Milan comeback gives Ruben Amorim winning send-off against Manchester United

Ruben Amorim said his former club Manchester United held no additional emotional significance for him after Milan came from behind to win 4-2 in their final friendly before the new season.

The victory on Saturday was Milan’s first of their summer preparations and gave the Italian side a positive result before the start of their Serie A campaign. Amorim will take his team to Torino next weekend for their opening league fixture.

The Portuguese manager spent a turbulent 14 months at Old Trafford before taking charge of Milan in June. However, he insisted that facing Manchester United again did not stir any particular feelings.

“No… for me, it was just a normal game. Since I signed for Milan, I haven’t felt anything towards Manchester United,” Amorim told Sky Sport Italia.

“I am only proud that I was at Manchester United, and I still love the club, but after signing for Milan, I don’t feel bad about anything because I am very happy and I am where I want to be. I just want to continue here.”

Amorim acknowledged that the reunion was unusual, but said his priority was to secure a first win of pre-season before Milan’s competitive fixtures begin.

“Of course, it was special to play against them again, but I wanted to win one of our preparation matches this summer so that we could present ourselves well in the league, look good in front of our supporters and have them behind us in our first match,” he added.

Manchester United took the lead, but Milan overturned the deficit with goals from Samuel Chukwueze, Alfadjo Cisse, Gonzalo Ramos and Ruben Loftus-Cheek to complete a 4-2 win.

The match also gave Amorim an opportunity to discuss several issues involving his squad, including Rafael Leao’s position and the players who currently do not feature in his plans.

He said Leao would have to “fight for his place” because of competition from players including Christian Pulisic and Alexis Saelemaekers. Amorim also said he did not believe the Portugal international’s injury was serious.

Leao remains one of Milan’s most prominent attacking players, but Amorim’s comments underline the competition for places within the squad as the club prepares for the Serie A season. The manager made clear that established names will still need to earn their role in the team.

Amorim also confirmed that goalkeeper Mike Maignan and midfielder Adrien Rabiot had been given additional time off at his request. Both players are expected to return to Milan on Sunday as preparations continue for the league opener.

The win over Manchester United therefore served two purposes for Amorim: it delivered Milan’s first success of the summer and allowed the manager to begin his new competitive era with a strong result against his former club. Despite the history between the Portuguese coach and United, he maintained that his focus is now firmly on Milan and the season ahead.