Ruben Amorim urges Milan to focus on Lecce and denies criticising players

Milan manager Ruben Amorim says his side must learn from their recent mistakes as they prepare to face Lecce in a Serie A match marking 100 years since the opening of San Siro.

Amorim said the team could not change the past but had to respond in their next game.

“When you lose, you are not the same person, and if nothing changes after a defeat, then something is wrong,” he said. “The team is ready for the match. We cannot change the past, but we can change the next game.”

The manager insisted his conversations with the squad were not limited to periods after defeats.

“I always speak to the team, not only when we lose,” Amorim added. “There are many things we need to improve and we want to be ready for tomorrow’s match.”

He said opponents were often highly organised during the opening 45 minutes, with substitutions then providing an opportunity to alter the pace of a game. But Amorim stressed that Milan needed to manage matches more effectively and avoid conceding early.

“In the first 45 minutes, teams are very organised and focused. Afterwards, we can change the rhythm through substitutions,” he said. “But in all circumstances, we cannot concede goals, especially in the first half, and we need to control the match better.”

Amorim defends team selection

Addressing his decision to rotate the side against Benfica, Amorim noted that their opponents had also made significant changes.

“Benfica made nine changes compared with their previous match, so we had to rotate as well,” he said. “You cannot say we lost because of the players who played in the first half.”

Milan created more chances, had more possession and made more touches inside the opposition penalty area, according to Amorim.

“Sometimes you simply cannot score, while Benfica scored from the chances they created,” he said. “It is about the collective performance, not the players individually.”

Amorim also played down his meeting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic, describing it as a routine visit from someone who works with the club.

“It was just a visit from someone who works with the club,” he said. “Our focus is on Lecce. It was simply a visit.”

The manager said his previous comments about some players not fitting his ideas and the possibility of changing formation were not contradictory.

“Both things can be true at the same time,” he said. “It is not about the formation, because my idea of football does not depend on the shape but on principles. That is what matters.”

Amorim said it was impossible for a new club to possess every characteristic required for every situation. Referring to a question from Fabio Capello, he said the team needed to defend well, particularly when in possession.

He also expressed frustration at a goal Milan conceded, while asking reporters not to portray his comments as criticism of individual players.

“I was very angry, but I think you were angry too because you watched the match,” he said. “We need to control those situations better.

“Please do not write that I am criticising the players. I am only explaining what happened. The effort they are making is the right effort, so please do not write that I am criticising anyone, because that is absolutely not true.”

Amorim added that experienced players valued honesty, even when they disagreed with a manager’s decisions. With matches scheduled every two or three days after the international break, he said he had to consider training performances, physical effort and players’ histories when managing the squad.

“They understand my role and that I have to make decisions,” he said.