Amorim declares AC Milan 'a greater challenge' than Manchester United in first San Siro press conference

Ruben Amorim has described AC Milan as a greater challenge than Manchester United in his first public appearance since being appointed the Serie A club’s head coach, succeeding Massimiliano Allegri on a three-year contract.

The 41-year-old addressed journalists on Monday after landing in Milan, admitting that despite telling himself to take on a smaller challenge after leaving Old Trafford, he could not turn down the opportunity. “I’m really very happy to be here, it’s an honour to be the coach of Milan,” Amorim said, as quoted by Calciomercato. “It’s a very big challenge that I accepted even if after the last one I told myself to accept a smaller one. Perhaps it is a greater challenge than the last. I’m proud to be here, we all are, me and my staff.”

Amorim parted ways with Manchester United in January after 14 months in charge, having won just 25 of his 63 matches at Old Trafford. He left the club sixth in the Premier League, with interim replacement Michael Carrick subsequently guiding United to a third-place finish and Champions League qualification.

Restoring Milan to the Champions League is among the most pressing tasks facing Amorim. The club missed out on European football’s top tier last season, finishing fifth in Serie A — 17 points behind champions and city rivals Inter Milan.

Amorim made clear that a winning mentality is non-negotiable in his new role. “I’m at Milan to win, if you’re Milan coach you have to have this mentality,” he said. “I’m not naive, I know there’s a lot of work to do, but if you’re the Milan coach you have to play to win.”

He will be joined at the San Siro by his trusted backroom staff of Carlos Fernandes, Emanuel Ferro, Adelio Candido and goalkeeper coach Jorge Vital, all of whom worked alongside him during his time at United.