A hope that fades more and more. The defeat suffered in Bologna is yet another burden that weighs on Milan’s already fragile and feeble chances of catching the train called qualification for the next Champions League.
The wagon named fourth place, occupied by Thiago Motta’s Juventus—is a full 8 points away, a gap that risks becoming difficult to bridge in the remaining 12 Serie A matches. And of what was supposed to be the turning-point match, only great disappointment remains, shifting thoughts and criticism toward coach Sergio Conceicao.
Milan's Conceicao not at risk... For now
The Portuguese coach let himself go in a long outburst during the press conference, testifying to the complicated crisis Milan is experiencing: "Every day they talk about me, whether I am confirmed or not. If the club sends me away, I pack my bags and leave. I am not respected, I am heavily criticized; I see interviews from other coaches on matchday (Sarri, ed.). It’s not like I came here out of nowhere: my staff and I need a bit of respect." The Lusitanian is overflowing with frustration, but the defeat in Emilia-Romagna will not lead to an immediate shake-up from the club’s top management.
As reported by Calciomercato.com, in fact, Conceicao is not at risk of being sacked immediately (while awaiting the crucial home match against Lazio). The game against the Biancocelesti is taking on all the characteristics of a last resort, but for now, the former Porto manager can still consider himself in charge of the Rossoneri bench.
Is Tassotti ready to replace Conceicao?
Yes. But, to dismiss the 1974-born coach immediately, a truly significant collapse in the coming weeks would be needed, one that definitively closes the door on qualification for the next edition of the Champions League. And if the crisis were to continue and take on even more catastrophic proportions, who could be the right profile to lead Milan for the rest of the season? According to reports from Il Messaggero, the natural choice would be Mauro Tassotti, who recently returned to the Milan setup as a technical collaborator for Milan Futuro (before the departure of Daniele Bonera and the appointment of Massimo Oddo and his staff to lead Milan’s youth project).
