Sergio Conceicao says AC Milan need supporters’ backing to get through ‘crisis’

Manager Sergio Conceicao said there is “too much division” at AC Milan as he issued a rallying cry to supporters amid a “crisis” at the club.

Portuguese coach Conceicao is just five matches into his reign at San Siro, having replaced compatriot Paulo Fonseca at the end of December.

After guiding the Rossoneri to Italian Super Cup success in Saudi Arabia at the start of the month, the 50-year-old suffered the first defeat of his tenure on Saturday with a 2-0 Serie A loss at Juventus.

The weekend setback, which followed a 1-1 home draw against Cagliari and a 2-1 victory at Como, left Milan eighth in the Serie A table, eight points below the top four and 19 adrift of leaders Napoli.

Ahead of Wednesday evening’s Champions League clash with Spanish side Girona, Conceicao told a press conference: “The supporters are the heart and soul of the club.

“We need them as our 12th man. We need their support; this is a crisis.

“Away from recent history, and its positives and polemics, there’s too much division. My message to the fans is this: if we win or lose, we all win or lose.

“Part of my job is try to convey the right mentality to the team. I need to do more of this.

“The boys are working on the finer points and I see that they’re focused on trying to make a change. The players need to believe in what they’re doing and learn from the mistakes. Every game is an opportunity.”

Milan sit 12th in the Champions League table following four wins and two defeats, just a single point off the top eight and automatic qualification for the last 16.

“It’s a huge game for us. We want to go as far as possible,” said former Nantes and Porto boss Conceicao, according to acmilan.com.

“Every competition is different; playing in the biggest competition in club football is big motivation.

“We’ll need to improve in the league and start building form to make sure we stay in the Champions League.”

Christian Pulisic will be assessed after missing the Juve defeat but Conceicao will not take risks with his team’s 10-goal leading scorer.

Opponents Girona, who are eighth in LaLiga, have won one of their six Champions League fixtures, losing the other five.