Ruben Amorim has officially begun his tenure as AC Milan head coach, describing the role as an even greater challenge than his ill-fated spell at Manchester United. The 41-year-old Portuguese manager left Old Trafford in January after a disappointing run that saw him win only 24 of his 63 matches in charge, a win rate of 38.10 per cent.
Amorim’s Manchester United struggles
Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag at Manchester United but failed to turn the club’s fortunes around. His replacement, Michael Carrick, guided the team to a third-place finish last season, highlighting the difficulties Amorim faced. Despite this, his reputation remains intact, and he has now taken on one of European football's most storied clubs.
AC Milan finished fifth in Serie A last season, and Amorim is tasked with restoring the club to title contention and Champions League competitiveness. He believes this challenge surpasses the one he encountered at Old Trafford.
Amorim’s emotional connection to Milan
“I’m really happy to be here,” Amorim said at his unveiling at the San Siro. “It’s an honour to be the coach of AC Milan. If you look at an old interview of mine, I said this is a special club for me. It’s a great challenge. After the last time I promised myself to choose a smaller challenge, and yet here I am, it’s an even bigger challenge. But I’m proud to be here, now I want to work with my staff and my players… I’m really happy to be here.”
When asked about his trophy ambitions, Amorim replied: “Of course. You can’t come to Milan without this mentality. I’m not naïve and I know we have a lot to do, but if you’re the coach of Milan, you have to play to win.”
Longstanding admiration for the Rossoneri
Amorim’s affection for AC Milan dates back to his childhood. In a 2017 interview, he said: “As a child, I had two great passions: Benfica and AC Milan. I still remember spending hours watching tapes of Sacchi and Capello’s Rossoneri: Maldini, Baresi, Gullit, Rijkaard, Savicevic… My childhood dreams were to play for Benfica and AC Milan. I only managed to achieve one. Now I’ll have to coach the Rossoneri.”
Club president backs the appointment
AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni revealed that club owner Gerry Cardinale had been tracking Amorim for some time. “I know that Gerry Cardinale had been following Amorim for some time, a coach he viewed with great interest,” Scaroni said, via ANSA. “I trust that Gerry Cardinale has his own magic touch when it comes to choosing people; he has demonstrated it many times throughout his life, and I hope that this time too it truly proves to be a magic touch. I am confident that everything will begin on the right footing.”
Amorim now faces the task of revitalising a fallen giant of Italian football, with expectations high from both the board and the fanbase.
