The international break is over. Now, club football returns. The Rossoneri will resume their league campaign at the Mapei stadium tomorrow (Sunday, 11 October, 2026) with Gerry Cardinale watching from the stands. Ahead of this anticipated Serie A fixture, head coach Ruben Amorim spoke to the media in a press conference.
Here's what the Portuguese tactician had to say:
"Managing the break? I don’t think it changes much. Whether it has a positive or negative effect depends on the team’s situation. If you have a lot of injuries, you have more time to get players back to fitness. It also depends on whether your players are away with their national teams and how many matches they play. It’s tough, especially because they have a lot of matches to play when they return.
“The opposite is also true, if we take Koni De Winter as an example, as he didn’t play. We’ve lost a lot of players to international duty, but that’s a good sign because it means they are important players. I’ve stressed that we need to step up the pace now because the next few matches will be important for our season," as relayed via Milan News.
How have you found your players since they returned from the international break?
“The players were happy to be back. They’re happy to be together at this club, which means it’s a good working environment. Beyond that, it depends on the circumstances. Looking at our players, some played only two matches and were then able to rest. That’s very positive because they’ve maintained their fitness."
“We’ve had a problem with Saelemaekers. I’ve had the opportunity and the time to work with Hutchinson. We also had a friendly against Padova, which was positive because it allowed us to try new things. We made the most of every minute of this break, and the players who were away with their national teams also did well."
Amorim added:
“Ramos, Jashari and Moreira, who played three matches and featured on both the right and left, have all done well. That’s very positive for us. I believe the players are ready, but everything depends on the next match. That’s why winning tomorrow is so important.”
On Gonçalo Ramos:
“My approach as a coach is to work out how to get the best out of my team, not how to help an individual player score more goals. I said this before the match as well. We need to create more chances for our forwards, not just for him, but for all our attackers. I have worked on this with my players and continue to do so. It’s true that I’ve taken certain things from other coaches, but I have my own ideas. My goal is not to work out how to put Ramos in the best position to score more goals, but to win every match. I’m very pleased that he has returned happy and full of confidence, and I hope that will benefit Milan.”
Are you planning to continue with a back four? Is that the right approach?
“It depends on the match and the situation. The important thing is that the players understand when to play with a back four and when to play with a back three. Just look at the names in the starting line-up and you’ll see that it is essentially the same team. The changes are small details, but they can alter the team’s dynamics."
“Our opponents have access to all the footage of our matches, so it’s up to me to come up with something new and find ways to surprise them. I know what I have in mind for tomorrow, but I won’t tell you, otherwise Aquilani would find out. There isn’t much difference between the two systems. I want my players to feel comfortable.”
Amorim, do you know Aquilani?
“I remember him. Not just from Sporting. I know he played under Jorge Jesus, and we’ve spoken about that. I remember him as a very intelligent player. I can see that he has a very modern approach. I can also see a slight influence from Roberto De Zerbi. They want to play positively with the ball, but they are also very intelligent when it comes to deciding when to press. I think he has a great future in football.”
What did you learn from Moreira’s performances for his national team? Which side do you think suits him best?
"I saw several things. On the left, he is more direct, while on the right, he looks to take players on one-on-one and combine with his teammates. It also depends on the opposition. He had to do a lot of defending against the stronger teams, so he spent a great deal of time defending. That is very important to me. We know Moreira’s qualities. He has good pace and strength, and he still needs to improve in the attacking phase, but he can play on either flank. You will see Moreira playing on both sides."
How much more playing time do you plan to give Camarda, who has played just eight minutes so far? Will the coming months be important in determining whether Milan can rely on him?
“When it comes to the new players, you can ask Cardinale, who is sitting behind you (laughs). My only focus is on the matches we have to play. There are so many of them that December doesn’t exist for me right now," said Amorim. "Camarda will play more. We’re coming from a period when we had fewer matches to play and more time to rest. Camarda is learning a lot, but he is ready. He will play more minutes than he has so far. I don’t know what will happen between now and December. I just want to win as many matches as possible. That’s my focus. We can also see from the national teams that there is a lot of rotation, so it’s impossible to keep playing the same 11 in every match. I’ve said it from day one: I expect a lot from him, and he will show his worth."
