Carlo Ancelotti has expressed sympathy for Paulo Fonseca following his dismissal by AC Milan, but he also acknowledged the harsh realities of football management, Soccernet.football reports.
News of Fonseca’s imminent departure circulated during AC Milan’s 1-1 draw against Roma last night, and this morning, the club confirmed that the Portuguese manager had been relieved of his duties after just 200 days at the helm.
Despite a brief stint, Fonseca’s tenure featured notable moments, including a stunning Champions League victory over Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. Goals from Malick Thiaw, Alvaro Morata, and Tijjani Reijnders secured an unforgettable win for the Rossoneri.
Ancelotti, speaking to Radio Rai, learned of Fonseca’s sacking during the interview and offered a candid perspective on the challenges of managing a top-tier club.
“I remain of the opinion that firing the coach is part of his job. I have been fired a thousand times. When there are problems in the team, the responsibility falls on one man alone, and that is the coach,” Ancelotti remarked, as reported by Calciomercato.com.
He continued: “It’s not right, but unfortunately it is like this. A coach in his job is rather alone, especially in moments of difficulty. You can discuss the method, but in the end, the result is that the coach stops coaching and is fired.
“I take his side. This happens when you do this job, but they say that when one door closes, another opens. It’s a shame, but he’ll get over it.”
Reflecting on AC Milan’s performance earlier in the season, Ancelotti noted: “We faced them a couple of months ago. They played very well and deserved to win. Probably, they didn’t find the consistency that the management was asking for.
“The adaptation of the new coach and players must be in line with the results, especially at big clubs like Milan.”