Yahoo Sports GdS: Why Milan believe Conceicao is the ideal replacement for Fonseca
AC Milan have made the decision to part ways with Paulo Fonseca as their head coach, and it is Sergio Conceicao that they have turned to.
La Gazzetta dello Sport begin a report by noting a key similarity between the two: both are Portuguese, and strong characters. However, Conceiçao is a different coach than Fonseca because he cares less about possession and is more pragmatic.
He often plays a 4-4-2 or 4-2-3-1 system and seeks more vertical movement of the ball. His teams – more than being beautiful on the eye – are tough, physical and intense. It is no coincidence that Conceiçao asks a lot physically from his players and loves to have a group of physical players.
The results are encouraging: in seven years at Porto he won three league titles, twice reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League, and three more times lost in the quarter-finals. He knows Europe, and his CV had some Milan fans preferring him in the summer.
Conceiçao had a very complicated adolescence, born into a family that was certainly not rich. At 16 he lost his father in a motorbike accident, the day after he went with him to sign for. Two years later his mother also passed away and football became his everything.
As a player, Conceicao was a winger who spent time at Porto in Portugal before moving to Italy to play for Lazio, Parma and Inter. He returned to Lazio, and then to Porto, before playing abroad again. He has over 50 caps for Portugal too, with 12 goals.
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The statistics he cares about most are probably two: firstly the 10 trophies he won with Porto, which make him the coach with the most trophies in the club’s history. And the record for points in a single Portuguese league season: 91, which is not a small number in a league with 18 teams.
He developed many players while with Porto, who were then sold at high prices as per the club’s modus operandi. Vitinha was sold to PSG, Luis Diaz to Liverpool, Eder Militao to Real Madrid, Otavio to Al Nassr and Diogo Dalot to Manchester United are just a few.
What about the person? Sergio has five children, he is religious, as a boy he was called Twister or Tornado because of his temper. Six months ago he left Porto when Pinto da Costa – the old president with whom he had signed the renewal – lost the elections against André Villas Boas.
Conceiçao did not spare a poisonous comment: “I deserved more respect for what I gave to this club.” He may have to be a bit calmer on January 3 when he will be in Riyadh, ready to face his son Francisco and Juventus in the Supercoppa.
