The former Rossoneri coach, now at Al-Ittihad, won the Italian Super Cup a year ago: “The celebration smoking a cigar in the locker room? A promise. I already know I’ll be back in Italy.”

Sergio Conceiçao and Julius Caesar have something in common. About a year ago, the former Rossoneri coach won the Italian Super Cup and celebrated with a cigar in the locker room. He had signed with Milan eight days earlier. Caesar took one morning to wipe out the armies of Pharnaces II of Pontus in Zela, Turkey. Two versions of “veni, vidi, vici.” Conceiçao, coach of Benzema’s Al-Ittihad since October, responds from Jeddah before training and laughs, pursuing humility and opening up a lot. Sergio, last year… “veni, vidi, vici.”

“Actually, yes. I remember days of intense work in terms of video analysis, motivation, and speeches to get into the players’ heads right away. We beat my son Cisco’s Juve and then Inter in a comeback. And I cried.“

And after the victory, a nice cigar.

”A promise. The players, who had seen the videos, asked me to smoke it if we won. I had done it 11 times with Porto, after winning trophies. The coach who has won the most. So I did it again.”

And who would you offer one to tonight?

“I don’t play favorites, and I don’t want to talk about players because then they’ll write that we’re interested in them. I’ll watch the game; Bologna and Napoli are great to watch. The match between Conte and Italiano is great publicity for soccer. Antonio is obsessed, like me, and in fact, obsession beats talent. Vincenzo, on the other hand, plays beautiful soccer, so much so that last year we lost the Coppa Italia final against him. A great regret.“

How would you sum up your six months at Milan?

”Positive. From 2016 to today, only two coaches have won trophies with the Rossoneri: Pioli, with the Scudetto, and me. If we add up the points from our period, we had a Europa League pace, fifth place. The results were there: I’m thinking of the two derbies we won and the victory against Roma. I’m sorry about the Coppa Italia final, but there were some things I didn’t like.“

Such as?

”There was instability at the club level, the environment around the team was not good. That’s why I cherish what we did. Furthermore, the management didn’t support me. Let me give you an example: after winning the Super Cup, we played Cagliari. At that time, there were already rumors that the club was looking at other coaches. I was focused on working and winning, with the weight of the results on my shoulders. I didn’t have time to work on all levels.”

Would you have stayed?

“Yes, but with some changes.”

Did the players betray you?

“Never, on the contrary, they were with me. Theo also said so in the interview you did: after Feyenoord, when people said he had been sent off on purpose, I defended him. Many of them wrote to me when I left. I demand rigor, commitment, and then relaxation when it’s time to relax. If someone shows up a kilo heavier, arrives late, or something similar, I can’t tolerate it. For me, in the end, all players are equal.”  Not just about soccer. An hour-long chat after two years of silence.

Can you tell us about the most significant conversation?

“In 2012, at Olhanense, I had studied my players’ passions and hobbies, something I always do. Before a game, for Father’s Day, I showed a video in which their fathers talked about them. Some people were crying, then they went out on the field and… 2-0 for the opponents. When we returned to the locker room, I changed my tune and went back to being the sergeant: we tied 2-2.“

Chapter Saudi Arabia. Did Inzaghi greet you this time?

”Yes, we faced each other in October and he won. I had just arrived. After Porto-Inter, where his team had quite a bit of luck, I didn’t say hello because that’s how I am, I go into a trance during games, but he’s a great coach. We won the Scudetto in 2000. We have a good relationship.”

There too, you were immediately decisive. With scraped knees.

“I had made a vow to Our Lady of Fatima, I did the last 500 meters on my knees and then I showed up at the training camp. It was 1998, I scored against Juventus in the last minute and we won the Super Cup. Faith is a fundamental part of my life. I am a practicing Catholic, I can’t here, but in Milan I went to church every day. A few months ago, the Pope invited me to the Jubilee to talk about my journey and my difficulties.“

Where does your faith come from?

”I lost my father at the age of 16 in a motorcycle accident, my mother at 18 after a long illness, and then a brother. I was the seventh of eight children. Faith gave me strength and peace of mind. I want to show my parents that I am here and that I have fulfilled all my dreams. But deep down inside, hidden away, I have and always will have something ‘dark’, like a shadow.“

Is it because of your parents?

”Yes. I have photos with me and I pray for them every day. I am a peaceful man, I have five children, I played and now I coach, but I know that I will never be completely happy without my parents. That is the hole inside me.“

Your children fill it a little, though.

”Of course. Francisco is now at Juventus and is doing well.”

Do you talk about soccer at home?

“As little as possible. The important thing is that they leave their phones in their pockets at dinner. I demanded the same at Porto and Milan. Cisco made his debut with me in Portugal. In 2020, during lockdown, I told him, ‘If you’re hungry… then drink water. He was a little chubby. To make a difference, you need sacrifice and mentality. If I could, I would lend him my hunger. Not that he doesn’t have it, on the contrary, but when I was 16, I brought money home to eat, it was different. But I always believed in him. And he believes in himself too.”

Porto chapter: 11 trophies in seven years.

“The relationship with Da Costa was excellent. When I arrived, the club hadn’t won for four seasons. We made 600 million in transfers and did well in the Champions League, where teams said, ‘Ah, Porto is in the round of 16…’. But we managed to hurt the Italian teams too: Juve, Roma, Lazio…”

How many clubs approached you?

“I had contact with Lazio, but not only them. Even before signing for Al-Itthiad, I had offers. Here, the league is competitive, ambitions are high, and training is in the afternoon rather than the morning. You have to adapt to the cultural dynamics. But that’s a challenge, and I love challenges like that.”

The phrase that best represents you?

“You can’t achieve great things in calm waters; you need a storm.” Mihajlovic, speaking about Benassi, said that the difficulty was not being captain, but getting up at four in the morning and working. My parents taught me that. And you mustn’t settle for less. I enrolled in university at 51. I’m doing a master’s degree in sports training.“

What has been your greatest satisfaction in Italy?

”As a player, the 2000 Scudetto with Lazio, the most incredible ever. Sinisa, Stankovic, and I used to listen to the radio in the dressing room. It was a group of personalities, full of little fights every day, but Eriksson knew how to manage us. I also remember the 1999 European Super Cup with United: Ferguson said that his biggest regret was that defeat.“

And your disappointment?

”Losing the Scudetto with Inter on May 5, 2002. I consoled Ronaldo in tears on the bench, I was right there beside him. No one could believe it. I had a difficult time in Milan: Cuper didn’t trust me, but it was a group of champions.“

Would you return to Italy?
”Of course, I already know I will.”