The Benfica Defeat Puts Milan Under the Spotlight
Milan’s Europa League debut left a bitter taste. The defeat against Benfica — delivered with a heavily rotated lineup that many interpreted as an underestimation of the opponent — triggered more than one alarm bell within the club. Not only among the fans, but right at the very top.
Gerry Cardinale was at San Siro on the night of the match, and the following day he had a direct conversation with Ruben Amorim to understand what is not working and to discuss the constant changes to the lineup. A clear signal: the RedBird owner wants answers.
The Rotation Dilemma: Philosophy or Risk?
Amorim has explained his vision on multiple occasions: for him, there is no fixed starting eleven. All squad players must rotate, accumulate minutes and share the workload. A philosophy that, on paper, has its own logic — spreading fatigue across a wide group allows the team to arrive fresher in the decisive phases of the season.
The problem arises when the quality gap between starters and backups is too wide. In those cases, fielding a heavily rotated lineup means handing time and space to the opponent, as seen against Benfica. And recovering from that becomes an uphill battle.
Amorim Is Safe: Why Cardinale Cannot Back Down
Despite the phone call and the current tension, Amorim is not at risk of being sacked. The reason is as simple as it is significant: it was Cardinale himself who chose him, after a series of rejections from other names on the shortlist. The Portuguese coach was the fifth candidate, but ultimately the choice fell on him, with the American owner personally driving the negotiation.
Removing him after just five or six matches would be far too obvious a U-turn, especially considering that the entire summer transfer window was built around Amorim’s ideas, with daily contact between the two. Dismantling everything in September would be, beyond costly, also counterproductive from an image standpoint.
It is also worth noting that Milan currently lacks a solid management structure: key roles previously filled by experienced football figures are currently vacant. This means all decisions — from the manager to transfers — fall directly on Cardinale, who bears full responsibility for them.
All Eyes on Upcoming Results
That said, results remain the true measure of judgement. Serie A waits for no one, and even storied clubs like Milan are not immune to the dynamics of managerial changes. Fiorentina and Bologna have already changed their coaches this season — and we are talking about clubs far from Milan’s ambitions.
If Milan fails to find consistency over the coming weeks — starting with the match against Lecce — Amorim’s position could become more complicated. There is no open crisis at the moment, but it is a situation to monitor carefully. The pitch, as always, will have the final say.
For now, however, the direction is clear: Milan presses on with Amorim. The season is long, the project has only just begun, and changing course in September would contradict the path already taken. As Milan’s history has shown, great cycles are built over time, with patience and consistency.
