AMORIM: "WE NEED TO STAY HUMBLE AND FOCUSED"

After a convincing opening-day win, the Rossoneri are preparing for Matchday 2 of Serie A and their first game at San Siro. Ahead of AC Milan v Venezia, scheduled for Friday 28 August at 20:45 CEST, Rúben Amorim spoke at a press conference at Milanello powered by Clivet.

FIRST HOME GAME
"It'll be a special day. I'll feel the responsibility that comes with being AC Milan coach, but I'll try to enjoy my first time at San Siro. I'm expecting a difficult game. They play man-to-man all over the pitch, so we'll need to press them well, run a lot and use the ball intelligently, with humility. We need to avoid major drops in our performance levels, find consistency and understand that we need time to improve. We work well during the week and I see a lot of commitment from the players. That's the only way we can improve, and to do that, everyone needs to feel part of the project."

AMORIM'S AC MILAN
"We need to give the team stability and develop a way of playing that allows everyone to be involved throughout the season. We always want to be competitive, both in Serie A and in Europe. Our aim is to win trophies and, to do that, we need to be able to change personnel. We need different qualities depending on the opposition and what the game requires, so everyone has to be ready when called upon. That's how we can build stability. For me, concentration is fundamental. We can't afford to focus on the details in the big games and then not show the same level of attention against opponents that people might consider easier. We have to approach every game as if our next opponent were the best team in the world. If we stay focused, we can beat anyone; if we don't, we can even lose to a Serie B side. The key word is humility. Defeats may come, but only because our opponents were better than us."

INDIVIDUAL PLAYERS
"Leão isn't ready to be named in the matchday squad. He's only trained once and won't be involved. Pulisic is coming back from an injury and won't start. Rabiot is a key player in what we're building. We want him to stay at AC Milan and, if the opportunity arises, to renew his contract. He's still some way from full fitness and hasn't trained much with the team, so we'll need to manage his workload carefully. He can play in midfield or as an attacking midfielder; a lot will depend on what the game requires. Mike is a leader in this project. He's very strong when dealing with set pieces and we want him to stay. He's important to us and I can see that he's happy here. Camarda needs time and opportunities. Ramos is playing at a very high level, but Francesco needs to feel like he's the second choice, not the third, so that he can be ready when called upon. He's adapting to our way of playing and I have a lot of faith in him."

TRANSFER MARKET
"We have a lot of players and many young players who need playing time. We can't expect to solve every problem in a single transfer window. What we do today will also have an impact on the future. Some of the young players will find things difficult, while others will surprise us, as was the case with Cissè. I'm very happy with the squad I have at my disposal. I don't know what will happen, but if anyone does come in, it will only be because they can help us both now and in the future. As for everything else, we need to wait another five days and then we can talk about the transfer window."

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