AC Milan Sacks Paulo Fonseca, Former Porto Coach Set To Take Over

AC Milan sacked coach Paulo Fonseca on Monday after just six months in charge with the Italian giants failing to mount a Serie A title challenge.

The 51-year-old Portuguese coach had anticipated the announcement, revealing that he had been dismissed as he exited the San Siro after his press conference following the draw with AS Roma on Sunday.

His fellow countryman Sergio Conceicao is expected to take over from the former coach of Shakhtar Donetsk, Roma, and Lille.

Conceicao, who has experience in Serie A as a player, became available after concluding a seven-year tenure as Porto’s coach in June of this year.

The 1-1 draw was the sixth of the season and left them in seventh spot eight points off Lazio in the fourth and final Champions League place, and also a massive 12 adrift of city rivals Inter, who are challenging for the title.

“AC Milan announces that Paulo Fonseca has been relieved from his duties as Head Coach of the Men’s First Team,” read a statement from the club.

“The Club extends its gratitude to Paulo for his great professionalism and wishes him the very best in his future endeavors.”

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

Fonseca has been openly at odds with senior players, questioning his squad’s commitment.

He has notably criticized his fellow countryman and star winger Rafael Leao and made the controversial decision to bench France international Theo Hernandez in favor of a teenage academy player during a disappointing goalless draw with Genoa earlier this month.

Meanwhile, the club’s fans are in an uproar, criticizing the owners on December 21st during a celebration for the club’s 125th anniversary.

The event was overshadowed not only by a disappointing match and the noticeable absence of Paolo Maldini among the legendary players on the pitch but also by chants calling for the owners, US investment fund RedBird, to sell the club.

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