Samuel Chukwueze has opened up on AC Milan’s disappointing 2024/25 campaign, offering a clear view into the problems that rocked the Italian giants from the inside, Footynaija.com reports.
The Super Eagles winger, who joined the Rossoneri from Villarreal, spoke frankly about the collapse that saw Milan finish eighth in Serie A and crash out of the UEFA Champions League in the early stages.
According to Chukwueze, it was not a lack of desire from the squad, but something deeper behind the scenes.
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“When a new manager arrived, everything changed – from tactics, formations, and playing style,” Chukwueze said in a report by Completesports.
“The players were eager and hungry, but adapting quickly to new ideas and systems wasn’t easy.”
Milan began the season under Portuguese coach Paulo Fonseca, who led the team through pre-season and the early rounds. But halfway through the campaign, Sergio Conceição took over.
That switch triggered a wave of instability. Chukwueze pointed to that transition as a major reason why things fell apart.
“Football doesn’t always go as planned,” he added. “Sometimes the game doesn’t flow the way you want. The key is to fight for every ball and give everything you’ve got, but when the structure is changing, it gets hard to keep rhythm.”
Milan were knocked out of the Champions League playoff round by Feyenoord, failed to progress far in the Coppa Italia, and missed out on all European spots by the end of the season.
The only bright moment came in January, when they lifted the Supercoppa Italiana. But it was not enough to mask the disappointment.
The chaos reached a point where the club had to sack Conceição before the season ended, reappointing Massimiliano Allegri in a last-minute move to restore order ahead of the next campaign.
Chukwueze himself struggled for consistent minutes at the start of the season. Under Fonseca, however, he began to rediscover his spark.
He later revealed that a conversation with the Portuguese manager helped him mentally reset and get back to the form that made him a standout at Villarreal.
Despite all the drama around the team, Chukwueze praised the fighting spirit of his teammates.
“Success comes from determination and hard work, even when things don’t go your way. You have to keep pushing, making everything work on your own and together with your teammates.”
With Allegri now in charge again, Milan fans will be hoping for a fresh start in 2025/26.
As for Chukwueze, the 26-year-old looks ready to play a bigger role, especially with the departure of key midfielders like Tijjani Reijnders to Manchester City.
