RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — In a remarkable debut as head coach of AC Milan, Sergio Conceicao clinched his first trophy within just a week, guiding his team to two thrilling comeback victories. Milan triumphed over city rivals Inter Milan with a score of 3-2 to secure the Italian Super Cup.

Rafael Leao, who came off the bench, was instrumental in all three goals scored by Milan, which were netted by Theo Hernandez, Christian Pulisic, and Tammy Abraham. Conceicao stepped into the role after the dismissal of Paulo Fonseca just a week prior and had also led Milan to a comeback win against Juventus in the semifinals.

So, what has been the transformation under Conceicao? “We played with confidence, courage, and hunger,” noted Abraham, recognizing the strength of the team. Pulisic echoed this sentiment, saying, “He emphasized that we need to have more hunger and that it’s more critical than tactics.”

During a press conference after the semifinals, Conceicao was asked about his coaching style regarding player relations. He replied, “I’m not someone who hugs and I’m not here to make friends. My goal is to win.” However, post-match celebrations saw him dancing with team members and enjoying a cigar in the dressing room, showcasing a lighter side of his persona.

This win marks AC Milan’s first piece of silverware since their Serie A title in 2022 and their eighth Super Cup title, the first since 2016. Inter gained the lead with goals from Lautaro Martinez and Mehdi Taremi just after the halftime interval.

Leao earned a crucial free kick that Hernandez converted, igniting Milan’s comeback. Pulisic then leveled the score by finishing a fast break that started with Leao, shooting through the legs of Inter’s goalkeeper. For the winning goal, Leao set up Pulisic, who assisted Abraham for a simple tap-in just before the final whistle, preventing the match from going into a penalty shootout as per the competition’s regulations.

Hernandez reflected on the team’s past under Fonseca, admitting, “It’s also our fault that Fonseca was fired.” He acknowledged that despite the limited time to adjust to Conceicao’s strategy, the team had managed to turn things around positively. This event marked the fifth occurrence in seven years that the Super Cup was hosted in Saudi Arabia, now in its second year featuring an expanded format with four teams.

Inter’s first goal came from a throw-in as Taremi found Lautaro, who skillfully finished after cutting back. Taremi, filling in for the injured Marcus Thuram, scored another goal right after halftime. AC Milan is set to face Cagliari in their next Serie A match, as they look to build on this newfound momentum. Currently, Milan sits in eighth place, having attained only seven wins from 17 matches but is expected to approach their league game with renewed confidence following this victory.

Inter, on the other hand, faced their third defeat of the season across all competitions and their second loss to Milan this year, having previously been edged out in the Serie A derby. Lautaro observed, “Inter stopped playing once it was 2-0. You have to pay for that in games like this because we know Milan excels at counterattacks.”