MILAN: AC Milan parted ways with coach Paulo Fonseca and appointed Sergio Conceicao on Monday, a day after a 1-1 draw against AS Roma left the struggling Italian giants eighth in the Serie A table.

“AC Milan announces that Paulo Fonseca has been relieved of his duties as head coach of the men’s first team,” Milan said in a statement.

Earlier, Napoli edged past struggling Venezia 1-0 to move level on points with leaders Atalanta.

In Turin, Juventus and Fiorentina drew 2-2 as the match was interrupted after seven minutes following racist insults from the stands aimed at home striker Dusan Vlahovic.

Milan sacked Fonseca after just six months in charge with the Italian giants failing to mount a Serie A title challenge. Milan have won only two of their last seven league games.

The 51-year-old Portuguese handler had pre-empted the announcement by saying he had been fired as he left the San Siro following his press conference after the draw.

Conceicao has signed a deal until June 30, 2026, the club said in a statement.

The result on Sunday put Milan eighth with 27 points, 14 behind Atalanta and Napoli at the joint top, while Roma are 10th with 20 points.

The atmosphere at San Siro was intense, with eight yellow cards issued as the two teams played out the final match of the year.

Paulo Dybala’s crisp right-footed volley earned Roma the draw in the day’s final match.

The Argentinian’s 23rd-minute strike came seven minutes after Tijjani Reijnders had opened the scoring for Milan following a flowing counter-attack.

In Sunday’s earlier action, Romelu Lukaku wasted a chance to put Napoli ahead in the 37th minute from the penalty spot. His effort was saved by visiting goalkeeper Filip Stankovic.

Giacomo Raspadori decided the match with his first goal of the season after 79 minutes, slotting home a loose ball after Venezia failed to clear.

Napoli’s third-straight win brought them level with Atalanta, who drew with Lazio on Saturday, and have a better goal difference.

“Totalling 41 points after 18 matc­hes, nobody, even the most optimistic, thought we could do it at the start of the season, but we still have to improve, we’re a developing team,” said Napoli coach Antonio Conte.

Inter Milan are third, one point behind the leading duo but with a game in hand.

Napoli can move into sole possession of the lead next weekend when they face Fiorentina, while Atalanta and Inter face each other in the Italian Supe­rcup in Saudi Arabia.

In Sunday’s other match, Khephren Thuram double was cancelled out first by Fiorentina’s Moise Kean and then late on by Riccardo Sottil.

“I don’t believe in bad luck,” Juventus coach Thiago Motta told Sky Sport Italia after his side’s 11th draw in 18 league outings this term.

“We should have killed off the game and don’t leave a chance to the opponent. I don’t believe in bad luck. I believe in merit.”

Juve’s Vlahovic was again targeted by Fiorentina fans as racial slurs was hurled towards him which led the match to be stopped by the referee.

The two teams then gathered in the centre circle, before the match resumed. Since leaving Fiorentina, his club from 2018 to 2022, Vlahovic, 24, has been targeted by fans of the Viola.

Published in Dawn, December 31st, 2024