AC Milan's Davide Calabria Opens Up on Difficult Season Amid Clash with Manager

AC Milan defender Davide Calabria has spoken about his difficult season, revealing personal struggles and increased competition for his spot, following a heated clash with manager Sergio Conceicao.

The drama at the San Siro did not end with the final whistle as AC Milan secured a late 3-2 win over Parma on Sunday. Manager Sergio Conceicao was involved in a heated clash with defender Davide Calabria, who had been substituted earlier in the game. As the Milan bench celebrated the win, Conceicao and Calabria had to be separated by teammates and staff. Conceicao was visibly upset and attempted to approach Calabria, but was held back before the situation escalated.

Conceicao downplayed the incident, attributing it to adrenaline and passion. “I live the matches and in terms of how I live them and how I feel them there is a lot of passion and desire to win,” Conceicao explained. He acknowledged that the situation got out of hand, stating, “In the end, there was a little extra adrenaline, I was talking about a game situation with Davide and in my opinion, there was one too many words spoken.”

Davide Calabria speaks after #MilanParma 🗣️#SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/SOvT826jL3

— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 26, 2025

Conceicao views his squad as a family, where he addresses issues in a straightforward manner. “The players know that they are all important to me, like a family. If I'm at a restaurant and my son does something I don't like, I'll tell him, there's no hypocrisy,” Conceicao said. He emphasized that, while the incident may not have been pleasant to witness, it is an acceptable part of the football world. “It wasn't nice to see, but in football it's okay. We are not in church,” Conceicao remarked.

AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao downplayed his heated clash with defender Davide Calabria following their 3-2 win over Parma on Sunday. The drama unfolded as the Milan bench celebrated their late victory, with Conceicao and Calabria needing to be separated by teammates and staff. Conceicao attributed the incident to adrenaline and passion, brushing off concerns about the confrontation.

AC Milan manager Sergio Conceicao and AC Milan captain Davide Calabria nearly getting into a fight just after their game…😳pic.twitter.com/5f6DkZoTbU

— george (@StokeyyG2) January 26, 2025

This season has been a challenging one for Calabria, who has struggled to secure a starting spot in the Milan lineup. Against Parma, Calabria made just his fourth league start of the campaign, having lost the captaincy to keeper Mike Maignan and facing increased competition from Brazil's Emerson Royal and new loan signing Kyle Walker from Manchester City. Calabria acknowledged the difficulties he has faced, telling broadcaster DAZN, “It is not a positive year like others have been.”

Calabria revealed that he has been dealing with personal and private issues that have affected his performance on the field. However, he remains committed to the team and is focused on ending the season on a positive note. “There are situations that are not simple, even private and personal ones that nobody is aware of. I don't even want to talk about it too much,” Calabria said. “I want to end this season in the best possible way for the good of the team which is the thing I care about the most, even more than myself sometimes.”

Despite the challenges he has faced, Calabria remains dedicated to Milan, the club where he has spent his entire career. He acknowledged that incidents like the one with Conceicao can happen, but he is choosing to stay focused on the team's goals. ”Honestly, I'm thinking about staying focused on that, having grown up with this shirt,” Calabria said. “Then there are situations like today that can happen but they are part of the journey.”