AC Milan provides drama at the San Siro with 2 late goals in 3-2 comeback win over Parma

ROME (AP) — New AC Milan coach Sergio Conceição dropped down to his knees on the San Siro sideline, unleashed a loud scream and then wrapped his arms around an assistant in an emotional embrace when Samuel Chukwueze bundled in the winner five minutes into stoppage time.

Conceição has struggled at times to transmit his desire and grit to a team that has been inconsistent in Serie A.

He was clearly moved by Milan’s ability to stay focused this time, though, as the Rossoneri scored two late goals to secure a 3-2 victory against promoted Parma on Sunday.

Conceição’s grit was also evident after the final whistle when he had to be restrained during a heated exchange with Milan captain Davide Calabria.

“It’s like with your kids when you go to a restaurant and they misbehave and you yell at them. That’s how I am,” Conceição said. “Maybe we said a bit too much. But we’re creating a strong bond with the players.”

Conceição also guided Milan to comeback wins over Juventus and Inter Milan en route to the Italian Super Cup trophy to start the month. And a midweek win over Girona left Milan in the top eight of the Champions League standings.

“Really we need to show some of this hunger earlier in the game because it seems like we always have this energy at the end, and we’re turning the games around," said United States international Christian Pulisic, who converted a first-half penalty. "But I think we can also make things easier for ourselves.”

Milan also beat Inter in a Serie A derby in September and won 3-1 at Real Madrid in November. But in between the successes have been a series of forgettable performances in the Italian league.

Like a 1-1 draw at home with Cagliari two weeks ago, and a 2-0 loss at Juventus last weekend.

But after beating Parma, seventh-placed Milan moved back into contention for the Champions League places.

Parma remained just above the drop zone.

Chukwueze’s winner came as Milan poured forward desperately in the final moments and Strahinja Pavlovic knocked down a ball for him to push in from close range.

Three minutes earlier, Tijjani Reijnders had equalized for Milan after beating the offside trap.

It was a tough start for Milan, though, as Matteo Cancellieri put Parma ahead midway through the first half — bringing back memories of Cancellieri’s winner in a 2-1 victory for Parma against Milan in August.

Pulisic equalized before the break and then Enrico Delprato restored Parma’s advantage in the 80th by knocking in a rebound.

Up next for Conceição and Milan? The third derby this season with Inter next Sunday. First, though, there’s a visit to Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League on Wednesday.

Defending champion Inter Milan overwhelmed relegation-threatened Lecce 4-0 with goals from Davide Frattesi, Lautaro Martinez, Denzel Dumfries and Mehdi Taremi.

Inter moved back within three points of Serie A leader Napoli, which beat Juventus 2-1 on Saturday. The Nerazzurri also still have a game in hand.

Also, Roma won 2-1 at Udinese for its first away victory of the season. Lorenzo Pellegrini and Artem Dovbyk converted second-half penalties for Roma after Lorenzo Lucca had put Udinese ahead in the first half.

In the late game, Fiorentina won 2-1 at Lazio with first-half goals from Yacine Adli and Lucas Beltran. Lazio's Pedro hit the post with the last kick of the match.

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Roma's Artem Dovbyk celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Roma at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

Roma's Lorenzo Pellegrini celebrates after scoring their side's first goal of the game during the Serie A soccer match between Udinese and Roma at the Bluenergy Stadium in Udine, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Andrea Bressanutti/LaPresse via AP)

Lecce's Thorir Johann Helgason, right, and Inter's Davide Frattesi in action during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Lecce and Inter at the Via del Mare stadium in Lecce, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (Giovanni Evangelista/LaPresse via AP)

AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Parma, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's head coach Sergio Conceicao gestures during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Parma, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's Christian Pulisic celebrates after scoring his side's first goal a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Parma, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's Samuel Chukwueze celebrates after scoring his side's third goal during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Parma, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

AC Milan's head coach Sergio Conceicao celebrates at the end of a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Parma, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Sunday, Jan. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno)

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran wants to negotiate with Washington after his threat to strike the Islamic Republic over its bloody crackdown on protesters, a move coming as activists said Monday the death toll in the nationwide demonstrations rose to at least 544.

