Conceicao explains why he smoked a cigar after Milan’s Supercoppa Italiana win

Former Milan head coach Sergio Conceicao has explained why he decided to smoke a cigar in the dressing room after Milan’s Supercoppa Italiana victory at the beginning of the calendar year, a moment which has since gone viral across various social media platforms. 

Conceicao on Milan’s Supercoppa Italia victory and viral cigar clip: ‘A promise’

On December 30, 2024, Conceicao was officially appointed as the new head coach of Milan on an initial 18-month contract until June 2026. It was later revealed that there was a break clause in that deal, which led to his eventual departure at the end of the 2024-25 campaign. 

Despite his short-lived tenure in San Siro, Conceicao’s reign in charge of Milan got off to the best possible of starts: Beating Juventus 2-1 and then Inter 3-2 to claim the Supercoppa Italiana in his first two matches in charge. 

During the celebrations after Milan beat Inter in the Supercoppa Italiana final, Conceicao lit up a cigar in the dressing room and danced while his players sang and chanted around him. That clip has since been reposted thousands of times and has amassed tens of millions of views across various social media platforms.

Oi, oi, oi #InterMilan #SempreMilan pic.twitter.com/4sU4tnqwMz

— AC Milan (@acmilan) January 6, 2025

“I remember those days well, intense work with video analysis and motivational talks to get into the players’ heads,” Conceicao told La Gazzetta dello Sport about the start of his Milan tenure. 

“We beat my son Cisco’s Juventus, and then Inter in a comeback, I cried,” he admitted. 

And when asked about his viral moment in the dressing room after full-time against Inter, Conceicao said: “It was a promise. The players had seen videos and asked me to smoke one if we won. I’d done it 11 times with Porto after winning trophies, more than any other coach. So, I did it again.”