Milan Transfer Market: Amorim Introduces Himself and Sets the Tone. Clear Statements on Modric and Pulisic
Milan’s new head coach, Ruben Amorim, introduced himself at a press conference, with Gerry Cardinale by his side. “I feel at home; it’s a great pleasure to be here. Serie A is a league where it’s very difficult to win. We’re here not to avoid losing, but to win. It’s a great challenge.” On the arrival of Gonçalo Ramos: “I really like Gonçalo; you saw him play for Croatia: he scored while surrounded by three defenders, and that’s a situation you often see in Italy as well. People only look at talent, but I see him as a player. It’s about seeing him play as an integral part of the team. For me, he sends a message: it means we believe in the group and in the team.”
Amorim also expressed his hope that Luka Modric would stay at Milan: “He’s a player we want to keep; I’ve spoken with him twice. If necessary, I can go talk to him again—I never get tired of it. He’s incredible; he’s a key player for us. I’m not saying he’ll play every game, but we want to be able to count on him. The board has spoken with him, and I’ve spoken with him: I think he’ll be back in a few days; right now, he needs to rest after the World Cup.”
Pulisic’s role: “He got injured at the World Cup; we’ll have to see. But he’s perfect for the way soccer is played in Italy, with teams that defend well: he can make a difference with a capital D. He’s well-liked at the club, and the whole team is behind him to get the most out of him. He’s very important to us.”
The fans’ discontent: “I have to win them over. I can’t say it’ll be amazing right away, but I can promise I’ll always do my best for the club. I can’t change things in 24 hours; we’ll start slowly. I’ve made mistakes and I’ll make mistakes, but I have a clear vision of how I want to play. We want to win starting with our first Serie A match. We’ll win the first game, then the second, and then build the whole structure from there. It’s a long-term project.”
More transfer hints: “Chukwueze is staying with us; we need players who can take on defenders one-on-one. Saelemaekers can play on the right and the left—he likes to take on defenders one-on-one. Cissè and Comotto will start with us; I don’t know what will happen. We’ll find new players who weren’t here last year. If they play well and take my ideas on board, then we’ll find a place for them: before looking outside, let’s take a good look within.”
