AC Milan named Ruben Amorim as their chosen man earlier in the week, a young coach who has already experienced so much.
Milan sacked Massimiliano Allegri less than 24 hours after the final game of the season, one which completed a collapse and confirmed no return to Champions League football. After a long casting process, taking a little over three weeks, Milan finally announced his successor.
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There seems to have been a mixed response to the news, as divisive as the Portuguese’s young career has been so far. After winning five trophies during his highly successful managerial tenure at Sporting CP from 2020 to 2024, Amorim was lured to Manchester United.
Things did not go as well there and he was sacked in January of this year following a 1-1 draw with Leeds United. So, the question fans naturally have is an obvious one: will Milan get the version of Amorim seen in Lisbon or Manchester?
To get the low-down on what Milan fans should expect from the new man, we spoke to Dale O’Donnell from United In Focus and Manchester United and Serie A expert Euan Burns from Total Italian Football, who answered our questions on all things Amorim.
What was the feeling like when Manchester United got Amorim from Sporting?
Dale: “While it was a step into the unknown, everyone acknowledged what Ruben Amorim achieved at Sporting CP.
“The excitement was warranted for those who saw his Primeira Liga-winning side demolish Pep Guardiola’s Man City in the Champions League. He was also regarded as one of the top young coaches in the game.”
Euan: “The answer to that question is very dependent on the age of the fan you ask. If you’re asking a fan who uses social media and is roughly aware of what’s happening in other European leagues, there was major excitement over Ruben Amorim’s perceived talent.
“If you’re asking an older fan who is purely focused on matters at United, there was scepticism as he certainly wasn’t an established, top coach.
“He’d been linked with top jobs multiple times during his time at Sporting, and I remember writing a profile on him in 2022 when he seemed close to replacing Mauricio Pochettino at PSG. It felt like he’d earned the right to have a go at a job like Manchester United.”
Was his sacking the right move at the time? How will you look back on his time at the club?
Dale: “Yes. It should have happened sooner, which tells you I will reflect on Amorim’s time at United with dread.
“Travelling to the Europa League final in Bilbao was the most memorable part. The trip back, after losing to Tottenham Hotspur in the worst European final I’ve ever watched, is something I wish could be removed from my memory.
“Finishing 15th in the Premier League was embarrassing, but Amorim will be remembered for his refusal to change his tactics for the benefit of the team – even at a time when the results were atrocious. His treatment of Kobbie Mainoo was extremely questionable, too.”
Euan: I still have mixed feelings about his sacking. It was pretty clear that his relationship with the players and the club as a whole had deteriorated to a level that couldn’t be salvaged. In that sense, he had to go, and it was best for all parties. In terms of the table, we were sixth and well in the fight for a Champions League place.
“Considering he was sacked without a succession plan, I still think it was a touch reckless given the team finished the previous season in 15th. I’m always going to struggle to forgive Amorim for the way he handled both Marcus Rashford and Kobbie Mainoo, and it was clear that he had far less of an interest in the academy than past United coaches.
“Nevertheless, I do think there’s a good coach in there, if the environment is right.”
What is your initial reaction to him becoming AC Milan management?
“I’m interested in seeing how it plays out. Amorim isn’t a United manager I will remember fondly, but there is no denying he’s a coach with a mind of his own.
“It could be an exciting mix if his tactics match the players AC Milan has at their disposal next season.”
Euan: I’ll be honest, I winced when I saw the first credible link. I’m not optimistic about this
appointment for Milan or Amorim, but it’s not totally without merit. Considering the utter and complete mess that has been Milan’s final third of the season, especially upstairs, I’m surprised that Amorim wanted to put himself in that situation.
“There have been a lot of parallels between United and Milan in recent years, and a chaotic
board was what ultimately brought Amorim’s time in the Premier League to an end. If Milan can give him more assurances that there will be a stable structure in place for him to put all of his focus on coaching the players, then perhaps he can have a bit more joy.
“What is certain is that if Milan continue to operate like a circus as a club, Amorim is going to call it out publicly.”
What do Amorim teams play like? Could his style be a good fit for Serie A, which is seen as a tactically stagnant league?
Dale: “Three centre-backs with wingers turned into wing-backs. It could work. The powers at United – for some reason – thought the team could adapt to it, but it was never going to.”
Euan: I’m honestly not sure we ever really got to see it at United, at least not properly. He famously likes to play with three central defenders, and then the wing-backs are the most important players in the team.
“He never had the wing-backs that he really wanted at United to play his system, which relies on high-intensity pressing. When I look at the current squad, it’s not clear who the wide players would be. Alexis Saelemaekers, Pervis Estupinan, Davide Bartesaghi and Zachary Athekame seem to be the options right now, which doesn’t really spark joy.
“That being said, I do think there’s a chance that his tactics work better in Italy, especially given he’ll have a full pre-season with the majority of the squad. It’s something of a cliché, but the physical intensity of the Premier League in the modern day is almost frightening, and that can’t be said about Serie A.”
