appointed former Porto head coach Sergio Conceicao as their new manager following the sacking of Paulo Fonseca.
The Rossoneri announced on Monday morning that they had relieved Fonseca of his duties after just 24 games in charge, of which he won 12 while overseeing six draws and six defeats.
Milan's 1-1 stalemate with under-performing Roma on Sunday left the club in an unremarkable eighth place in the Serie A table, 14 points below leaders Atalanta BC, who have played a game more.
Fonseca took a respectable 12 points from six Champions League matches, masterminding a famous 3-1 win over holders Real Madrid in the Spanish capital, and the Rossoneri are just one point off the automatic last-16 qualification places as things stand.
However, the board still saw fit to give Fonseca the boot, and following reports claiming that Conceicao was their top candidate to take the reins, Milan have swiftly confirmed the Portuguese's arrival.
Conceicao returns to the hotseat for the first time since ending his successful spell at Porto in the summer, and the 50-year-old previously represented Inter Milan, Parma and Lazio as a player, winning seven trophies with the latter.
The key details of Conceicao's Milan appointment
© Imago
In a statement, Milan confirmed that Conceicao had been appointed on an 18-month contract until the end of next season, and the 49-year-old will bring his own coaching team with him to San Siro.
"AC Milan announces that Sérgio Paulo Marceneiro da Conceicao has been appointed as the Head Coach of the men's First Team until 30 June 2026," Milan said. "The Club extends a warm welcome to Sérgio and his staff, wishing a journey full of success and fulfilment."
Conceicao will take charge of his first Milan match on Friday, when the Rossoneri face Juventus in the semi-finals of the Supercoppa Italiana in Saudi Arabia, before a potential final against either Atalanta or Inter Milan on January 6.
The meeting with Juve will see Conceicao reunite and pit his wits against his own son, Francisco Conceicao, who is on loan at the Old Lady from Porto and was previously managed by his father in their homeland.
Sergio Conceicao led Porto to 11 pieces of silverware during his seven-year spell in charge, including three Primeira Liga titles, and the Dragons reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League in 2019 and 2021.
The new Milan boss has also taken charge of Nantes, Vitoria Guimaraes, Braga, Coimbra and Olhanense since hanging up his boots in 2010.
Ben Knapton
