Milan: Ruben Amorim Breaks His Silence on Luka Modric, but the Debate Rages On

The build-up to Lazio vs. Milan has turned into a heated debate centered on one name: Luka Modric. The Croatian, who has been the subject of technical and physical evaluations by his coach, Ruben Amorim, has become the dominant topic on social media, where the Rossoneri fanbase is divided between those who defend his qualities—considering them indispensable even for the new Milan—and those who fear he may not be compatible with the pace demanded by the Portuguese coach.

Amorim himself chose to weigh in directly during a press conference, though he tried to steer the discussion toward a more technical perspective. “Luka can’t press all the time—that’s normal at his age—but he always controls the tempo of the game and understands it better than anyone else. As a coach, I have to make choices. I understand the criticism; it’s valid, but we need to look at the bigger picture. It’s a matter of balance: choosing what to sacrifice and what to prioritize. With Luka on the field, however, the quality of our possession improves significantly.”

Against Lazio, Ardon Jashari is expected to start, in part to give Modric a breather ahead of Thursday’s Europa League opener against Benfica at San Siro. The rest of the lineup is not expected to change: up front, Gonçalo Ramos will be confirmed as the main striker, while Pulisic still appears destined for the bench, ready to come on during the game.

After three league matches, Milan is tied for fourth place with 7 points, alongside Como and Juventus. Ahead of them are the three teams with perfect records: Roma, Inter, and Lazio itself—one of the surprises of this early Serie A season, having secured narrow victories over Bologna, Genoa, and Udinese.