Ruben Amorim questions AC Milan mentality after Europa League defeat by Ferencvaros

Ruben Amorim criticised AC Milan’s mentality after their Europa League campaign suffered a damaging 2-0 home defeat by Ferencvaros at San Siro.

The Portuguese coach said his players had failed to show the responsibility expected of those representing one of Europe’s biggest clubs, as Milan were beaten by two second-half goals from Lenny Joseph.

“When you play for Milan, you have a responsibility; you can’t go out there like this,” Amorim said.

The visitors took the lead when Joseph punished a mistake by Milan goalkeeper Lorenzo Torriani. The forward then struck again 14 minutes later, finishing a counter-attack clinically to put Ferencvaros in control.

Milan were unable to produce a response and struggled to create a route back into the game. Their task became easier when Ferencvaros were reduced to 10 men in the 77th minute, after substitute Bamidele Yusuf was shown a straight red card, but the hosts still could not alter the result.

The defeat leaves AC Milan 28th in the Europa League standings, with three losses from their opening four matches. It represents a significant setback after their morale-boosting derby victory over Inter Milan at the weekend.

Amorim rejected the idea that the result had been caused by his tactics or team selection, instead questioning whether the squad were mentally equipped to compete in both Serie A and Europe.

“We’re not mentally ready. The technical aspect has nothing to do with it. The rotation has nothing to do with it,” he said.

The manager accepted responsibility for the performance but said his players must respond quickly, particularly after failing to meet expectations in front of their home supporters.

“I take full responsibility for this, because the team is my responsibility, but we can’t afford to do something like this, especially in the first half, in front of our fans, at our home,” Amorim said.

He also admitted Milan were not currently prepared for the demands of playing every three days, but insisted the club’s European campaign was not over.

The coach promised to continue fighting in the Europa League despite the poor start, saying: “We’re not ready to play every three days now, but I certainly won’t give up on the Europa League. We’ll fight until it’s over. It’s a promise.”