Massimiliano Allegri returns as coach at crisis-hit AC Milan

MILAN (AP) — Massimiliano Allegri was named AC Milan’s new coach on Friday, charged with restoring to glory the crisis-hit team that he won Serie A with nearly 15 years ago.

Allegri replaces Sergio Conceicao, who was fired on Thursday after guiding Milan to an eighth-placed finish in Serie A that left the Rossoneri out of Europe.

“AC Milan is pleased to announce that Massimiliano Allegri has been appointed as the head coach of the men’s first team,” the club said in a statement that did not include any contract details.

Allegri’s last two jobs were with Juventus. He was fired a year ago by the Bianconeri for an ugly outburst directed at the referees during the Italian Cup final.

Allegri won the Italian league for the first time with Milan in 2011, then guided Juventus to five straight titles from 2015 to 2019.

Milan is coming off a disappointing season that sparked fan protests.

Milan began the season as a potential title contender but ended up 19 points behind Italian champion Napoli.

The seven-time European champion was eliminated by Feyenoord in the Champions League playoffs in February then got beat by Bologna in the Italian Cup final this month.

Meanwhile, city rival Inter Milan will play Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday.

Allegri becomes Milan’s third coach in a year. Stefano Pioli left after last season to conclude a five-year run at the club, then Paulo Fonseca lasted only half a season before he was fired in December and replaced by Conceicao, who quickly guided the Rossoneri to the Italian Super Cup — the team’s biggest achievement last season.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE -AC Milan Brazilian forward Pato, center, celebrates with his teammates from left, Andrea Pirlo, Clarence Seedorf of the Netherlands, and coach Massimiliano Allegri, right, after scoring during the Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Lecce at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Aug 29, 2010. (AP Photo / Antonio Calanni, File)

FILE - Juventus' head coach Massimiliano Allegri throws away his tie in anger as he leaves the pitch after getting a red card during the Italian Cup final soccer match between Atalanta and Juventus at Rome's Olympic Stadium, May 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia, File)

AC Milan fans hold a protest in the square of the Portello area of Milan, Italy near the club's headquarters on Saturday, May 24, 2025. (Stefano Porta/LaPresse via AP)

FILE -Juventus' head coach Massimiliano Allegri gestures during a Serie A soccer match between AC Milan and Juventus, at the San Siro stadium in Milan, Italy, Oct. 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Luca Bruno, File)

CHICAGO (AP) — A potential replay challenge by the Los Angeles Angels on Wednesday was denied because first-year manager Kurt Suzuki waited too long to make the appeal.

The play occurred with the Chicago Cubs batting in the third inning of the Angels' 6-2 loss in the series finale at a chilly Wrigley Field. Nico Hoerner doubled into the gap in left-center, and Miguel Amaya used a headfirst slide to score the first run of the game.

Shortstop Zach Neto's throw beat Amaya to the plate. It was unclear if Amaya's left hand touched home, and if it got in there ahead of catcher Travis d'Arnaud's tag. Umpire David Rackley ruled Amaya was safe.

Suzuki held up his hand in the direction of the field before deciding to challenge. But the umpires did not initiate a replay review because they said Suzuki took too long to make his decision.

According to Major League Baseball's replay regulations, once a manager notifies an umpire that a club is considering a challenge, the umpire “will hold play until the earlier of the expiration of the 15-Second Determination Timer ... or an indication from the Manager that the Club is not going to challenge the play.”

“When a close play happens like that, the manager is required to immediately hold, to signal to start the clock, which is 15 seconds,” crew chief Chris Guccione told a pool reporter. “So once I see a manager hold by raising his hand, I'll radio up to the press box, to the tech up there, who then starts the clock. So then from that point they've got 15 seconds to either wave it off, challenge, whatever they need to do.”

The 15 seconds is displayed on the pitch clock, and umpires wear a communication device that buzzes when the clock strikes zero.

“There's zeros and the buzz, and then Kurt came up just a little late,” Guccione said.

Suzuki said bench coach John Gibbons, who is the conduit between the manager and Angels staffers looking at the replay, said the timing of the challenge decision was close.

“He said it was a judgment thing,” Suzuki said. “He said it was like zero-bam and then I challenged, so it was like right after. If we’re late, we’re late. Can’t really argue that. Even if it’s a half-second, a second, you can’t argue that. If you’re late, you’re late.”

The Cubs went on to score four more runs in the third, including two with two outs in the inning.

The Angels challenged a successful steal by Hoerner in the sixth, but the call was upheld.

The time limit for deciding whether to request a replay challenge was lowered from 20 to 15 seconds when the pitch clock was instituted as part of a package of rules changes ahead of the 2023 season.

The 42-year-old Suzuki took over as the team's manager in October. He spent the previous three seasons as a special assistant to Angels general manager Perry Minasian.

Suzuki was a major league catcher for five teams over 16 seasons, winning a World Series with Washington in 2019. He had no major league coaching experience when he was hired as manager.

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Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, left, attempts to challenge a play with an umpire during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)

Los Angeles Angels manager Kurt Suzuki, left, attempts to challenge a play with an umpire during the third inning of a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs in Chicago, Wednesday, April 1, 2026. (AP Photo/Paul Beaty)