Ruben Amorim’s start at AC Milan has produced a line of Serie A history that no coach has reached in more than six decades. Fifteen points from his first seven league matches have made the Portuguese only the third manager in the club’s Serie A history to open his tenure with four wins, three draws and no defeat, joining Hector Puricelli in 1955 and Luis Carniglia in 1963.
He joined that company on Sunday after a 3-2 win over Atalanta at San Siro.
The Italian press has read the project warmly, but with a steady eye on what has not yet been proven. La Gazzetta dello Sport, as reported by GiveMeSport, called the direction correct but refused to declare the job done.
“The path is the right one, Amorim’s Milan is starting to show and even looks good, but it’s too early to say mission accomplished.”
Read also: Gattuso makes shocking coaching admission after Lazio’s stunning victory over Juventus
Corriere della Sera noted the attack had “finally found its rhythm” after Milan scored seven goals in three days. Quotidiano Sportivo described the Atalanta performance as “an hour of dominant football, the premise and promise of Ruben Amorim’s new AC Milan era.”
The warning in Gazzetta’s praise
The paper’s caveat was the one that stuck. Gazzetta suggested Amorim’s demanding, total-football style may be consuming more energy than the squad can afford across 90 minutes, a reading the Atalanta game did little to dispute.
Milan were 3-0 up on the hour. Gonçalo Ramos converted a penalty on 24 minutes, Adrien Rabiot slotted into the bottom corner before the break, and Mario Gila headed in from a corner early in the second half. Ramos then missed a second penalty from the spot, and the game turned: Gianluca Gaetano pulled one back for Atalanta on 66 minutes, Nikola Krstovic added a second in the 81st, and the Rossoneri held on.
Amorim: ‘The final minutes don’t change that’
The manager was unwilling to let the finish define the night.
Read also: Trump’s DC championship course: 430 felled trees and a judge who refused to step aside
“I said against Sassuolo we were improving as a team, the final minutes don’t change that,” Amorim said.
He put the collapse down to decisions rather than legs.
“The momentum changed completely, as before the Atalanta goal, we were controlling the game and closer to a fourth goal than conceding a first, but some bad decisions, especially in the build-up, gave them opportunities.”
Six months on from Old Trafford
The context sharpens the record. Amorim arrived at San Siro after his spell as Manchester United head coach ended earlier in the year. Seven Serie A matches in, he has produced a line of history reserved, in Milan’s Serie A past, for only two of his predecessors.
Read also: Michael Carrick told to make ruthless Bruno Fernandes decision as Man Utd crisis deepens
Milan extended their unbeaten league start to seven matches with the Atalanta result, sitting on 15 points from four wins and three draws.
Read also: Dynamo Kyiv title winner confirmed killed in war after 20-month search