Can Cisse play as a centre-forward? How will it feel to see Matić again?
Cisse has the attributes to play as a centre-forward. Not as a traditional number nine, but he has the qualities to help us in certain matches. Matić? He is a top player and a top person. I was able to spend a lot of time with him, and we talked a lot because I was one of the few people who could communicate with him. He may not have the same pace anymore, but his intelligence is still there. He brings a great deal of experience to the team, in terms of managing the tempo, playing forward passes and winning the ball back. I want to see him again, but at the same time, I don't. I'll certainly be looking to give him a hug after the match, hopefully after we’ve won."
Have Tomori, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic and Hutchinson improved their fitness?
"They will be very important in these matches. We had a friendly in which we used them in different positions, and we also worked with them in training. We spent more time working with Diawara. Tomori has been doing something similar to what Gila is doing. They will be important for our season. For Pulisic, staying here was important because he was coming back from an injury. He played a few minutes, then started a match, but we were able to manage his recovery and fitness. They will all be very important."
What is needed is a longer process, or are you still convinced that this Milan side can win? And what do you think of Serie A?
“The aim is always to win trophies. I don’t know how long it will take, but we have to focus on the steps that will allow us to achieve that. When you work at Milan, you certainly cannot say that we should or could win trophies in three years. We have to think about winning now, in the present. There are steps we need to take. That is the objective, but there are some very good teams in this league. Serie A is becoming different this season. There have been changes to the refereeing rules, so fewer fouls are being called, and medical staff are coming onto the pitch less frequently, which allows more football to be played. A lot of people used to complain about 0-0 draws, but now there are plenty of matches being played. No teams sit in a low block for 90 minutes any more. Venezia are bottom because of their results, but they are a team that presses all over the pitch. I have been surprised by the quality of the coaches and the players. I like being here and want to play my part. I feel at home at Milan, and I am honoured to be here. Serie A is an excellent league, and sometimes the domestic game does not receive the credit it deserves. I am enjoying preparing for matches, although I also have a lot on my mind because of the different teams we face.”
What have you seen in these first five matches that has led you to opt for a back four? Could Zachary Athekame return in January? And what about speaking Italian?
“It would be easy for me to speak Italian if I were another member of Milan’s staff, but what I say is very important. I apologise, and I am sorry, but I know that after matches, during the post-match interviews, I have to speak with Mister Capello. I know it would be better if I spoke Italian, but I also know that I need to think carefully about what I say. I cannot afford to feel that my words might create problems for me in some way or be taken out of context. It is important that I feel comfortable, because that is part of my job," said Amorim.
“As for the back four, what I have seen in recent matches is greater mobility. These positions and the freedom they provide allow my team to play better. We saw against Benfica that we had more possession, but there was a lack of movement. We had to make this change, not necessarily to play better, but to play differently. I don’t know whether we will continue with this system, but it is a tool that can help us win.
“Athekame? We are keeping an eye on him, just as we are monitoring our other players out on loan. At the start of the season, I saw him more as a Moreira-type player. I don’t know whether the situation will change. That’s football. He is doing very well under Fonseca, and we will see what happens in the future.”
Amorim, there is a lot of talk about Milan’s striker, yet Milan are scoring two goals per match…
"That’s football. We have averaged two goals per match, but that cannot always be the answer. We are not creating enough scoring chances because we are not spending enough time in the opposition’s penalty area. We could score more goals if we put more balls into the opposition’s box. Sometimes we don’t score, but we still create chances. I cannot hide behind the fact that we have scored 10 goals and say that I am happy with our attacking play. No, we have to do better and create more scoring opportunities. I don’t look only at the goals; I also look at the team’s overall attacking performance. We have to work on it, and we will improve, but we can do better."
