More Luka Modric, plan for Christian Pulisic, but Rafael Leao leaving? Six things we learned from Ruben Amorim's AC Milan unveiling
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Published 09/07/2026 at 19:50 GMT+1
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Ruben Amorim’s first press conference as AC Milan head coach proved to be a revealing one as the former Manchester United boss promised attacking football and touched on what the future holds for star trio Luka Modric, Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic.
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Under the blazing heat of another suffocating Italian summer, Gerry Cardinale had to keep his cool.
The American has not been the most popular figure amongst AC Milan fans since the investment firm he founded, RedBird Capital Partners, acquired the storied club in August 2022.
That summer, Milanisti were still celebrating winning their first Scudetto in 11 years. But they have failed to muster a serious challenge since, and the embarrassment of an eighth-placed finish that left them out of Europe in 2024/25 was followed up last season by the seven-time European champions dropping out of the top four on the final day to once again miss out on the UEFA Champions League.
Four coaches have come and gone in the last four years: Stefano Pioli, Paulo Fonseca, Sergio Conceicao and Massimiliano Allegri.
Milan’s tumble into fifth place on the final day led to a ruthless reaction from Cardinale; the day after the season ended, Allegri was sacked along with CEO Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare and technical director Geoffrey Moncada, as the club cleaned house, citing an ”unequivocal failure.”
After weeks of speculation, Amorim was revealed as the chosen one to lead the latest Rossoneri rebuild. And at his presentation on Wednesday, he and Cardinale did not hold back in their attempts to convince fans that this time, things would be different.
So, what did we learn?
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Entertainment is expected
Amorim’s predecessor Allegri left him plenty of rope in this regard, with the newly-appointed Napoli coach not exactly known for a swashbuckling approach.
The six-time Serie A title winner even appeared to be the subject of a dig from Cardinale, as the Milan owner made it abundantly clear that he expects a completely different approach from his club in 2026/27.
”We are going to play to win,” said Cardinale.
”We’re not going to play not to lose. We’re going to play to win, which means we’re going to look at a football style that meets that objective.
”That is a high press, high possession, attacking style of football. It will be exciting football, it will be fun to watch, it will be high scoring.”
With a smile, Amorim subsequently responded by saying: ”No pressure.”
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Amorim is there for the Scudetto
Milan have finished fourth, second, eighth and fifth in the last four years, as Napoli and Inter have shared the Scudetto honours between them.
For most Rossoneri fans, the lowest moment was when cross-town rivals Inter beat them to a coveted 20th Serie A title that earned them a second star to stitch onto their jersey – an honour only Juventus had previously earned. To make matters worse, they clinched that title (in 2023/24) by beating Milan at San Siro.
Returning to the Champions League after back-to-back failures to qualify may seem a reasonable objective, but with Milan still sitting on 19 Scudetti, Amorim was more ambitious.
”We want to win the second star,” he said.
”It’s going to be really tough, and we know how tough it’s going to be, but I don’t know what is going to be the biggest challenge going forward. We all can agree that the main goal in this moment is to be dominant in Italy, then we can think about the rest.”
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Modric looks set to stay
Luka Modric’s future at Milan has been a talking point for months, with the failure to qualify for the Champions League leading to a will he-won’t-he saga as the Croatian legend considers his options.
Modric, 40, is a free agent after his Milan contract expired on June 30.
”Modric is a player we want to keep for his experience,” Amorim said.
”I spoke with him two times. If he needs, I will come and get the guy.
”He played really well. I think he’s a key point for us, especially in the beginning, to have more possession. I’m not saying he’s going to play all the games, so I say publicly to Luka to watch this, but we really want to count on Modric for next season.
”I know the board spoke with him, I spoke with him, so I hope to have Modric in a few days.”
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Luka Modric (Milan)
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Record-breaking Ramos is key to Amorim’s style
Cardinale put his money where his mouth is when it came to backing Amorim, splashing out a club-record fee of £63.7 million to sign Portugal international striker Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain.
And the former Sporting CP coach explained why the 25-year-old is the perfect fit for the way he wants his team to play after a season where Milan’s strikers toiled in front of goal, with Pulisic and Leao joint-top scoring with just 10 goals each in all competitions.
”We believe a lot in Goncalo Ramos,” Amorim said.
”I think he proved against Croatia [for Portugal in the last 32 of the World Cup], with a low block he scored with three players on top of him.
”If you see games in Italy, sometimes it’s like that, the teams defend really well and he is able to score against low blocks. He can score in transition.
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”One of the aspects that is really important…I see a player who, if he plays five minutes, is the same as if he started the game. For me it’s really important. When I see Ramos playing, it’s all about the team.
”Then if we want to press high, we need a striker who can do that work. Just watch Ramos playing five minutes, and you will see he’s going to follow all the defenders.”
Pulisic is set for a new role
Former Chelsea forward Pulisic has been a key man for Milan since joining in the summer of 2023, despite only intermittently having the chance to start in his favoured role off the left wing.
With Amorim expected to play a 3-4-2-1 formation and left-winger Leao possibly heading for the exit – we will get to that shortly - Amorim hinted that he knows exactly how he wants to get the best out of United States star Pulisic.
”Pulisic is a really talented player,” Amorim said.
”Of course, he got an injury in the World Cup that we need to assess [a reported leg fracture] but he’s perfect for the way I think about football.
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”Especially here in Italy, sometimes with the teams defending so well, between the lines he’s a player who can make the difference in that kind of space. I have a clear idea of where I want him to play. The right foot on the left side I think is the perfect position for him. He can play on the other side also, but more times inside and not on the line.
”I know the strengths of Pulisic, I believe in him.”
Leao future remains in doubt
”I said I won’t talk about individuals, but I just speak about individuals” said Amorim with a laugh towards the end of his presentation, but there was one man who he would not be drawn on in great detail: Leao.
The Portugal winger has been the subject of rampant speculation that Milan are ready to cash in on him after an underwhelming campaign, with Gazzetta dello Sport reporting last week that he was ”finished” at the club and available for €60 million (£51m).
Amorim was twice asked about his compatriot, but was evasive on both occasions and failed to convince anyone that Leao is a big part of his plans going forward.
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”With Leao, he played really well in the World Cup. He’s our player, I’m really happy with our team so I am a happy allenatore (coach),” Amorim said.
Pressed on the subject again, he added: ”I know I spoke about Goncalo Ramos, but I’m not going to talk about any individuals in the team. I can say I’m really happy with the team.
”On the market, we will do our job. I need to assess the team, then I will explain the profiles, the doubts I have. We will try to start with the best squad for the start of the league, but I’m happy with the team.”
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