​Ruben Amorim has explained why he feels remorse toward Manchester United supporters, and he stressed that he is in no way like his predecessor Jose Mourinho. He also avoided getting involved in any critique of Milan’s former coach Max Allegri. The Portuguese manager, who parted ways with Manchester United in January, is now back in action on the bench of Serie A club Milan.
During his first press conference since returning to management, Amorim addressed what he had learned from his time in Manchester and what lessons he would carry into his new position with Milan. He acknowledged that reflecting on past mistakes is difficult but insisted that, as Milan’s coach, his focus is on the present and the future. He noted that he learned a great deal during his United tenure and conceded that he made some missteps.
“I can’t fully explain the mistakes without recounting the context of my previous chapter, and I’m now focused on Milan,” he said. “What I can say is that I learned a lot, and I did make some mistakes. I didn’t have the opportunity to speak to the Manchester United fans as I would have liked. I was very proud to be their coach for a year, but this is a different history. There were many things I could have done better in that experience, but sometimes life moves in a way that you have to accept and use as a chance to grow. That is my thinking here.” He added that everyone gains from experience and that some aspects cannot be altered, but he believes the setback will make him a better coach in the long run.
Amorim inherits a Milan side that parted ways with Allegri after the previous season failed to secure a Champions League berth. RedBird’s Gerry Cardinale has been openly critical of Allegri’s style, repeatedly indicating that he chose Amorim precisely because he wanted a approach focused on winning rather than merely avoiding defeat. When asked to comment on that lineage, Amorim chose caution and clarity. He said he would describe his own preferred style of play while maintaining immense respect for Allegri, whose experience he does not diminish. “I can outline how I want us to play,” he stated. “I know the direction we are aiming for, but I have immense respect for Mister Allegri—no more or less than that. I will not discuss the past and the way Milan played before; I can talk about how I want us to play moving forward.”