New Milan boss Ruben Amorim “more hungry” after United spell, hails Gonçalo Ramos signing – full quotes from first San Siro press conference | OneFootball

Amorim at his Milan unveiling [Getty Images]

Ruben Amorim was paraded in front of the media for the first time by new club AC Milan on Wednesday, speaking at length during his first press conference as manager.

Amorim was appointed on a two-year contract last month, replacing Massimiliano Allegri in the Rossoneri dugout. The former Sporting boss became the third Portuguese manager in the space of two years, following the short-lived stints of Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao.

The press conference touched on a host of subjects, with Amorim typically calm and charming in dealing with the questions. Below are the bulk of the discussion points.

On speaking Italian:

“First of all, I want to apologise for not speaking Italian. I know, especially here in Italy and with the tifosi, that it’s important for me to speak Italian, to respect your culture. I promise that I will be fast. I tried in the first day, so I know the importance of the allenatore (coach) of Milan speaking Italian.

Taking Milan role: 

“It’s an honour to be here, I’m so happy. I can feel that here the city feels the club. I’ve felt that in my first three days in the city. I love [the training ground] Milanello. I think the place has history. It’s quiet, people say that it’s old, I love that kind of old. Everything is there. I love the staff. I could not be happier. I feel at home. We’ll see, but so far I’m so happy to be here.

“I accepted not just because it’s Milan. I went to the first meeting with a lot of concerns [laughs] because of the revolution that we had in our club. But after the first meeting I was a Milan coach. They didn’t know it, because we still had to discuss the contract. But in my head after the first meeting I was convinced.

“I look at the team and the team has some principles that I like. We defend quite well. If you look at the table, we need to score more goals. If you see the first team in the league, the champion, there’s a big difference and we need to address that. But I had good meetings, about the team and the scouting about what the idea was.

“When you feel that you have the people around you. When you have a club like Milan, when you have a big challenge in that the team is not winning Scudetto. Of course it was the challenge that I wanted. After the meeting it was clear that it was the challenge I wanted in this stage of my career.”

Milan’s historic teams: 

“I remember a lot of things about Milan. Not just Ancelotti. Ancelotti is for my staff because they are younger. I didn’t live it, but I watched a lot of Arrigo Sacchi. The way he defends and presses, the high pressure. He brought a new idea of how to press and to jump with the defenders.

“I remember Fabio Capello. Big team, 58 games without losing, 80 wins at home. All these details I remember. From the past, Milan is not just about the offense. It’s about the team. We had players like Gullit, Van Basten, Seedorf, all these great players. But when you remember Milan what you remember is the team. And that is the most important thing for me.

“It’s hard to choose one memory. As everyone knows, I’ve followed Milan since I was young, but I’m also a Benfica fan. So I remember quite well in the 1990s the final, the Frank Rijkaard goal. So that game was tough for me and my family. So I have a lot of memories from the Milan teams and I just want to be part of it.

“Of course it’s a big responsibility. And I know that for the foreigners [as managers] it’s really hard to win. [Nils] Liedholm was the last one to win [Serie A, in 1979] so I know that. But I want to be part of it. It’s a big challenge, let’s see.”

Gonçalo Ramos: 

“I don’t want to talk about individuals in a team, but I can talk about Gonçalo Ramos because we bought him for a lot of money and I can explain why we chose him. First thing is we did that job as a team. I’m the person who gives the profile to the [recruitment] team and they find the best players available in the position. That will be the type of work we do here. I don’t choose a name, I choose a profile and then we follow the list of the scouting.

“We did that. And we believe a lot in Gonçalo Ramos. I think he proved in the last game against Croatia, against a low block he scored with three defenders on top of him. If you see games in Italy, sometimes it’s like that. Teams defend really well and he’s able to score against low blocks. He can score in transitions.

“One of the aspects that is really important with Gonçalo Ramos, is that sometimes people just look at the talent of the player. I see a player who if you see him play five minutes, he’s the same as if he starts the game. For me that’s really important. When I see Gonçalo Ramos playing it’s all about the team.

“Then, if we want to press high, we need a striker who can do that work. Guys, just watch Gonçalo Ramos play for five minutes and you’ll see he’s going to follow the defenders all the time. So it’s more than a player, it’s a message to show that we want a guy that believes in the team. We did the job and I’m really happy that it’s really fast. And that was a sign that the structure also believe in what I’m trying to do here.”

Rafael Leão: 

“He played really well in the World Cup. He’s our player, I’m really happy with our team. So I’m a happy allenatore.”

Writing a story at Milan: 

“There are some things that it’s not about saying, it’s about feeling it. At this iconic club, it’s a big challenge, but if we can do it, it’s more than a title. It’s to belong to the history of a club with iconic names. This is the type of challenge that I want. If something not good happens here, I will be happier in my life that I tried.

“I followed Milan since I was young, so it’s personal and it’s hard to take this kind of challenge. What I can say is the belief that I had in Sporting is the same belief that I have now. With a little bit more hunger, maybe because of the last adventure. So I’m really hungry to have success. I believe in myself and especially I believe in the structure and I believe in the club.

