Italian media criticise Amorim's team selection despite Milan's opening-day win over Torino

Ruben Amorim began his AC Milan tenure with a 2-1 Serie A win over Torino at the Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on Sunday, but the Portuguese coach faced pointed criticism from Italian media over his starting line-up despite securing all three points.

Milan dominated possession for much of the match yet struggled to convert that control into chances until the 64th minute, when substitute Adrien Rabiot — brought on by Amorim in the second half — crossed for 18-year-old Alphadjo Cisse, who turned home on his Serie A debut. Rabiot then added a second just three minutes later with a close-range volley, before Torino pulled one back late on.

Amorim, who was sacked by Manchester United in January, becomes the first foreign coach to win a Serie A season opener in charge of Milan since 2009. His side had also beaten United in a pre-season friendly earlier this month.

The positive result, however, did little to shield Amorim from scrutiny. Calciomercato acknowledged “a solid debut” and praised Cisse as a player who “deserves close attention,” but argued that Amorim “had the wrong line-up” from the start. The outlet noted that Milan’s play was “sterile” until experienced substitutes Luca Modric, Rabiot, and Alexis Saelemaekers entered the pitch, at which point “the team took on a new form.”

Corriere della Sera was more direct in its assessment, describing Amorim’s selection as “a puzzling line-up” that revealed little about his tactical intentions. The paper questioned why Modric and Rabiot were left on the bench, writing that “the camera pans to the bench and you feel a pang of nostalgia.” It did concede that Amorim “will grow, improve, and carve out his own path,” but the overall tone suggested patience in Milan will be conditional on clearer signs of a defined identity.

The consensus from Italian media appears to be that while the three points matter, Amorim has significant work ahead in convincing observers that his tactical choices reflect a coherent vision rather than uncertainty about his best XI.