Ruben Amorim insists AC Milan is an even bigger challenge than Manchester United, as he take on his first job since leaving Old Trafford.
The 41-year-old left the Red Devils in January after a pretty miserable spell in charge for all concerned.
Amorim managed 63 Manchester United games and won just 24 of them, leaving the club with a win rate of 38.10 per cent.
It was a bruising time for the Portuguese coach, especially as his replacement, Michael Carrick, made the job look a whole lot easier, finishing last season in third.
Amorim’s reputation has clearly not been too badly damaged, though, as he returns to management with one of European football’s great clubs.
AC Milan finished fifth in Serie A last season and the new manager is tasked with returning them to challenging for the title and to competing in the Champions League.
He believes that the task at hand is even more challenging than the one he faced when he took over from Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford.
‘I’m really happy to be here,’ he said as he begins work at the San Siro.
‘It’s an honour to be the coach of AC Milan. If you look at an old interview of mine, I said this is a special club for me.
‘It’s a great challenge. After the last time I promised myself to choose a smaller challenge, and yet here I am, it’s an even bigger challenge.
‘But I’m proud to be here, now I want to work with my staff and my players… I’m really happy to be here.’
Asked if he is arriving with the aim of winning trophies, he said: ‘Of course.
‘You can’t come to Milan without this mentality. I’m not naïve and I know we have a lot to do, but if you’re the coach of Milan, you have to play to win.’
Amorim did indeed reveal his love for AC Milan in an old interview, saying in 2017: ‘As a child, I had two great passions: Benfica and AC Milan.
‘I still remember spending hours watching tapes of Sacchi and Capello’s Rossoneri: Maldini, Baresi, Gullit, Rijkaard, Savicevic…
‘My childhood dreams were to play for Benfica and AC Milan. I only managed to achieve one. Now I’ll have to coach the Rossoneri.’
AC Milan president Paolo Scaroni says Amorim has been on the radar of club owner Gerry Cardinale for a while and hopes the decision will be a ‘magic’ one.
‘I know that Gerry Cardinale had been following Amorim for some time, a coach he viewed with great interest,’ Scaroni said, via ANSA.
‘I trust that Gerry Cardinale has his own magic touch when it comes to choosing people; he has demonstrated it many times throughout his life, and I hope that this time too it truly proves to be a magic touch,”
‘I am confident that everything will begin on the right footing.’
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