La Gazzetta dello Sport, in this morning's print edition, spoke about Portuguese head coach Sergio Conceicao, who is facing a season finale at Milanello to be lived all in one breath. The 2024–2025 season, which began with Paulo Fonseca on the Rossoneri bench and continued with the former Porto boss, has been a bitter disappointment—exceptions made for the derbies.
Against Inter, reigning Italian champions, first in the Serie A standings and fresh semifinalists of the Champions League, in fact, the Rossoneri have won twice and drawn twice in the four seasonal encounters. In the final of the Italian Super Cup in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), with a nice 3–2 comeback, Milan also snatched a trophy from their cousins.
And precisely next Wednesday, April 23, Conceicao's Milan is expected in another derby, the one valid for the second leg of the 2024–2025 Coppa Italia semifinal: it starts from the 1–1 of the first leg, and the Rossoneri cannot fail.
Conceicao has the chance to give his Milanese experience a semblance of positivity...
The goal of securing a spot in the next edition of the Champions League through the league is almost impossible and, therefore, to try to at least reach the Europa League in the 2025–2026 season, Conceição’s Milan has no other option but to win the Coppa Italia.
Conceicao must achieve this feat and will have to do it by overcoming Inter first, who have arrived at the decisive moment of the season in full form. Should he succeed, Conceição would bring Milan, paradoxically in one of the darkest seasons of recent years, two trophies in a single year. An event that, in the Rossoneri's world, has not occurred since the 2007–2008 season (UEFA Super Cup and Club World Cup).
The Portuguese coach, formerly of Porto and Nantes, knows very well that his adventure at Milan is nearing its end and that, next year, he will no longer be in charge at the club. But he has the great opportunity to say farewell to the fans with a double trophy, and this would certainly make the goodbye a little sweeter for everyone.
