AMORIM: “WE CAN'T WAIT TO GET STARTED”

Following the comeback away to Lazio, AC Milan is preparing for their Europa League opener. Benfica are our first opponents at San Siro. This clash promises to be a brilliant opening to our European campaign: Coach Rúben Amorim and Gonçalo Ramos preview the fixture in their press conference.

RÚBEN AMORIM

AHEAD OF AC MILAN VS. BENFICA
“It’s an important occasion and we can’t wait to begin our European campaign. We know the history behind this fixture, including the two European Cup finals between AC Milan and Benfica. I also have a past with Benfica, but today I’m here to win with AC Milan. We’re facing a very strong team with a clear identity, a great manager and players who are used to dealing with pressure. They know how to vary their style of play, make good use of the wings and create plenty of rotations. It will be a difficult match, but we’re playing at San Siro and we can count on our fans. We’re ready to face the challenge and give it our very best.”

OBJECTIVE IN EUROPE
“At a club like AC Milan, there is no such thing as a minimum objective. We are talking about a competition and our objective has to be to win it. There are plenty of strong teams, including Benfica, but we also have a responsibility to try to go as far as possible. I don’t want to set the quarter-finals or semi-finals as our target: we have to focus on the next match and try to win it, because that is how you get closer to the trophy. We have quality and, if everyone stays involved throughout the season, we can win any match.”

MANAGING THE SQUAD
“Against Lazio, we had a different attitude in the second half, but I don’t think it was simply down to the substitutions or individual players. The team’s energy changed. We can’t expect to get through an entire season with the same eleven players: with the league and cup competitions, we need the whole squad. The aim is to build a clear identity that allows everyone to come into the team without the overall level dropping. There will be matches that require certain qualities and others that call for different ones.”

INDIVIDUALS
“To put Modrić in the best possible conditions, we need to keep possession for long periods and avoid turning the match into a constant end-to-end race. I don’t draw conclusions from a single performance: I know his quality and I know he will be important for us throughout the season. Hutchinson, meanwhile, is ready and could also start from the first minute. I don’t want to give away the line-up, but he is certainly an option available to us.”

GONÇALO RAMOS

FACING BENFICA AGAIN
“If I were to score, I wouldn’t celebrate, because Benfica feels like home to me. Of course, I’m still very eager to score. It will be a special match, but when we step onto the pitch, our objective will be to win.”

ROLE IN THE TEAM
“I don’t think the focus should be on my goals. We are a team and I don’t necessarily have to be the protagonist. A striker can have a great game without scoring, just as he can score without having played his best match. What matters is running, helping each other and working as a team. We are building stronger and stronger bonds with one another and, as time goes on, we will continue to improve. Every match is a new opportunity to do better.”

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