Iran had no immediate reaction to the news, which came after the foreign minister of Oman — long an interlocutor between Washington and Tehran — traveled to Iran this weekend. It also remains unclear just what Iran could promise, particularly as Trump has set strict demands over its nuclear program and its ballistic missile arsenal, which Tehran insists is crucial for its national defense.

Meanwhile Monday, Iran called for pro-government demonstrators to head to the streets in support of the theocracy, a show of force after days of protests directly challenging the rule of 86-year-old Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Iranian state television aired chants from the crowd, who shouted “Death to America!” and “Death to Israel!”

Trump and his national security team have been weighing a range of potential responses against Iran including cyberattacks and direct strikes by the U.S. or Israel, according to two people familiar with internal White House discussions who were not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.

“The military is looking at it, and we’re looking at some very strong options,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One on Sunday night. Asked about Iran’s threats of retaliation, he said: “If they do that, we will hit them at levels that they’ve never been hit before.”

Trump said that his administration was in talks to set up a meeting with Tehran, but cautioned that he may have to act first as reports of the death toll in Iran mount and the government continues to arrest protesters.

“I think they’re tired of being beat up by the United States,” Trump said. “Iran wants to negotiate.”

He added: “The meeting is being set up, but we may have to act because of what’s happening before the meeting. But a meeting is being set up. Iran called, they want to negotiate.”

Iran through country's parliamentary speaker warned Sunday that the U.S. military and Israel would be “legitimate targets” if America uses force to protect demonstrators.

More than 10,600 people also have been detained over the two weeks of protests, said the U.S.-based Human Rights Activists News Agency, which has been accurate in previous unrest in recent years and gave the death toll. It relies on supporters in Iran crosschecking information. It said 496 of the dead were protesters and 48 were with security forces.

With the internet down in Iran and phone lines cut off, gauging the demonstrations from abroad has grown more difficult. The Associated Press has been unable to independently assess the toll. Iran’s government has not offered overall casualty figures.

Those abroad fear the information blackout is emboldening hard-liners within Iran’s security services to launch a bloody crackdown. Protesters flooded the streets in the country’s capital and its second-largest city on Saturday night into Sunday morning. Online videos purported to show more demonstrations Sunday night into Monday, with a Tehran official acknowledging them in state media.

In Tehran, a witness told the AP that the streets of the capital empty at the sunset call to prayers each night. By the Isha, or nighttime prayer, the streets are deserted.

Part of that stems from the fear of getting caught in the crackdown. Police sent the public a text message that warned: “Given the presence of terrorist groups and armed individuals in some gatherings last night and their plans to cause death, and the firm decision to not tolerate any appeasement and to deal decisively with the rioters, families are strongly advised to take care of their youth and teenagers.”

Another text, which claimed to come from the intelligence arm of the paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, also directly warned people not to take part in demonstrations.

“Dear parents, in view of the enemy’s plan to increase the level of naked violence and the decision to kill people, ... refrain from being on the streets and gathering in places involved in violence, and inform your children about the consequences of cooperating with terrorist mercenaries, which is an example of treason against the country,” the text warned.

The witness spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity due to the ongoing crackdown.

The demonstrations began Dec. 28 over the collapse of the Iranian rial currency, which trades at over 1.4 million to $1, as the country’s economy is squeezed by international sanctions in part levied over its nuclear program. The protests intensified and grew into calls directly challenging Iran’s theocracy.

Nikhinson reported from aboard Air Force One.

In this frame grab from video obtained by the AP outside Iran, a masked demonstrator holds a picture of Iran's Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi during a protest in Tehran, Iran, Friday, January. 9, 2026. (UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran shows protesters taking to the streets despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026.(UGC via AP)

In this frame grab from footage circulating on social media from Iran showed protesters once again taking to the streets of Tehran despite an intensifying crackdown as the Islamic Republic remains cut off from the rest of the world in Tehran, Iran, Saturday Jan. 10, 2026. (UGC via AP)