Breaking down a nightmare: Inside AC Milan’s 2024/25 season

Look away now Milan fans… it’s time to break down this absolute breakdown of a season from one of Europe’s biggest teams. The Red Devils experienced turmoil in the boardroom, changed managers, didn’t qualify for European football and had their lowest finish for years. Milan and Manchester are united in their red half being in disarray while their blue half powers on. But what exactly happened this season to Milan?

After the close of the 2024 campaign, Pioli was out and on his way to Saudi Arabia and Lille manager Paulo Fonseca was on his way to Italy. He wouldn’t see 2025 in Milan. In a reign framed by internal dispute and strife, a fall out with Rafa Leao over his defensive contributions would lead to his ultimate departure.

Leao and Theo Hernandez were left out of the line up in late August against Lazio, with Milan trailing 2-1 in the second half both were introduced. However, shortly after scoring the equaliser Leao and Hernandez chose not to join the team huddle for tactical advice during a drinks break, instead opting to stay on the other side of the pitch, to the embarrassment of Fonseca and Milan.

Both parties tried to play it down, but the message was clear – we don’t respect the coach.

Still, a month later and facing the prospect of a record breaking seventh consecutive defeat to cross town rivals Inter, Milan finally showed up. A swashbuckling performance led by season’s silver lining Christian Pulisic drove the team on to a 2-1 victory which in truth could’ve been more. Milan were back. Or were they? Despite beating Lecce in their next outing, they were beaten by Fiorentina and Napoli in the coming matches and drew with Cagliari and Juventus.

It was an odd few weeks for Theo Hernandez who equalled Maldini’s record of 29 goals for a Milan defender, then followed it with a missed penalty and a red card against Fiorentina. Encapsulating the inconsistency that defined Milan’s season.

Fonseca’s short reign ended on 29th December 2024 after a rather tame 1-1 draw with Roma, another side who would change managers in the season. His replacement, Sergio Conceicao was appointed a day later and would take the team to Saudi Arabia and the Supercoppa campaign. Milan easily despatched Juventus and would face the old enemy Inter in the final.

By half time, it was business as usual and Inter led Milan 2-0, appearing to be heading for defeat. Conceicao sparked something other than a cigar at half time and Milan’s comeback was complete when Tammy Abraham smashed home a last minute winner to hand Conceicao a trophy before he’d even managed a league game. His famous dance moves in the dressing room would come back to haunt him later in the season though…

Theo would surpass Maldini’s goalscoring record with his 30th goal in a 2-1 win over Como in January. Corner turned by Milan then? Well, not quite, the popular Davide Calabria was stripped of the captaincy and loaned to Bologna prompting him to comment, “I will miss everything”.

Milan would spend the next few months lurching from one headline to another, inconsistency on the field was becoming the norm, while off the pitch turmoil gathered pace. The Curva Sud were vocal in their criticisms of the club’s American owner Gerry Cardinale and the board running the club.

During the 125th anniversary celebrations, chants of “Cardinale you have to sell” and “We are not Americans” were heard, banners were erected and directors had to use a secondary exit to escape.

Against Roma in Fonseca’s last game, the first ten minutes of the match was dedicated by the Curva to constant criticism of the owners and the manager, in January against Parma they did the opposite and stayed silent during the entire match. Then, in March in a match with Lazio, the ultras delayed their entry until the 15th minute and as they entered, they chanted insults against Cardinale and Conceicao.

This came to a head in the final game of the season with the famous choreography of the fans spelling the words “GO HOME”. The Curva Sud were quick to point out their issues, “Incapable directors, a club without ambition. You are not up to the level of our history. Players without desire and dignity, you are the mirror of this ownership.”

Conceicao managed to make it to the end of the season and not much further. He was dismissed on May 29th rather unceremoniously and has already been replaced with Massimiliano Allegri. Expectations are high for Allegri in his second spell, having won the league in 2011. He’ll need to do something quickly because morale is very low.

Allegri hasn’t spoken publicly yet, but there’s concern for the English players in the squad, Kyle Walker, Fikayo Tomori, Tammy Abraham and Ruben Loftus-Cheek are all facing uncertain futures.

But was it all bad this season? Pulisic had a real breakout season, bagging 17 goals and 12 assists, Theo Hernandez became the highest scoring defender in Milan’s history and Tammy Abraham contributed 10 goals.

Milan stopped the rot against Inter, with three wins and two draws in various competitions including winning the Supercoppa against them and knocking them out of the Coppa Italia. A brief high point included the 3-2 comeback win at Parma scoring two goals after the 90th minute.

And let’s not forget the thrilling 3-1 win at the Bernabeu against the imperious Real Madrid. Morata, Reijnders and Thiaw with the goals on a night when Milan could’ve won by so many more. There’ll be none of that next season, with Milan finishing the Serie A season in 8th and not entering Europe at all. Napoli weren’t in Europe this season though, and the extra time on the training ground seemed to work for them.

So it’s not entirely a “banter era” for Milan, but Allegri needs to get it right to stop it becoming one. And quickly too…