GdS: Conceicao to take training on Monday after Portugal ‘blitz’ for funeral | OneFootball

It has been an emotional last couple of days for Sergio Conceicao, who returned to Portugal for the funeral of the former Porto president Pinto da Costa.

As this morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recalls, Conceicao arrived at Milan on December 30 with a clear mission in the league: to get into the Champions League places. So far the Rossoneri have played seven Serie A matches under him, picking up 14 points.

It is an average of two per game which – had it been maintained since the beginning of the season – would in all probability lead the Rossoneri towards an easy qualification for the next Champions League. Instead, to be sure of finishing in the top four, they will now have to accelerate.

In the same period of time, only Roma (17) and Napoli (15) have done better than Milan, who in the last four rounds have collected 10 points and in the last three have conceded only one goal (that of Stefan De Vrij in injury time of the derby).

The trend in the league is therefore positive, although – with the inconsistency that the team have become accustomed to throughout the season – it is clear that there cannot be too much enthusiasm at the moment.

Conceiçao will focus on getting his team ready for a comeback in the Champions League against Feyenoord at San Siro to qualify for the round of 16. The mission is feasible, although not simple, and it comes at a delicate moment on a human level for the coach.

On Saturday, just as Conceicao was in the dugout for the match against Verona, the news spread of the death of Pinto da Costa, former president of Porto, whom Sergio was very close to indeed having been a player there and head coach for seven years.

The Portuguese coach did not appear before the cameras after the game and will not do so today on the eve of the return leg versus Feyenoord. Conceiçao has been in Portugal since yesterday and will be at his friend’s funeral this morning.

He will return quickly to direct training this afternoon, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be the one who takes the press conference. Then, the team will spend the night at Milanello, as is the new ‘ritiro’ routine.