Cracks at San Siro: Amorim under fire after Benfica humbling, but the owner won't budge
The scoreboard was supposed to be Milan's safest ally this season. After last night, the noise around Rúben Amorim is coming from inside the house.
Details: Rúben Amorim's relationship with some senior Milan players is not great, Matteo Moretto reports. Doubts around the coach are growing after the 0:2 home defeat to Benfica in the Europa League opener, but owner Gerry Cardinale continues to back the Portuguese, and the club are currently standing by him.
The Benfica debacle has accelerated everything. Milan were beaten 2:0 at San Siro by a side that had never previously beaten them in Europe, record signing Gonçalo Ramos produced another invisible performance, and Fabio Capello led a chorus of criticism claiming nothing new has been seen in this Milan. Amorim's honeymoon, built on winning his first two Serie A matches, a feat no Rossoneri coach had managed since 2014, is officially over. Behind the scenes, the picture is mixed: relations with part of the senior guard, a dressing room that includes Modrić, Rabiot and Maignan, are strained, yet Cardinale's support has not wavered, and the club are simultaneously pushing to appoint Markus Krösche as technical director, a long-term structural bet that hardly screams of an imminent sacking. Amorim was hired in June to build an era after the Allegri years; Milan's history suggests eras die fast when results turn. The next fortnight, domestically and in Europe, will decide whether this project wobbles or breaks.
It's worth noting that Milan have changed coaches mid-season in three of the last five years, a tradition Amorim will be desperate not to extend.
Reminder: No more hiding: Amorim openly declares Milan's European ambition on the eve of Benfica clash.
Miguel Solomons
Dailysports's expert
