Ruben Amorim, Milan's head coach, gave an interview to DAZN during the week leading up to the resumption of the league season following the first extended international break of the season.
How are you finding life at Milan?
"I think everyone knows that Milan has been one of my teams since I was a child, because the whole history of Milan is connected to Portuguese teams. When I was a boy, Milan were the strongest team in Italy and Italian football was the best league in the world. So I followed this club from a young age. But it is not only that: I felt that connection with the club, with the moment it is going through, and then everything they did to bring me here. I felt that it was the right move for me. So far, it has gone really, really well. There have been great moments and sometimes difficult moments, but that is part of the experience. I am really happy to be here and I feel a great responsibility to help this club return to where it belongs."
How do you assess Gonçalo Ramos' performances?
"I have already said it in press conferences: I am never going to say that Ramos should run less. I would never say that about a player. First of all, the fundamental thing is that we are scoring, and that is what matters most. Then I know very well that a striker needs to score goals, and he will score. If you look at the national team, I think he has fewer opportunities to score. Sometimes football is like that, but he is working hard and if we are scoring, it is also thanks to Gonçalo Ramos. He just needs to keep helping the team and doing what he is doing: the goals will definitely come."
What are Milan's objectives?
"To win every game: that is the mentality we have. In the end, we will take stock. For me, that is the objective every time a week begins, and we will have many matches during the week. Every time we step onto the pitch, we have the responsibility to win and not only that: we have to try to play good football."
Are you satisfied with the transfer business so far?
"First of all, I am really happy, because from the first day I have felt that we are doing everything together, and that is the most important thing for me. Then we are trying to help the club not only for today, but also for the future. If you pay attention, all the moves we are trying to make are not designed only for the present, but also with the future in mind, and this is really fundamental. It will help us win now and also win in the future. We are paying a lot of attention to this aspect, because you know what the transfer market is like today: we are vigilant and bringing in players who are already ready, such as Ramos, who is already a European champion, but we also want to bring in talents such as Moreira, for example. So I am really happy with the transfer business we have done, but we also have to improve the players we already have in the squad."
What have you learned from your experiences in Lisbon and at Manchester United?
"The experience we have accumulated at other clubs helps us in every challenge, or new challenge. Here it is more similar to Portugal. It is a different type of pressure, because people outside the club experience the team in a really passionate way. That is similar to Portugal and I am used to living like that. In England it is a little different, obviously. Manchester United is a global club just like Milan, so every single thing you do carries weight, and that has helped me try to conduct myself in the best possible way here at Milan. In my mind, everything I have experienced throughout my career was meant to lead to this point, at this special club, to be ready to help it. I know that all the experience I have had in the past will help me both in the positive moments and in the difficult ones with this team."
