After the long international break, Milan return to their domestic season with a Sunday evening visit to Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium, kicking off at 18:00. For Ruben Amorim, the occasion is less about restarting than restoring the rhythm he believes Milan need for the months ahead: winning the next match, sustaining the mood around Milanello and turning preparation into a more complete team performance.
The coach and the club
Amorim said the value of an international break depends on each player’s circumstances. Those involved with their national teams retained competitive sharpness, while others faced a different challenge. Koni De Winter, who did not play for his country, has had to manage a spell of almost three weeks without a match.
The Milan coach nevertheless found his group ready on their return. He saw players pleased to be back together at Milanello and said the internationals had maintained their standards. Some had played twice but had also been able to recover between commitments.
The pause gave Amorim more time with Hutchinson, allowing him to work in greater detail on the demands of his role. A friendly against Padova was also used to test different ideas with the side.
Gonçalo Ramos and Jashari impressed during international duty, while Moreira offered Amorim further evidence of his versatility. The coach described Moreira as more direct from the left, while on the right he tends to seek individual duels more often. His defensive work for his national side also mattered to Amorim, who expects him to become even more threatening and believes he will be used on both flanks.
A collective answer for Ramos
Ramos’ international form has prompted questions over whether Milan can help their forward score more often. Amorim’s answer was that the issue cannot be reduced to one player’s tally.
“My task is not simply to make Ramos score more,” he said. “We have to find a better way of playing, create more for our forwards and get the ball into the box more regularly. The aim is to win matches.”
He was pleased with Ramos’ work for his country and hopes that confidence can now carry into Milan’s league campaign. But Amorim placed the responsibility on the side as a whole, insisting that a stronger collective structure is the route to better service for the attacking players.
Camarda’s place in the season
Francesco Camarda remains one of the early questions around Milan’s squad. Amorim wanted the young striker to stay as Ramos’ deputy, yet he has played only eight minutes so far, leading to discussion of a possible January loan and the prospect of another forward arriving.
Amorim did not engage with recruitment matters, directing those questions towards Gerry Cardinale, who was present. His focus, he said, is on the schedule ahead.
Camarda, however, is expected to receive more opportunities. Amorim noted that Milan have had more recovery time recently, but that the forthcoming run of matches will require greater rotation. He also stressed that the forward is still learning.
“He will get more minutes in the coming games,” Amorim said. “But this is Milan, and he still has a great deal to develop. I have expected a lot from him from the first day, and he must be ready when he is called upon.”
Cissé was also discussed as a possible alternative in the central attacking role. Amorim believes he can assist there in particular situations, although not as a conventional out-and-out striker.
Preparing for Sassuolo
The meeting with Sassuolo brings Amorim up against Alberto Aquilani, a coach he regards highly. Amorim recalled Aquilani from his playing days, including their shared connection through Jorge Jesus, whom Amorim worked under for seven years.
He described Aquilani as an intelligent player who has taken that quality into coaching. Amorim sees a modern approach in Sassuolo’s work and detects the influence of Roberto De Zerbi, predicting that Aquilani has a significant future in the game.
The fixture also reunites Amorim with Nemanja Matic, his former Benfica team-mate between 2011 and 2014. Amorim called Matic both an outstanding footballer and a fine person, recalling that English allowed them to communicate at Benfica when few others in the group used the language.
While Matic may no longer play at the same tempo, Amorim believes the midfielder’s intelligence remains decisive. He said the Sassuolo player is extremely difficult to dispossess and gives Aquilani’s team valuable experience.
Shape, opponents and a demanding league
Amorim did not reveal precisely how Milan will line up. He said the best defensive arrangement depends on the opponent and the game state, rather than being fixed by a single system.
For him, the key is that players understand when they must operate in a back three or a back four, with smaller changes in movement available during the match. He acknowledged that Serie A coaches have extensive footage of Milan and that it is his responsibility to introduce details capable of surprising opponents, without making his players uncomfortable through excessive change.
He also spoke warmly of the league he has entered. Amorim said Serie A’s standard had exceeded his expectations, pointing to the quality of matches, players and coaches. He believes the championship is now producing more goals, faster football and longer spells of active play than its critics once suggested.
Venezia, despite being bottom of the table, were cited as an example of the division’s intensity because of their willingness to press high across the pitch. Milan’s wider ambition remains to compete for trophies, but Amorim framed that target as a gradual process in a league full of strong sides.
“We have to proceed step by step,” he said. “The intention is always to win titles, even if I do not know how long that will take. We are making the necessary moves.”
Amorim said he is enjoying the work of preparing for Serie A opponents and feels honoured to be coaching in Italy. He is still working on his Italian, though, explaining that he does not yet feel sufficiently secure in the language to express every important point as precisely as he would wish.
Sunday at the Mapei Stadium is therefore another small but meaningful passage in Milan’s season: a return from the break, a test against an admired opposing coach, and a chance to give the next stage of Amorim’s work a result to match its intent.
