In a surprising move, AC Milan has announced the termination of Paulo Fonseca’s tenure as the club’s head coach. The decision comes on the heels of a 1-1 draw with Roma, Fonseca’s former team.

The club’s statement expressed gratitude for Fonseca’s professionalism and wished him well in his future endeavors. Prior to the official announcement, Fonseca himself confirmed his dismissal while leaving the stadium, stating, “Yes, it’s true, I’m out of Milan. That’s life. My conscience is clear, I did everything I could.”

Fonseca’s time at Milan was marked by a tumultuous relationship with some of the team’s prominent players, including Leao, Theo, and Calabria, with reports of heated exchanges and bench confrontations. This contributed to the growing doubts and speculations surrounding his future at the club.

The Italian club’s management had reportedly been contemplating this decision for some time, and a victory against Roma could have potentially saved Fonseca’s job. However, the draw against his former team sealed his fate at the Rossoneri club.

With Milan currently sitting eighth in the league standings, 14 points behind the leaders and 8 points adrift of the Champions League spots, the team’s underwhelming performance and lack of consistency under Fonseca’s leadership have been cited as the primary reasons for his dismissal.

The search for Fonseca’s replacement is already underway, with the name of Sergio Conceicao, the former Porto coach and a former player of Lazio, Parma, and Inter Milan, emerging as the frontrunner.

Conceicao is expected to arrive on December 30 and will sign a contract until June, with the option to extend for another year if he can steer Milan back to the Champions League, their primary objective.