OFFICIAL: Paulo Fonseca has been relieved from his duties as Milan head coach

AC Milan have now officially announced that they have fired Paulo Fonseca as head coach following the 1-1 draw against Roma.

Full announcement:

AC Milan announces that Paulo Fonseca has been relieved of his duties as Head Coach of the Men's First Team. The Club thanks Paulo for his great professionalism and wishes him all the best in his future endeavours.

Before the official announcement was released, Fonseca himself had confirmed his dismissal as he left the stadium by car after the clash with Roma.

“Yes, it's true, I'm away from Milan. That's life. My conscience is clear, I did everything I could,” he said.

In retrospect, as Sky Sport journalist Gianluca Di Marzio explained, the Italian club's heavyweights had been thinking about taking this measure for some time. A win against the Roman team, his former team, could save his job, something he had already faced twice this season: against Inter Milan and Real Madrid, with two favorable results that boosted the club's confidence in his renewed the project. However, the draw against the Roman team condemned his time at the Rossoneri club.

His time at Milan was full of ups and downs in the game, plagued by clashes with the most renowned players and with the team in eighth place with 27 points, 14 points behind the leaders, 8 away from the Champions League places and with only 1 win in the competition. the last 4 games. In fact, the complicated relationship he had with stars Leao, Theo and Calabria was in the news at the time, to whom he delivered several bank blows, further increasing doubts and rumors about a possible exit.

Minutes before confirming his departure, Fonseca was firm with the press and assured that he was not afraid of losing his job. “I haven't spoken to anyone. There has been no meeting with Ibrahimovic (club director). I feel safe in the dugout, why wouldn't I? I haven't spoken to anyone,” he told DAZN shortly after the match. He even spoke about leading the team in the next Italian Super Cup, to be played in early January. “I have no indication that I will not train in the Super Cup. Now I will go home, with my family, watch the match and get ready to work tomorrow,” he added.

Following these statements, the AC Milan board spoke to the coach and informed him of a dismissal that has not yet been announced by the club. To take his place, the name with the most support is that of his compatriot Sergio Conceicao, former coach of Porto and former player of Lazio, Parma and Inter Milan, among others. He arrives on Monday, December 30 and signs until June with the option to extend his contract for another year if he restores calm to the Rossoneri team and keeps them in the Champions League, their main goal. His first match will be the semi-final of the Italian Super Cup against his son Francisco, who plays for Juve, on January 3.