Fonseca was fired on Monday and replaced as coach of AC Milan by Conceicao.
“Paulo Fonseca leaves, Sergio Conceiçao arrives. “It's life,” said the outgoing Milan coach as he left San Siro for the last time. Anyone who has ever been a coach knows how it works: you are always the first to pay when things don't go well. And at Milan, eighth in Serie A, it seems redundant to underline this,” Capello wrote for La Gazzetta dello Sport.
“But how much debt does Fonseca have? Tactically, his team struggled to find balance on the pitch, a bit like what happened with Pioli for much of last season. But I believe his dismissal came about for another reason, besides the results that were clearly below expectations: the lack of understanding with the key players.
“Fonseca tried to be tough and make strong decisions when he saw that some of his players had the wrong attitude. Because, it must be said, in recent months in Milan we have seen moments of absolute inattention, with goals conceded unacceptable for a great team.
“Moreover, episodes such as the 'cooling-down' break when Hernandez and Leao split against Lazio or the dance over who should take the penalties against Fiorentina, were symptomatic of the mood within the team.
“In the end, the coach couldn't correct what was wrong. And from the outside, it seems clear to me that the leaders of the locker room were not on his side in the management and choices. In fact, I think they turned him down.
“Fonseca's relationship with management must then be examined, starting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. From certain words of Ibra I noticed a certain detachment between the two.
“After all, I remember that even before the debut against Torino, the Swede appeared at a press conference and declared that 'the coach is the coach, the club does the rest and the market closes when I say so'. As if he wants to emphasize that the coach is not central to the team's planning.
“Well, it doesn't seem like the right basis to start a good season together. And in fact today Fonseca pays for everyone and leaves the bank to Conceiçao. A coach who has a reputation for being tough, but who also knows how to be very pragmatic.
“He generally did well at Porto and I especially liked it when he faced Italian teams in the Champions League, despite the fact that they sold someone to him almost every year. Here he will first have to get to know the players and find the key to getting into their heads before even deciding how to play tactically.
“This is essential for all coaches and even more so for those who take over during the season. But the change on the bench takes away the alibis of the players themselves: the fans have had enough and with this move the club tells the players that from now on a bad attitude will no longer be accepted. Conceiçao starts with an advantage over Fonseca.”
Comments