The absence of the organised supporters' groups certainly made yesterday's gathering at Milanello a little quieter and less colourful, but Ruben Amorim's new Milan has officially begun. Without the international players, 26 members of the first-team squad reported for duty under the new Rossoneri coach.
They met in the morning for breakfast, underwent fitness tests, had lunch together, and later in the afternoon held their first training session in front of the Milan fans. The new season also got underway with the entire club hierarchy in attendance, most notably Gerry Cardinale, who once again demonstrated his commitment to staying close to both the team and Amorim.
Cardinale arrives at Milanello by helicopter:
According to Corriere della Sera, the Milan owner arrived by helicopter, immediately drawing comparisons with the late Silvio Berlusconi. However, there was no intention of imitating the former Rossoneri president. The RedBird chief simply chose the quickest way to reach Milanello. Cardinale spent considerable time speaking with Amorim before joining the squad for lunch. Seated alongside Matteo Gabbia, who is increasingly regarded as one of the team's leaders, he also took time to chat with younger players such as Francesco Camarda and Christian Comotto, as well as new signing Mario Gila.
Surprise visit from Ramos and the first training session
Speaking of new arrivals, the afternoon also featured a surprise visit from Gonçalo Ramos, who was welcomed by both Cardinale and Amorim. The striker, still on holiday after the World Cup, was in Milan to look at potential apartments and took the opportunity to visit Milanello with his wife before resuming his break.
Cardinale left the Carnago training centre at around 5.00 pm, shortly before the squad took to the pitch for their first session in front of supporters. The opening workout offered the first glimpse of what Amorim's Milan is expected to look like: high intensity, with at least five players joining attacks, and a 3-4-2-1 formation as the team's tactical foundation.
The first goal of the new season training was scored by Andrej Kostic, the 19-year-old Montenegrin centre-forward who recently joined from Partinez Belgrade and emerged as one of the most exciting surprises of Milan's opening training camp.
