The first day at a new job is usually simpler than that. André Villas-Boas is 46 years old, he has done other things in life and has just taken office as president of Porto: a coach who gets behind the desk and takes the place of Pinto da Costa, simply the master of Porto for the last 40 years . This morning he will go to the sports center to see the team and the coach, who would be a former colleague: Sergio Conceiçao. There are two versions of the meeting in Portugal. There are those who say that Villas-Boas will see the team and say goodbye to the coach, without necessarily getting to the heart of the most important discussion, the one about the future. Others, however, are convinced that there will be a face-to-face meeting, and that it will be decisive for Conceiçao’s future at Porto. Forecast: more storm than sun.
in Sergio’s head
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During the election campaign, Conceiçao openly sided with Pinto da Costa, and therefore against Villas-Boas, who won the head-to-head match. For this reason, no one in Portugal would be surprised if AVB planned the future with a coach of its own choosing. Milan is an important variable in the equation. Conceiçao is one of the coaches appreciated by Milan and he, Sergio, has decided for days: if they call from Milan, he will answer. The question, for Porto, is simple: Conceiçao has renewed with Pinto da Costa until 2028 but he can exit that contract and agree with another team. Some clubs have contacted him but Milan is at the top of the list for him. And his agent, Jorge Mendes, is at work. The will to find a future together is there. The point is to understand what Milan wants to do.
the extra card
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The fans like Conceiçao a lot because he is a leader, he has experience in the Champions League and the clubs like him because he knows how to develop players. Vitinha started with him at Porto B and ended up being sold to PSG for 40 million. Luis Diaz arrived from Colombia and only left when Liverpool paid a fee not far from 45 million. Eder Militão arrived from Sao Paulo who was a footballer’s project, a twenty-year-old with great hopes, and he returned the keys to the apartment when Real Madrid took him for 50 million. Otavio started as a kid and left for Al-Nassr, Saudi Arabia, with the record for a transfer in Porto’s history. Milan and the other clubs notice these things. If anything, there remain considerations to be made on the type of coach that Milan is looking for. Conceiçao had a lot of power over the years at Porto, he clashed with some colleagues, putting diplomacy aside. Milan have so far been looking for a different coach.
times
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In short, if the meeting with Villas-Boas today was as tense as some predict and Conceiçao were to free himself from Porto, Sergio would be ready for a new adventure. At that point, it would be up to Milan to make a choice. The club wants to take things slowly, wait until the second part of the month – perhaps until the end of the championship – to communicate his decision, also to say goodbye to Stefano Pioli in the most dignified way. Before, much before, however, it would be clear whether Conceiçao is really the strongest option or whether there are other coaches in the minds of Moncada, Ibrahimovic and Furlani. Maybe a coach who hasn’t been talked about yet.
those contacted
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The story of the last few days says that more than one technician has been contacted. Paulo Fonseca, of course, is a candidate from the autumn, appreciated as an intelligent coach, capable of developing his teams and his players. Mark van Bommel has been called up and yes, he will leave Antwerp. Feyenoord calls him but it might not be enough. And Roberto Martinez, coach of Belgium, has been spoken to about a possible future together post-European Championship. Everyone, in the silence of their homes, hopes.
