عربي English Türkçe اردو فارسى
Logo
Latest News
Sports

Paulo Fonseca Confirms He’s Been Fired by AC Milan with Sergio Conceicao Lined up to Replace Him

AC Milan's Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca looks on during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and AS Roma at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy on December 29, 2024. (AFP)
AC Milan's Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca looks on during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and AS Roma at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy on December 29, 2024. (AFP)
TT
TT

Paulo Fonseca Confirms He’s Been Fired by AC Milan with Sergio Conceicao Lined up to Replace Him

AC Milan's Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca looks on during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and AS Roma at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy on December 29, 2024. (AFP)
AC Milan's Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca looks on during the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and AS Roma at San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy on December 29, 2024. (AFP)

Paulo Fonseca has been fired by AC Milan, the coach confirmed in the early hours of Monday morning as he left the San Siro stadium following a 1-1 draw with Roma.

"Yes, it's true. I'm out," Fonseca told reporters when he lowered his car window. "That's life. ... I did everything I could."

Milan is expected to announce the move later Monday and hire Sergio Conceicao, another Portuguese coach, as Fonseca's replacement.

Milan next plays against Juventus in the Italian Super Cup semifinals in Saudi Arabia on Friday.

Fonseca was hired in June and produced only 12 wins in 24 matches across all competitions.

Milan is eighth in Serie A, trailing leaders Atalanta and Napoli by 14 points - far worse than the second place result earned under Stefano Pioli last season.

Milan has fared better in the Champions League lately following four straight wins, including a 3-1 result at Real Madrid. The Rossoneri are in 12th place and on course to qualify for the knockout playoff round.

Conceicao, who played in Serie A with Lazio, Parma and Inter Milan, coached Porto for six seasons before stepping down in June.

Most Viewed

 
 
Sports

Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
TT
TT

Sinner, Djokovic in Opposite Halves at Australian Open, Sabalenka vs Stephens in 1st Round

09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa
09 January 2025, Australia, Melbourne: Belarusian tennis player Aryna Sabalenka (L) and Italian tennis player Jannik Sinner pose with Daphne Akhurst Memorial Cup and the Norman Brookes Challenge Cup during the draw for the 2025 Australian Open tennis tournament, at Melbourne Park, Melbourne. Photo: Joel Carrett/AAP/dpa

Defending champion Jannik Sinner and 10-time Australian Open winner Novak Djokovic have landed in opposite sides of the draw for the season’s first major, ruling out a replay of last year’s semifinal match.
Sinner upset Djokovic in the semifinals at the Australian Open last year before coming back to beat Daniil Medvedev in the final 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 for his first Grand Slam singles title.
Top-ranked Sinner has a first-round match against Nicolas Jarry and also has Taylor Fritz, Ben Shelton and Medvedev in his quarter of the draw. Fritz will open against fellow American Jenson Brooksby.
Djokovic and No. 3 Carlos Alcaraz could meet in the quarterfinals, with a possible semifinal against No. 2 Alexander Zverev.
At the draw Thursday to set the brackets for the singles fields, defending champions Sinner and Aryna Sabalenka walked into the official ceremony holding thei trophies.
Sabalenka won her second consecutive title at Melbourne Park in 2024 by defeating Zheng Qinwen 6-3, 6-2 in the final. Sabalenka will be attempting to win a third consecutive women’s singles title at Melbourne Park, something last accomplished by Martina Hingis from 1997 to 1999.
Sabalenka drew a tough opening match against 2017 US Open champion Sloane Stephens and has 17-year-old Mirra Andreeva and Zheng in her section.
“I have a lot of great memories and to be back here ... as a two-time Australian Open champion, it’s definitely something special,” Sabalenka, who won the Brisbane International title last week, said at the draw ceremony. “I hope that I can keep doing what I’m doing here in Australia.”
Third-seeded Coco Gauff is a potential semifinal rival for Sabalenka. Gauff has a challenging first-round match against former Australian Open champion Sofia Kenin and is in the same section of the draw as seventh-seeded Jessica Pegula.
The Australian Open starts Sunday morning in Melbourne (Saturday night EST) and will run for 15 days.
Djokovic will be playing in his first event alongside new coach Andy Murray, his former on-court rival and a three-time major champion. Nobody has won the men's title at Melbourne Park more often than Djokovic, although he said he still feels trauma from the one year he wasn’t allowed to play.
Nick Kyrgios, the 2022 Wimbledon runner-up who withdrew from an exhibition against Djokovic this week because of an abdominal strain, will face Jacob Fearnley in the first round if the mercurial Australian is fit enough to contest his first major since the 2022 US Open. Kyrgios is in the same section as Zverev.