Strahinja Pavlovic has insisted that AC Milan will attack more under Ruben Amorim, in the hopes of achieving his Scudetto dream.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pavlovic revealed his dreams and ambitions for the new season, which begins with a different coach on the bench, the fourth since he was acquired from Red Bull Salzburg in 2024.
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The Serbian is eager to erase the bitter end to last season, when the Rossoneri failed to qualify for the Champions League for the second year in a row. He’s convinced the outcome will be different this time around and he really likes the desire to win shown by owner Cardinale and Amorim.
He spoke of the need to think game by game, the work that needs to be done day after day, and a winning mentality that must lead to not making mistakes against teams lower in the table.
The centre-back also revealed his dream: to win the Scudetto. Words from the leader of a group that, according to him – with Mario Gila, Gonçalo Ramos and the champion Luka Modric – can aim high.
You have begun his third season at Milan. What are your first impressions of Amorim and the new staff?
“So far, everything’s going well, and we’re working the right way. The coach is a positive person. I see a lot of ideas, and I hope we can do even better next season than last.”
Tactically, what has changed compared to the past? Will you play more aggressive and attacking football?
“I can’t reveal all our tactical ideas (smiles, ed.), but there are many different things. As you saw in the first friendly, we’re trying to play with a high defensive line, and I think that will be the biggest difference. I think the coach wants us to press a lot more and always stay in the opponent’s half.”
Last year, you became a fan favourite, scoring five goals. Do you feel like you have more responsibility now?
“We have incredible fans, and it’s always a huge responsibility to play for Milan, to have the opportunity to wear this shirt. The least we can do is give 100 percent.”
Do you still think about the defeat against Cagliari on May 24th that prevented you from qualifying for the Champions League?
“To be honest, I haven’t even watched that match again. Usually, after every game, I watch the whole match again, or at least the goals, but I haven’t thought about that Milan-Cagliari match anymore because it really hurts too much.”
What impression did you get of the new signings Gila and Gonçalo Ramos?
“We’ve signed two excellent players. I can especially speak about Gila because he’s a defender and we faced each other a few times last year against Lazio: for me, he was always the best player on the pitch.
“He has so many qualities and can help us a lot, especially with what he does with the ball. He’s also a very aggressive player, so I think he’s perfect for Milan.”
You and Modric have a special bond. How happy are you to still have him in the team?
“It’s incredible to know he’ll be staying with us for at least another season. Maybe even longer, we’ll see… Luka is an extraordinary person.
“When you have a champion like that next to you, you can learn so much: he’s much older than me, but when we’re together, I feel like we’re the same age as him. We can talk about anything because he’s truly a great man.”
Is there anything in particular you learned?
“First and foremost, the way he experiences football. He’s an extraordinary professional, and I have the feeling that every minute he spends at Milanello has a specific purpose: from his pre-training routine to the way he takes care of his body.
“He’s 41 years old, and you never see him tired on the pitch, nor does he ever give the impression of not wanting to do something: he’s always the first one running, and he does it with a big smile. It’s incredible to me to see that he still has this much passion for football.”
Where do you imagine yourself at your age?
“Me? I don’t know. I hope I’m like him.”
This year you’ll be playing in the Europa League. You would have preferred the Champions League, but could a second European trophy also be an important goal, given that Milan have never won it in their history?
“It would have been better for all of us to win the final game of last season and participate in the Champions League, but the Europa League is a great competition.
“The goal is to fight for the trophy, and I’m excited to try. In my opinion, it’s much better to play every three or four days, rather than only having Serie A matches and working all week in training.”
A few days ago, Cardinale and Amorim openly declared their desire to win and aim for a second star. Compared to last year, when the goal was to finish in the top four, do you like this more ambitious mentality?
“I think that to achieve great things, you need great objectives. I like this way of thinking and I said it many times last season: we must stay focused on ourselves and proceed step by step.
“It’s right to have the ambition to win trophies and reach the top, but we must do it intelligently, game by game, trying to win as many as possible. If we behave like this, I’m sure we will achieve great things.”
In 2025-26, you dropped too many points against lower-ranking sides, and ultimately paid dearly for it. Do you understand why that happened?
“I think it was primarily a mental issue. Against the small and medium-sized teams, we didn’t play with the same mentality we had in derbies or big matches, for example. In matches where we were favourites, we lacked the hunger to get the three points that we had in the big matches.
“You can’t beat Inter, Napoli, and the other teams in the top five or six and then lose against opponents we should have beaten on paper. That’s why I think it was primarily a mental issue. I don’t see any other possible explanation.”
How is Leao?
“I let him rest and didn’t talk to him much. We’ll have time to do that.”
Do you hope Rafa stays at Milan?
“He’s an extraordinary player and I’d like him to stay here with us.”
In training, you marked Camarda. What’s your impression of him? Could he be the surprise of the season?
“I can only say positive things about him. I think he’s improved a lot since the first time I saw him [in 2024-25] and has also grown a lot physically.
“He’s still very young and I think this could be a really important season for him. He has great finishing skills and with more experience, he can do really well at Milan.”
Are there any other young players who have impressed you in this retreat?
“Aside from Camarda, I was surprised by Kostic. It’s not easy for him to come from the Serbian league to a Serie A club, especially Milan.
“Comotto also made a good impression on me: he’s still very young and can improve a lot, but what I like about him is that he plays as if he’s already played a hundred Serie A games. That’s one of his great qualities.”
What is your dream for this season?
“The dream? For me it’s simple… I dream of winning the Scudetto.”
