Supercampioni, Conceicao's Rio Ave! [Newsletter]

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Jan 07, 2025

Cue the music! Campione, Campione… We are the champions… What a wonderful world… We could quote fitting songs all day long, but in the words of Mauro Suma and Luca Antonini - those who know, know - SUPERCAMPIONI D’ITALIA! In a rather remarkable fashion, Sergio Conceicao clinched his first title just one week after joining AC Milan.

Let’s make one thing clear first, a Derby della Madonnina is always a Derby della Madonnina. Inter fans would have you believe otherwise on a day like this, but the truth is that yesterday’s clash meant more than it perhaps should have. For the Rossoneri, it was a chance to mark what hopefully will be a season turnaround, while the Nerazzurri wanted revenge after the defeat last time out.

So, as the clock struck 10 pm local time, the stage was set at Al-Awwal Park. The locals made themselves heard throughout what was a rather slow first half, with Inter’s opener only coming in the final seconds, and the decibel count knew no limits as end-to-end football was put on display in the second half. It definitely could have gone either way, but Milan showed their mental strength with a remarkable comeback.

Mike Maignan, Theo Hernandez, Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao… On a night when it was truly needed, they asserted themselves as the stars of this team. It’s impossible to think of a better start for Conceicao, who in one week has turned the situation completely on its head. Okay, perhaps he could have done without the fever, but the fact that he powered through has only increased the love among the fans.

As the old saying goes, everyone loves a comeback story and for Conceicao, that seems to be the only way he knows how to win. To do it against Juventus and Inter, the arch-rivals, in your first two games is unprecedented - not just for the achievement but also the scheduling. It’s bonkers when you think about it, but it’s equally a perfect story to kickstart what could be a prosperous relationship.

Think Rio Ave away but in a more grandiose fashion. Not to diminish the experience of Stefano Pioli and his squad (can you do it on a rainy day in Vila do Conde, Portugal?), but Conceicao’s first two wins have sent signals to the rest of the world, doing more than ‘just’ fueling the team internally. Both equally important if you want to call yourself a big team.

The litmus tests remain in the league, of course, but what more could we have asked from the trip to Saudi Arabia? Our expectations were blown away and the first trophy since the 2021-22 Scudetto was secured, a little over eight years since the last Supercoppa Italiana win as well. Now, the focus will shift to the management and the January mercato, with some obvious reinforcements needed to ride the momentum.

Supercoppa Bulletin

➤ Conceicao admitted after the game that Milan still have a lot to work on, while promising that Leao will be ‘one of the best in the world’ at the end of the season. Leao highlighted the importance of winning, especially for the youngsters, and Abraham dedicated the win to the fans. Hernandez took some of the blame for Fonseca’s sacking and stated that he still isn’t 100%, though on the right track.

➤ For Conceicao, the trip to Saudi Arabia was wild to say the least. Riddled with fever throughout the tournament, he certainly didn’t have energy left for any b*llshit and made this clear to the players, breaking a TV in the locker room at half-time of Juventus-Milan. The wild nature of the trip didn’t stop there, cutting his ankle open in the celebrations last night before dancing with a cigar in his mouth.

➤ Before yesterday’s final, Ibrahimovic confirmed that ‘something will happen’ during the January window but that Conceicao ‘must be involved’ in the decisions, which he obviously hasn’t had time for. After the game, the Swede held a speech for the team and praised their impressive mentality, highlighting that titles are just the thing you need to go down in Milan's history.

➤ Hernandez (finally) bounced back from his recent struggles with a very impressive performance last night, scoring and assisting in a game for the first time in 1200 days. He was handed an 8/10 in our player ratings, the highest along with Pulisic and Leao, and now the focus will shift to his contract renewal. For the latter, there is optimism as both parties want to continue together.

➤ Despite the disappointing defeat, Lautaro Martinez and Federico Dimarco spoke to the media afterwards and at least proved that they aren’t sore losers. The striker was keen to highlight that ‘Milan didn’t stop believing and credit to them’, while the left-back said ‘we must congratulate Milan because they played a great game’. In other words, fair play.

➤ As a result of yesterday’s win, Milan have pocketed an impressive €11m in revenue, including prize money, TV rights and sponsor deals. Atalanta and Juventus, meanwhile, collected €2.4m each and Inter collected €6.7m. It should be noted that around €1.5m of the Rossoneri’s revenue is related to a friendly game against the winner of the Saudi Arabian Supercup.