AC Milan’s decision to terminate Paulo Fonseca’s contract after just six months was primarily driven by the team’s disappointing performance in Serie A. The Rossoneri currently occupy 8th place in the league standings, trailing the Champions League spots by eight points despite having a game in hand.

Club executives had anticipated a stronger showing in the first half of the season. Additionally, concerns were raised about Fonseca’s management style, particularly his handling of key players like Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, who found themselves benched on multiple occasions due to perceived attitude issues.

Reports of a heated exchange between Fonseca and club advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic prior to the Roma match surfaced, though the Portuguese coach denied these claims. A contractual clause allowing Milan to terminate Fonseca’s agreement within the first six months without significant financial penalties also factored into the timing of the decision.

Interestingly, sources indicate that Milan had already reached an agreement with Sergio Conceicao to take over as head coach before the Roma game. This revelation raises questions about why the club did not make the change immediately after the victory against Verona on December 20th, which would have given Conceicao more time to work with the squad.

Conceicao is set to meet the team for the first time today and will conduct his inaugural training session on Tuesday. The new coach faces an immediate challenge as Milan prepares for the Supercoppa semifinal against Juventus in Saudi Arabia.