If you were a Milan fan, would you have rather had someone like Glasner?
Dale: “They are similar, but I’d pick Oliver Glasner because he would at least try to get the best out of a player like Mainoo, whereas Amorim showed little interest in doing that.”
Euan: Oliver Glasner certainly got more out of this tactical approach in the Premier League than Amorim did. It does come back to wing-backs, though, as Daniel Munoz and Tyrick Mitchell were so key to that system and were natural fits. It is also important to remember that, compared to a club like Crystal Palace, there is just so much noise at Manchester United. You don’t have a second to breathe, to operate freely.
“I also wasn’t particularly impressed by how Glasner handled his departure from Palace, and
given the interest in him from clubs who are currently more successful than Milan, I wouldn’t be shocked if he tried to use the club as a bit of a stepping stone.
“Amorim wants a club that he can almost entirely make his own, and Milan is probably his last chance before he has to drop back down to clubs of Sporting’s stature again and rebuild his reputation. He will be extremely determined to make this work, I just don’t know if Milan as an environment is going to prove too similar to Manchester United.”
I Hope he succeeds at milan . . .
Oliver, are there any news about the ongoing investigation?
D(R)C, Grimaldo (if he doesn’t join
ATM), Hjulmand, AMC/LW, Ramos;
One more SS/AMC/LW and #9 for
a backup + Chukwueze + (squad
depth) Comotto and/or Bondo/
Zeroli + Camarda (25-26 players);
SELL: Estupinan, Fofana, Loftus-
Cheek, Leao, Nkunku, Gimenez;
P.S. Maybe 27 with an extra RM/RW…
Chukwueze?are you for real?why don’t we bring back suso?
I am for real, yes, he absolutely has a place in a 3-4-3 formation.
Il presidente Franck Kessie.
Good to see him again play meaningful games and performing on a high level
Blaming the managers at Manchester United is a bit strange to me. Since Sir Alex Ferguson left, just look at how many managers have come and gone: David Moyes, Louis van Gaal, José Mourinho, Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Ralf Rangnick, Erik ten Hag, and now Rúben Amorim.
Are we really saying all of these managers suddenly became bad the moment they arrived at the same club? That feels unlikely.
Maybe the root cause lies elsewhere. Amorim came in with a lot of expectation, but so far he hasn’t delivered at United. I’m not judging him on what he did at Sporting, because that’s exactly what earned him the reputation in the first place.
We’ve seen similar patterns, but these situations aren’t identical. That’s why I still think there’s a real chance Amorim could replicate his Sporting success here if the conditions around him are right.
yeah i really think he will replicate it, but 1 thing u forgot, our mgt are way more worse than man utd, at least man utd invest, how can he will be like sporting? i dont blame him but right now he more like coming to man utd rather than sporting.. btw with same mgt, carrick doing very fine, so we actually need coach who can operate with mgt and player rather than just play good football, also we dont know yet who will be SD, so maybe he will stick with amorim or not..its more like lose to amorin rather than milan
Whether we succeed will depend on balancing business discipline with football ambition. If we can combine sustainable finances with smarter recruitment, a stronger sporting structure, and progress on the stadium project, this model could deliver long-term success. If results on the pitch continue to fall short of expectations, however, the financial achievements alone are unlikely to satisfy the fan base and this saga will carry on.
I am optimistic, since bug money is involved and there is a lot at stake for Cardinale so hope we get it right this time.
Forza Milan!!!
Amorim came in and starting sticking round pegs in square holes and didn’t have a clue how to break down low blocks – that’s the problem…
Everybody’s predicting for Amorim to be fired in *insert fall month name*, but I’m starting to think he will actually resign upon witnessing firsthand what circus he has entered. Remember, he was also among those who were informed the guy from Frankfurt is coming.
2025: Pray for United
2026: Pray for Milan
I just want to believe that his time at Manchester united was one that he has learned from and doesn’t hope to repeat. With that mindset, he can do great things at Milan.
But when that happens, I hope he doesn’t ditch us like he did Sporting half-season when a big team come calling because right now, we aren’t a big team anymore.
He was the manager I rooted for as I hated Man U. He was so bad there that he was essentially a laughing stock and make Carrick look like a legendary coach. Milan made a big mistake with him. I would even give the job back to Fonseca or Concecaio who did not get an enough time.
Man utd was a laughing stock long before Amorim. I believe much of the goundwork he did is the reason why Carrick is having success now, all he did was change the formation, they still play with Amorims philosophy in many ways.
Similar to what happen to us after Mihajlović. Which didn’t get the team to perfom at the highest level but he laid the groundwork for pioli to have success.
Not sure what groundwork you mean? United were in freefall..
Anyone who follows the EPL knows the issue with Amorim was he’s stubborn, he belittled the players and was tactically inflexible. He was consistently one of the worst interviews, just infuriating to listen to. Obviously we hope he does well, but this isn’t a good appointment.