Fonseca hits out at Milan: 'Cardinale welcomed Amorim, nobody was there for me'
Quick summary
Former AC Milan head coach Paulo Fonseca has publicly criticized the club's hierarchy, claiming owner Gerry Cardinale personally welcomed Ruben Amorim to Milan but offered no support to him during his own tenure at the club.
Full article
Attributed to original sourcePaulo Fonseca has opened up on his difficult spell at Milan, claiming he did not receive the same support from the club that was later shown to Ruben Amorim.
The Portuguese coach, now in charge of Lyon, reflected on his time at San Siro in an interview with SportWeek, explaining that he was brought in during 2024 with the task of changing Milan ’s football identity.
“I am disappointed, yes, because two years ago I was called for one reason: to change the style of play of the team,” Fonseca said, via TuttoMercatoWeb .
“They told me: ‘We want Milan to become dominant, to have possession and play in the opponent’s half.’ Perfect, I replied, because it is my idea of football too.”
MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 15: Paulo Fonseca, Head Coach of AC Milan, looks on prior to the Serie A match between AC Milan and Genoa at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 15, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) Ex Milan coach Fonseca says he was not given enough time to change the team’s playing style However, Fonseca believes the process required more patience and that he was not given enough time to implement his ideas.
“I was on that path and, after me, I have never seen them express the quality of football they showed with me on the bench,” he added.
The former Roma coach was particularly frustrated by the different treatment received by Amorim, who was recently welcomed by owner Gerry Cardinale.
“I saw that Amorim arrived at Milanello and Cardinale himself was there to welcome him. When I arrived, nobody was there,” Fonseca said. “I was wanted to change the mentality. They did not give me time, but we played many good games. After me, that has not happened again.”
Fonseca also criticised what he sees as a wider issue in Italian football, arguing that individual players can sometimes have too much influence.
“In Italy, players often count more than the club. If someone, even a strong player, did not deserve to play, with me they did not play. Nobody is bigger than the Rossoneri.”
The Portuguese coach also defended his approach to developing young talent, insisting his home country has one of the best systems for preparing players for elite football.
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What happened
Paulo Fonseca, who was sacked by AC Milan in December 2024 after less than a year in charge, has launched a public attack on the club's ownership. Speaking in an interview, Fonseca claimed that owner Gerry Cardinale personally welcomed Sporting CP coach Ruben Amorim to Milan, implying preferential treatment. Fonseca also lamented that no club representatives were present to support him during difficult moments. The comments highlight ongoing tensions between Milan's American ownership and the club's recent managerial appointments, following the short tenures of both Fonseca and his predecessor Stefano Pioli.
Chance analysis
Fonseca's public criticism reveals the dysfunction within Milan's ownership structure and raises further questions about Cardinale's commitment to providing stability for managers. Comparing his treatment unfavorably to that of Amorim, who was courted by multiple top clubs before joining Manchester United, suggests Fonseca felt undermined throughout his tenure. This kind of public airing of grievances can damage Milan's reputation when recruiting future coaches and indicates a pattern of managerial instability at San Siro. For prediction purposes, Milan's dressing room morale and the relationship between ownership and the new manager (Conceição) should be monitored closely.
Public criticism from a former manager underscores ongoing instability at AC Milan, potentially undermining the club's reputation in future coaching searches and reinforcing concerns about ownership commitment.
Milan's managerial instability and dysfunctional ownership dynamics remain a factor weighing on the club's projected performance and dressing room cohesion.