Milan told Fonseca their trust not unconditional after Napoli defeat, reports suggest | OneFootball

Milan executives reportedly spoke with coach Paulo Fonseca straight after his side’s 2-0 home defeat against Napoli on Tuesday and informed him that he’s under scrutiny, as they reiterated that while the club trusts the Portuguese manager, he’s urged to turn the tide after a worrying start to the season.

The Rossoneri picked up just 14 points from their first nine Serie A games, losing three of them, which added to two more defeats in the Champions League. However, their poor performances are just a part of a problematic stewardship that saw the coach have tense relationships with some key players, notably Milan star Rafael Leao.

Milan urge Fonseca to turn things around as their trust is not unconditional

Executives Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Geoffrey Moncada and Giorgio Furlani had a meeting in San Siro with Milan coach Fonseca after the Rossoneri’s third Serie A defeat of the season.

Calciomercato.com reports that the trio told the former Lille and Roma manager the club’s trust in him isn’t unconditional and won’t last for an indefinite time, as they called for a turnaround before the next international break.

While Milan’s displays on the pitch, marked by significant inconsistency so far, will obviously be under assessment, the management also urged Fonseca to defuse the tension that emerged in recent weeks within the squad.

AC Milan’s Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca (C) gestures with Milan’s players at the end of the Italian Serie A football match between AC Milan and Torino at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, on August 17, 2024. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI / AFP) (Photo by PIERO CRUCIATTI/AFP via Getty Images)

The coach publicly criticised the behaviour of some of his players involved in the notorious penalty incident at Fiorentina and then repeatedly benched start Rafael Leao, including in the latest fixture against Napoli, in which Milan already had Chrisitan Pulisic out due to a last-minute illness.

The Rossoneri executives expect Fonseca to be able to bring harmony back into the group and improve their performances, otherwise, they’ll start considering alternative options for the job.