Sérgio Conceição became the latest man to take charge in the Rossoneri dugout. In a short few days, he beat Juventus and fierce rivals Inter to win the Suppercopa and bring home his first trophy in charge of the club.
In his time as manager so far, he is starting to change the culture within the squad, aiming to get them back to the titles he knows they will be capable of fighting for.
Fonceseca's Firey Exit
Conceição's predecessor, Paolo Fonseca, didn't have the best times as AC Milan's manager. With a string of inconsistent results before the first Milan Derby, he looked to be sacked if results didn't go his way, but fortunately, Milan would win the bragging rights, and ultimately, Fonseca would stay in charge.
Things looked like they would start to change. A 1-0 win away to Verona was the turning point that would give them momentum to face AS Roma the following week at San Siro. Still, despite leading early on, Roma would equalise, and the non-award of a penalty would be the last straw for Fonceca as heated protesters were sent off and stormed through the tunnel for the last time.
Early Silverware
Conceição's first few days couldn't have been any better, as his new side headed to Saudi Arabia to take part in the Italian Supercup, with their first matchup being against old rivals Juventus.
A Fedrico Gatti own goal sent the Rossoneri to the final against city rivals Inter, and despite being 2-0 down, Milan showed the resilience needed to draw level.
The real drama was right at the death however, when Roma loanee Tammy Abraham netted a 93rd-minute winner for the Rossoneri to complete a remarkable turnaround and secure a trophy in Conceição's first days in the job.
No Nonsense Management Style
Since AC Milan won their 19th Scudetto in 2022, there has certainly been something missing over the past few seasons. What Milan need is a stern but fair coach, and that's exactly what they have on their hands.
Conceição has made it clear from the start that he has no time for bad attitudes or performances and won't just let it slide depending on the profile of the player as some have done in the past, with the two main examples being Rafael Leao and Theo Hernandez, arguably two of the Rossoneri's key players and superstars.
However in recent matches such as their 3-2 win at home against Parma, he was not afraid to take the pair off for what was a truly poor first 45 minutes.
Another such incident that occurred after their last-minute win against Parma was long-time Rossoneri Davide Calbria's outburst after being subbed off, which led to a heated exchange between the pair who had to be separated by players' and coaching staff.
Before the transfer window closed, this was the catalyst that sparked Calabria's exit out of the club after 18 years at the club to fellow Serie A side Bologna.
Transfer Tidy Up
AC Milan were one of the busiest clubs in Europe during the winter transfer window, completing five signings and securing some exits.
Joao Felix, Warren Bondo, and Riccardo Sottil arrived in Milan. Noah Okafor, Ismael Bennacer, and Kevin Zeroli left the club, making it one of the most active deadline days in recent years.
This transfer activity demonstrates Milan's ambition to return to their position as a Scudetto contender and while that's highly unlikely this season as a result of poor form, it's certainly a possibility for the next few years.
Whilst Conceição has brought change into the club as well as silverware and bragging rights over rivals Inter, his behaviour and management style could lead to more problems down the line, with some players uncomfortable with his hard-lined personality.
In terms of leadership it may not be the best way of dealing with his players, especially because of some of the big, challenging personalities he seems to have in the dressing room.
That being said, he has certainly delivered and with the Coppa Italia and Champions league playoffs coming up, he will certainly have the opportunity to prove himself as Milan manager in an attempt to turn the Italian giants season and future around.
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