AC Milan is going through a challenging season. The club currently sits far away from the top spot in Serie A, and it has had a dismal European campaign in the Champions League. Despite winning the Italian Super Cup back in January, recent results have piled the pressure on new head coach Sergio Conceicao, so let’s take a look at how this season can pan out and what will that mean for the club moving forward.
A bleak season
It became clear early in the season that the likes of Napoli and Inter would be the frontrunners for the Scudetto title, which left many AC Milan fans hoping for the club to do well in the Champions League. They managed to qualify for the last 32, after which they got a favourable draw against Feyenoord – at least on paper.
The Rosonneri lost the first leg 1-0, but everything seemed to go to plan at the San Siro in the return leg when Santiago Gimenez scored inside one minute. However, fortunes quickly changed as Theo Hernandez, already on a yellow card, dived into the box trying to win a penalty and was subsequently sent off.
With a numerical advantage, Feyenoord managed to score with the game finishing 1-1, meaning AC Milan were knocked out of the competition. Since then, the team's form has been dire – to say the least.
Milan were odds-on to reach the next stage in the UCL at every reputable bookmaker in the world. Some fans even went ahead and backed AC Milan to win the competition, which was inherently a tough task given the mighty competition.
ans were quick to blame Theo Hernandez for the elimination, with some sections of fans even booing him at the San Siro. All this has led to speculation that the Frenchman will not renew his contract and leave the Rosonneri in the summer.
Usually a reliable goalkeeper, Mike Maignan has also endured a torrid campaign so far, making mistakes in matches such as the first leg against Feyenoord and the recent 2-1 defeat to Torino.
Costly Mistakes From Last Summer
It is difficult not to pinpoint Milan’s current struggles to the decisions made during the 2024 summer transfer window. AC Milan hired Paulo Fonseca – a coach who didn’t have the full trust of the management team.
Consequently, the management team is reported to have signed players who didn’t fit his playing style, leaving Fonseca with hard conditions to work. Then, Fonseca was fired and Conceicao was brought in –a coach inheriting a team he didn’t build and was not suited for his playing style as well, so the recipe for a disaster was already there.
It is safe to say that the arrival of Sergio Cenceicao has not yielded the expected results. Some media outlets pointed out that the Portuguese is frustrated by the lack of support from the board, the poor physical stance of the team, and the lack of activity during the winter transfer window.
All these conditions have come together to create a somewhat toxic atmosphere at AC Milan. Fans see that the club lacks clear ideas, and this could have long-standing ramifications for the Italian giant.
A campaign to forget
Based on recent results and the facts mentioned above, we can now safely say that this will be one of the seasons AC Milan fans will want to forget as soon as possible. The team has done well to win the Italian Super Cup, but with the Champions League elimination and the mid-table position in the Serie A, there is very little to look forward to this campaign.
The only way this season could have a somewhat happy ending is:
- if the team secures a top-four finish and
- qualifies for next season’s Champions League.
Any hopes of Serie A obtaining the fifth spot for CL qualification diminished as soon as Atalanta and AC Milan were knocked out of the competition, leaving Inter the sole representative in Europe’s coveted tournament.
Lazio and Juventus seem like the most well-equipped teams to fight for fourth place, but a strong finish to the campaign may see AC Milan have a say as well.
Opportunities in Uncertain Times
AC Milan’s current struggles highlight the unpredictable nature of football, where success can shift from one season to another. To regain competitiveness and secure a strong future, the club has to carefully look at its next steps, making well-calculated decisions to avoid unnecessary risks.
Unpredictability is not exclusive to football; it is present in many industries, including online gaming. Those who don’t want to put their money at stake blindly, highly value the costless extras provided by the virtual platforms. A good example of such is £5 no deposit bonuses, which give users extra money for testing their targeted games on a risk-free basis, though such offers are relatively rare, players can still find reputable deals through this link: https://www.slotozilla.com/uk/no-deposit-bonus/5-no-deposit-bonus.
Making informed choices, no matter in football or gaming, is always easier when you can test the waters first. While Milan fans may be frustrated with the club’s current state, history shows that patience and smart decision-making can lead to a great comeback.
