AC Milan in ‘freefall’ with Joao Felix causing ‘huge problems’ and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ego blamed

AC Milan are in freefall, and two much-heralded former Premier League forwards are taking the blame.

The Italian giants fell 2-1 at home to Lazio on Sunday night, with former Chelsea man Pedro scoring a stoppage time penalty to leave the hosts reeling.

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Milan are now on three-straight defeats in Serie A, in ninth, and a massive 17 points off their fiercest rivals Inter at the top of the table.

In little over two weeks they’ve been knocked out of the Champions League by a hugely unfancied PSV side, and now look like certainties to miss out on the competition next season.

Speaking after their latest painful defeat, Italy legend Paulo Di Canio took on their second manager of the season, Sergio Conceicao, and another familiar name.

“It seems impossible to me that Conceicao can fix these problems,” he said on Sky. 

“The relationships have deteriorated immediately, since he arrived. Look at Joao Felix, he’s always on the pitch regardless even if he doesn’t perform. This creates huge problems for the others. 

“In the middle of the pitch. It’s a very fragile team, which also has problems in relationships. It’s a total free fall, it’s very difficult to think that this fall won’t continue unless strong and courageous choices are made. The environment and ethics are a disaster.

“Even tactically it’s a disaster. Conceicao isn’t even making the basic moves in terms of tactics in defence. There’s a serious problem in the attitude, especially on the left with Theo [Hernandez] and [Rafael] Leao who, really, sometimes make ridiculous choices. Everyone thinks of themselves in this team.”

Talking further about Felix, talkSPORT’s European football expert, Andy Brassell, added: “The issue with Joao Felix is there was never any plan for him.

“There was never any plan for him at Chelsea. There was never really any plan for him going all the way back to Atletico [Madrid]. There’s certainly no plan for him at Milan.

“It’s just ‘I will shove him in there and see if he does anything’. The problem is that he’s a player that really needs a team built around him. But his form over the past four years has been nowhere near good enough to suggest that you should build a team around him.

“So where does that leave him? That leaves him in this sort of no-man’s-land? But Milan have got a lot worse problems than Joao Felix at the moment.”

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Conceicao’s tenure started with a Supercoppa Italia win over Juventus and Inter, but he’s now said he’ll step away without pay if he’s the problem.

And with fan protests for the third-straight game, the former Porto boss and regular Champions League over-performer has admitted a first.

“It’s the first time something like this has happened to me in my career,” he said in regards to booing supporters. 

“I feel sorry for the fans, because I’m used to winning. I’m hurt by this. I’m very hurt by these results. Right now, I don’t feel good at all. And what I do in these moments is work, even harder.”

Conceicao initially signed a deal until the summer with an option of another year, but it appears a decision has already been made, with media giants Gazzetta Italia claiming Como’s Cesc Fabregas heads a three man shortlist ahead of Roberto De Zerbi and Maurizio Sarri.

Yet the man who drew up that list, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, is now increasingly being blamed for the club’s problems.

Initially hired as an advisor to the Red Bird ownership group, the former Manchester United man has seemingly made himself a de-facto sporting director, overseeing coaching changes and player signings.

An editorial in Corriere dello Sport has taken aim at the legendary Swede, and many look set to follow.

Arguing that the January transfer window was used to recover from the mistakes of his first window in the summer, they also claim Milan have the second-best squad in Italy.

And as for Zlatan in his new role: “You have to know when to be concave. And if you have an extra-large ego, it’s really hard.

“You have to know how to listen to other voices that aren’t your own. You have to know how to observe. Understand when to speak and when to be silent.

“You also have to know when it’s time to take all the mud and do it for the good of your club.

“It is impossible for someone who built his character on the comparison with the divine. Zlatan is the contemporary version of Fonzie – the man who didn’t know how to apologise.”

To make matters worse for the 43-year-old, he was even given an infamous ‘Golden Tapir’ award by comedy show Striscia la Notizia, a dishonour awarded to celebrities that have embarrassed themselves.

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“We are disappointed and angry, the Tapiro is well deserved,” he said in regards to the team’s Champions League exit. “It was not a positive moment.

“There was a lack of maturity, but now the goal is to stay united as a group for Serie A and the Coppa Italia.”

A huge summer rebuild is now being planned, without Conceicao and Felix once again Chelsea’s problem.

However, if Ibrahimovic’s next transfer window is as big a flop as the past two, it’s clear that even the almighty will have nowhere left to hide.