Amorim opens up about ‘biggest’ Milan problem

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND - OCTOBER 21: Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of AC Milan addresses the media during the press conference one day ahead of the UEFA Europa League 2026/27 League Phase MD3 at Vitality Stadium on October 21, 2026 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Michael Steele/Getty Images)

Ruben Amorim wants to see his players ‘push the opponents inside their box’ and ‘keep the ball there’ as he admits: ‘That’s the biggest problem with us.’

Milan host Ferencvaros in the Europa League Round 4 on Thursday.

The Rossoneri have been inconsistent this season, but won their most recent league game against city rivals Inter, which gave them a massive confidence boost.

Amorim: Milan ‘lack the ability to push opponents near their box’

Milan sit fifth in the Serie A table and have lost only once in ten Serie A games. However, their record in Europe is much worse: one win and two defeats.

During the match against Inter, they surely showed improvements, but when a reporter asked Amorim how close this team is to the identity he wants to see, he replied: “You guys are always asking about when we’ll reach the top. Even if we win every game, we’ll never feel like we’ve reached the top. We need to improve and improve.

“We already have an identity. We want to dominate games. Sometimes we are able, sometimes we aren’t. But in most games, we try to be really positive. Sometimes we change our system or how we defend. Our identity is about being positive and dominant in the game. We clearly lack the ability to push opponents near their box and keep the ball there to create more chances. That’s the biggest problem with us. And be more consistent during the games, and in many games. I think we are getting better at that. I think we are playing better for a longer time, we are controlling the games a bit better, but if I look at the team, we have so much to do. Especially in the final third, we are not getting the ball there and staying there for long. We need time to work on this and I need to help my players to play better in that moment.”

Amorim spoke to reporters during a pre-match press conference on Wednesday, joined by defender Koni De Winter, a regular starter for the Rossoneri this season.

“Inter is in the past. Let’s prove tomorrow that we can defend even better,” Amorim continued.

“We controlled the game well because we had more possession. It’s not about thinking about defending. We defended with the ball and that helps us to think more clearly when we don’t have the ball. Then, I think we were better in the details. A meter closer to my teammates; it’s one meter, not two meters. In all these small details, we were better compared to the game against Bologna. This is how I felt in the game. We were aggressive on the wings. We knew, especially with Dimarco, that the crosses were coming; with Esposito and Thuram inside.

“We couldn’t allow crosses, because then it was a gamble, 50-50. Koni was amazing in the game, but if you have one more cross to Thuram, it’s impossible to defend, so maybe it’s the way we sometimes see the opponent, and that is something we need to change in our minds. We defended well with the ball, and without the ball we were more aggressive because we already knew that if something happened, like a cross from Dimarco, something could happen. We need to do that against Frencvaros.”

Milan have two more games remaining before the international break. Tomorrow, they host Ferencvaros in the Europa League, and then they’ll visit Genoa in Serie A on Sunday, November 8.