There's a path forward for Milan, but nothing the team showed indicates they'll be ready to successfully walk it
Facing down the one match to save their season, AC Milan did … that.
By "that" we mean "that thing that Milan tends to do," which is not much of anything. To put it lightly, with the future of the club well and truly at stake, AC Milan fell well short, and now everyone involved in the team will have to reckon with that fact.
That will include manager Sergio Conceicao, who is almost certainly gone at the end of this season. That will include several players who will likely be jettisoned as part of a much-needed rebuild. And, yes, that will include Christian Pulisic, who, through little fault of his own, will likely now be one of the key figures charged with helping Milan escape the fallout.
Oh, and there will be fallout. Milan's 1-0 loss to Bologna in Wednesday's Coppa Italia finale wasn't just a missed chance at saving this season with a trophy; it was a missed chance at saving next season, too. Milan missed out on the Europa League spot attached with that trophy and, with just two games remaining in the Serie A season, their chances of earning a spot in Europe via the traditional route are far from guaranteed.
Milan director Giorgio Furlani spoke to SportsMediaset after the Wednesday’s match, addressing Milan's disappointing 2024-25 campaign.
“We can’t deny it, this is a failed season. Despite the victory in the Super Cup, we are far from the goals we had set ourselves… We share the disappointment of the fans. Various mistakes have been made, and we will have to look ahead and correct them to get back to where we, the managers and the fans, expect to be.”
Pulisic is a Champions League-level footballer, but, as things stand, even a Europa Conference League spot will require Milan to beat the odds the rest of this season. The Conference League, even as a consolation prize, will feel like a letdown for Milan, who will feel both the sporting and financial ramifications of all of this, even if they do sneak into Europe's third-tier competition.
Again, Pulisic isn't to blame here. He's one of few Milan stars who have consistently stepped up to the big occasion. But, on this occasion, the biggest of the season, Pulisic and Milan fell short. And will leave the American among the few left standing long enough to ask the big question: what now?
GettyPulisic's big season
For as poor as Milan have been this season, Pulisic has been equally as good. Even when those around him have gone quiet, the U.S. men's national team star has generally been the one to turn up the volume.
Pulisic is top 10 in Serie A in goals, assists and shots, while he also leads the league in key passes with 64 and chances created with 60. With 11 goals and nine assists to his name in league play, he leads Milan in both categories. He's one of only three Serie A players to have been involved in 50 goals over the last two seasons, having now firmly established himself as one of the most dangerous attacking players in all of Italy.
Despite all of that, there was little Pulisic could do on Wednesday. With the seasons on the line, he, like the rest of his teammates, was unable to generate much of anything as Milan squandered a chance to make all of their struggles this season worth it.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesMilan's big loss
It all came down to one chance, but putting it that way does minimize the truth: Bologna were the better team.
Yes, Dan Ndoye made the most of his opportunity, firing past Mike Maignan early in the second half after patiently weaving through the Milan defense. Yes, Milan squandered some opportunities of their own. But, no, this wasn't just fortune – Bologna were deserved winners and Milan, therefore, were deserved losers.
Pulisic wasn't able to drag Milan out of it. He was as quiet as the rest of the Milan attack – perhaps quieter. Pulisic attempted just 18 passes, failed to take a shot and didn't create a single chance during his 88-minute runout, one which saw Bologna's unorthodox defense suffocate the Milan attack. Pulisic, so often Milan's main man, had just 33 touches, including just one in the opposing box.
It was a theme. Luke Jovic, Milan's starting striker, had just 21 touches with two in the box. Rafael Leao had the fewest touches of any outfield player to play all 90 minutes. Bologna's gameplan was to limit Milan's front three, and they did so with relative ease.
"They played very well," Pulisic said after the match. "They pressed hard. We didn't find the right solutions. They played well."
Now, there will be fallout and, while Pulisic is nowhere near the chopping block, he'll have to deal with the ramifications.
Getty ImagesThe fallout
Change is coming to Milan, and it'll come quickly. A new sporting director is on the way, although details of that hire have yet to be finalized. That new voice will bring in a new strategy and, almost certainly, a new coach.
Coinceicao is presumably set to depart, despite his Supercoppa Italiana win in January. Milan never got any better under the Portuguese boss. In fact, they got worse since his arrival to replace Paulo Fonseca. Fonseca was dismissed in December after amassing 12 wins and six draws from 24 games.
Conceicao, meanwhile, has 15 wins and five draws in 29 matches. He won't have many more in charge. Speculation suggest that Max Allegri could be the guy, and his defensive style could have a negative impact on Pulisic. But, for the moment, nothing is particularly certain in either the sporting director or head coaching positions.
As for players, several will be on their way out. Kyle Walker and Joao Felix seem set to go, with both of their loan spells proving disastrous. Theo Hernandez and Fikayo Tomoro have long been rumored to be potential sales as a money-raising opportunity. Superstar Leao, too, could certainly leave in search of Champions League soccer.
You can add Pulisic's USMNT teammate Yunus Musah to the list of players that could be on the move, as he has failed to lock down a regular role this season. Musah's future would be very much up to the new manager and what they think they can make of the talented, but raw, midfielder.
As for Pulisic, the winger is reportedly set for a new contract, one that will include a significant pay raise. It hasn't been confirmed yet, so perhaps the lack of European soccer could change things. Pulisic, though, like the rest of Milan, will be holding on to a sliver of hope going into the final two matches.
GETTYOne last chance?
Technically, there is still a path forward that ends in a European spot. To walk it, though, Milan will have to be perfect.
Heading into the weekend, Milan sit eighth, three points behind sixth-place Roma, who are holding down that Europa Conference League spot. One point ahead of them are fifth-place Lazio and fourth-place Juventus, who are currently bound for the Europa League and Champions League, respectively. There will need to be some leapfrogging and some bounces Milan's way but, mathematically, it's still possible.
The good news? Milan's next game is against Roma, giving them a chance to make up ground on one of the teams ahead of them. It's the most must-win of must-wins. Anything other than three points will effectively end Milan's hopes.
After that, will face last-place Monza to close the season. Again, must-win, but with Monza not playing for much of anything, that seems doable. The Coppa Italia was their best chance at Europe. It's not their last one, though.
"We're all disappointed with this result," Pulisic said. "Our last two games are so important. We need to win them to finish higher in the table."
"Important" is putting it lightly. Milan could have made things easy with a win. Now, they'll have to take the hard road as they, for the last time, look to salvage their season.