“I know it’s a tough league. I know that you need to know Italian football really well. But nowadays everyone sees other leagues and I think I learn fast and I’ll try to do that. What I can say is that everything I was thinking when I said what I said [at the start] at Sporting I can also say today and I truly believe that it’s going to be okay.”

Milan’s pursuit of the second star (20th Scudetto): 

“The first thing is, you have European games, but in your league you prove yourself in so many matches. To win the league, you need to be the best team. That is the first step for us. We want to win the second star. 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. But we can all agree the main goal is to be dominant in Italy and then we have time to think about the rest.”

Speaking to ex Milan managers Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao before taking the job: 

“I didn’t speak with Paulo Fonseca or Mr Sérgio Conceição. I have a small relationship with Paulo Fonseca. I don’t have a relationship with Sérgio Conceição [laughs] because we were rivals and it was three years ago, so it’s still fresh.”

Mourinho comparisons: 

“No, I’m completely different from Jose Mourinho. I learned a lot from him of course. But as a coach you need to follow your personality. You cannot copy anyone, I will not copy anyone. I have a different style of playing. I hope to win like he won here in Italy. That’s the only thing I want to be the same. I have a lot of respect for Mourinho, I can call him a friend. But I’m completely different. Don’t expect that from me.

“You know that when I’m upset with a loss, I will say a lot of things I shouldn’t say. But I learned with all the mistakes that I did in Manchester. I learned a lot. I will try to improve on these small details, to help my players to be better. I expect to win more games than draw, I will not talk about losing games. Because that communication is going to be easy if we win games.”

Modric’s future: 

“Modric is a player we want to keep. For his experience. I spoke with him two times. If he needs it I’ll 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 that he’s going to play all the games, I’m saying that publicly so Luka can watch this. But we really want to count with Modric for the next season. The board spoke with Modric, I spoke with Modric. I hope to have him in a few days, because I will give him a some days to rest.”

Personal skills with players: 

“I think, if I can say that, Portuguese culture and Italian culture is all about the connection: the touch, the feeling. I’m also like that. I’m that kind of coach. Of course, when you win games it’s easier to have a connection. Of course I will have problems with my players because they are not playing. I want that problem: if you are okay with not playing, we have a big problem.

“But my connection with the players is always close. I will be honest with my players all the time. Sometimes I will not be fair, because that is impossible. But I will be honest with the players and I think as a former player that is the best way to win the trust of the players. Then, when you have connections with the team, all the flaws the squad has, we can hide them.

“I’m really into the connection, the human side. The worries of the families. We have an excellent team who are taking care of the players, their lives, we have everything under control. Then we also need to have an attractive way of playing because they like that. If they feel that they can play because they work for it, I think it’s going to be good for the team and they will help each other to be better.”

Christian Pulisic: 

“He’s a really talented player. Of course he had an injury during the World Cup which we need to access. But he’s perfect for the way I see football. Especially here in Italy, with the teams defending so well with less space between the lines. He’s a player that can make the difference in that kind of space. I have a clear idea of where I want him to play. Especially with the right foot on the left side. I think it’s the perfect position for him. He can play on the other side also. But more times inside, rather than on the line.

“The important thing is I know the strengths of Pulisic. I believe in him. He will be supported in our club. I know he had some problems with the elimination in the World Cup, they criticised Pulisic. But we are here, telling him that we believe a lot in him. We want to recover him from his last injury, and we have a clear plan to use the qualities he has. I can say Pulisic is really important for us.”

Playing to win: 

“Guys, I can say to you how I want to play. I Know where you want to go. I have a huge respect for Mr Allegri. He’s won more than me, he’s so experienced. What I can say is I will not talk about the past, the way Milan played. I can say the way I want to play and the way we want to play is with the ball, we want to dominate the opponent.

“I know that sometimes we are going to defend, this team defends really well.  We have different ideas and that is normal. Every coach has different ideas, I have ideas. Then I’m going to change a little bit when I see my players close. They will give me ideas. But I can talk about the principles. The principles are we want to recover the ball really fast, we want to entertain the fans, we want to be exciting to watch.

“I know that in the beginning with all the information we want to give, it is going to be hard for the players. We know all of that. But that principle is clear. We want to win the game, have that responsibility. That comes with coaching big teams, you cannot run away from the fact that you need to win. That a draw is like losing. And that’s what we are going to do: try to score goals and be dominant.”

Mistakes made in Manchester: 

“First thing is it’s hard to explain all the mistakes because for that I would have to explain all the context of the last adventure. So it’s hard to explain every mistake. The only thing I can say is that I learned a lot and I did some mistakes.

“I didn’t have the opportunity, and I’m sorry for that, to say something to the Manchester United fans at the moment. I’m really proud to be their coach for a year at that time. But now it’s a different history. There are a lot of things that I could do better in the last experience.

“But sometimes it’s like that. You need to learn, to find the right spot to reach a different level. That’s my thinking here. Everyone learns from the experience. I did some mistakes. I will try to change. There are some things you will never change. But I think I will be a better allenatore (coach).”