Paulo Fonseca was sacked as manager of AC Milan late on Sunday night, with fellow Portuguese Sérgio Conceição reportedly having agreed to take the job at San Siro.
Earlier in the evening, Milan were held to a 1-1 draw by Roma in Serie A which saw them drop to 8th place in the table. Despite a positive Champions League campaign, Fonseca’s struggles to achieve results in the Italian top flight have cost him his job after just half a season.
“It is true, I am out of Milan,” Fonseca confirmed as he was leaving the stadium. “This is life. My conscience is clear, because I did all that I could.”
It was a tough night for Fonseca, who had to attend the post-match press conference and face journalists who knew his time was up. The former Porto boss insisted he had not been informed of anything relating to his future, “I never in my life felt fear of anything in football, and I continue like that,” he told the media. “The important thing is to have a clear conscience, that I am honest with those who work with me. My conscience is clear, I fear nothing.”
Having given Fonseca the news, Milan will swiftly make official the appointment of another ex-Porto manager – Sérgio Conceição. According to various esteemed outlets, Conceição will begin work on Monday on a contract reportedly for 18 months. Conceição has been out of work since leaving the Dragons at the end of last season.
Fonseca won half of his 24 matches in charge, claiming 12 victories, 6 draws and 6 defeats. Despite four straight wins in the Champions League, including a stunning 3-1 victory over Real Madrid at the Bernabeu, the poor league form proved too much for the Milan board’s patience.
By @SeanGillen9
