Gerry Cardinale and Ruben Amorim may not be going on holiday together in November, but they have been in contact in recent days and discussed where to hold Milan's 2027 pre-season training camp. For a coach, that already means something: it suggests the club is planning its future with him.
At his pre-Salzburg press conference, Amorim addressed the owner's criticism from afar and the pressure that comes with his job, both understandably delicate subjects.
"Yes, Cardinale and I only had one conversation about the future and, together with other board members, we discussed possible locations for our next pre-season training camp. It was a normal working day."
A coach's working days in other countries are decidedly more relaxed, but that is another matter, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport
Amorim and the Criticism...
Amorim has started his tenure with three wins and three draws in the league, plus a defeat to Benfica in the Europa League. Nothing disastrous, yet the pressure in Italy is always high, and Cardinale is an owner known for his strong reactions.
"It's normal for there to be criticism at a top club," he says, seemingly calm. "By the third game, against Juventus, I understood how things work here. At a top club, if you don't win, it's tough.
"We are improving. We are controlling games more, pressing more and playing more with the ball. We're creating more chances with every game."
In a word: optimism.
The Risk of Rotation
But what kind of press conference was it? Milan's coach was more cautious than on previous occasions, and understandably so. Yet his challenge remains highly ambitious: to change Italian footballing habits, play a different style of football and speak more openly, without beating around the bush.
After Allegri, it is the Carnation Revolution, just like in Portugal in the 1970s.
The real risk, if anything, is that critics on social media have already drafted their tweets about excessive squad rotation, because Hutchinson, Camarda, Jashari, Loftus-Cheek, Bartesaghi and Tomori have never all started together.
Amorim knows this, but he will not back down.
"We have to rotate. I'll take the risk, but I have a clear plan. The players need to relax and give everything. We'll be ready."
"I'm Not Mozart"
For the metaphor of the day, head to the conservatory in Mirabellplatz.
Salzburg is Mozart's city. He was born here, performed here at the age of six and worked at the cathedral as a court musician.
"Mozart was special. I can't compare myself to him," Amorim jokes.
"I'm not Mozart, just a normal guy. I have clear ideas, and the important thing is that the players give everything.
"Sacchi was like Mozart, he really was, but those were different times, with different people."
An amusing comparison? Yes, but listen to his final remark.
"It will take a little more time to do what Sacchi did, and you know that nowadays there is no time.
"For me, the plan is clear: if we have time, we have time. If not, we move on."
Even when he smiles, this is a man who is not joking.
