AC Milan Coach Conceicao Acknowledges Mistakes, Urges Team to Improve

AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao has acknowledged his own mistakes and demanded more from his players as the team looks to halt their slump in Serie A.

AC Milan coach Sergio Conceicao has acknowledged his own role in the team's struggles, but is demanding more from his players ahead of their Serie A clash with Lecce on Saturday. Conceicao's side is currently ninth in the standings, 11 points off the top four and six points outside the European places.

Conceicao, who is under increasing pressure, reflected on his own performance, saying, “I've made mistakes, as all coaches do.” However, he expressed confidence in his overall approach, adding, “Regarding principles and team dynamics, I have my own characteristics, and I always try to make the best decisions.” Conceicao also highlighted his past successes, stating, “Over my career, I have had more satisfactions than disappointments.”

Milan heads to Lecce on the back of three consecutive defeats, and Conceicao will be seeking a turnaround in fortunes to alleviate the pressure on his team.

Sergio Conceicao, who won several trophies with Porto, including three Primeira Liga titles, before joining Milan in December, emphasized the importance of results in turning things around at Milan. When asked what was needed to reverse the team's fortunes, Conceicao replied, “With results. Two things are crucial: working at the maximum and doing more as a team while also limiting mistakes, unforced errors and bad luck in matches.”

Conceicao stressed the need for hard work and a collective effort, saying, “There is no other way but to work. You don't believe just to believe - you believe to achieve.” He also underscored the importance of having all players on board, stating, “It was important to work with all the players because, until now, there had never been time.”

Conceição ahead of #LecceMilan 🗣️

📊 Results
😤 Maximum effort
🙌 Belief #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/8epjNYtZFu

— AC Milan (@acmilan) March 7, 2025

The Portuguese manager emphasized that playing for Milan demands a certain level of desire and commitment, saying, “If you play for Milan and don’t have the desire, that’s already a problem. Here, we shouldn't even be talking about desire - that comes with wearing this shirt.,” Conceicao cautioned against reacting impulsively to the team's struggles, advising, “Just because things aren't going well doesn't mean we should react without intelligence.”

Conceicao concluded by emphasizing the need for the players to take responsibility for their performance, saying, “This season, the environment has not been great from the start but we must focus on what we can control - the performance. The players must take that responsibility.”