Vieri tells Conceicao: ‘At Milan, Inter or Juve, you have to win, or you pay’ | OneFootball

Christian Vieri has told his friend and former teammate Sergio Conceicao that he has to win ‘right away’ at Milan, ‘otherwise you pay’, but insists that Milan’s recent run of coaches have not been as ‘poor’ as some have made them out to be.

The former Italy striker, who played for both Inter and Milan during his playing career, spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport ahead of the Derby della Madonnina in Serie A on Sunday.

Vieri and Conceicao played together at Lazio and later for the Nerazzurri at the end of the 1990s and early 2000s.

“Sergio is like a brother to me. I would have loved to have been in the same team as him throughout my career, he was a fantastic crosser of the ball,” Vieri said of his former colleague.

He continued: “Now we joke around more than anything else, like we did with Gigi Di Biagio, apart from I used to go out at midnight back then, now I’m in bed at nine.

“In fact, I got a call from him the other day, it was gone midnight. I wrote to him saying, ‘Oh Sergio, look at the time, I am sleeping’.

“He was the classic Portuguese player, lots of nutmegs and one-on-ones. A little guy with great feet. Today, more than anything I see heart, passion and determination, the opposite in short.”

Vieri tells Conceicao: ‘At Milan, you have to win’

epa11854711 Milan’s head coach Sergio Conceicao celebrates winning the Italian Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Parma Calcio, in Milan, Italy, 26 January 2025. EPA-EFE/MATTEO BAZZI

Vieri is aware of the fact that Conceicao has a big job on his hands at Milan if he wants the team to be a success again, but insists that his friend needs to be given time and patience to get the players he requires.

“Coaches are the first to get s*** thrown in their face. If you coach Milan, Inter or Juve, you have to win, and if you don’t you pay for it.

“Is Fonseca poor? No. Is Pioli poor? No. Conceicao isn’t either, but it takes time and skill to build a team and to get the right players, who will also need a little time to settle in. But if you coach Milan, you have to win everything right away.”