Amorim Fumes ‘There Was No Game’ After 10-Man Milan Crushed by Bournemouth

FolioPitch.com – 23 October 2026 | Ruben Amorim did not mince words after AC Milan‘s chastening 3-0 Europa League defeat at Bournemouth, declaring that Amorim There was no game as 10-man Milan punished in Bournemouth summed up the evening perfectly. The Rossoneri were reduced to ten men after just 28 minutes and never recovered, leaving their coach to lament a self-inflicted collapse at the Vitality Stadium.

The tone was set by two naive errors inside the opening half-hour. First, Koni De Winter conceded a penalty with a needless handball from a corner, allowing Justin Kluivert to convert from the spot. Minutes later, goalkeeper Mike Maignan shoved Tyler Adams in the face during another set-piece, prompting referee Vassilis Fotias to award a second penalty and send the Frenchman off. Marcus Tavernier dispatched the kick, and Amine Adli added a late free-kick to complete the rout.

Speaking to Sky Sport Italia, Amorim was blunt in his assessment. “The penalty on the corner and the red card changed everything, so it was not a game. It was not a game,” he said. “We didn’t have time to recover from the first penalty. We tried to push in the end, but the third goal made it even harder for us.” The coach’s frustration was palpable as he revisited the sequence that Amorim There was no game as 10-man Milan punished in Bournemouth had reduced his side to damage limitation.

Amorim rejected suggestions that squad rotation or a lack of rhythm contributed to the defeat, pointing instead to the fundamental discipline failures. “There was no game. It’s not about rhythm or Salzburg, there was no game. It is a different team, you cannot have a penalty in that corner and you cannot get sent off in that situation,” he replied with irritation. The reference to Salzburg recalled Milan’s 4-1 win over the Austrian side with a heavily rotated lineup, but Bournemouth represented a far sterner test.

Both errors stemmed from corners, and Amorim was particularly critical of Maignan, whose experience should have prevented such a rash reaction. Under the new rules, a penalty can be awarded even when the ball is not in play, and the goalkeeper’s shove left his team with a mountain to climb. “That is true, we cannot do that. We need to keep 11 players on the pitch, there are more experienced players, but now we need to recover and get ready for the next game,” Amorim added. “We have to run a lot with one less player, try to press at the right moment in that situation, so it was a negative in all aspects tonight.”

Asked whether he had spoken to Maignan after the dismissal, Amorim revealed the conversation would have to wait. “No, I didn’t have the time, now I need to go to Milan to prepare for the next match against Udinese. We’ll talk about it when we get back.” The coach also defended his tactical decision to keep a back three that morphed into a five under pressure, rather than switching to a conventional 4-4-1. “First of all, they know this way of defending, and as I said they tried to push in the final minutes and not take as many risks during the central part of the game. I try to put my players in the most comfortable position and try to change the game with substitutions.”

The result leaves Milan chasing in the Europa League after losing two of their first three league-phase matches, having also fallen 2-0 at home to Benfica in the opener. The defeat echoed Amorim’s dismal record against Bournemouth from his Manchester United days, including a 3-0 loss at the same venue. With goal difference potentially decisive in the new format, the margin of defeat could prove costly.

Amorim, now 100 days into his Milan tenure, struck a philosophical note when asked about the broader situation. “This is part of the journey. If you look at the story of Milan, we are at a different point. Fabio Capello is talking about the history of Milan, and I understand that, but we must be realistic. I appreciated the way we fought, we tried to do something, to help each other out, so we must learn from these moments, realise this is football.”

Yet the stark reality is that Amorim There was no game as 10-man Milan punished in Bournemouth exposed familiar frailties. Milan had already shown defensive cracks in their 3-2 win over Atalanta, nearly squandering a 3-0 lead at San Siro. The pattern of losing concentration at set-pieces and in key moments is one Amorim must urgently address.

For Bournemouth, the victory was a statement of intent, built on clinical penalties and relentless pressing. For Milan, it was a night to forget, a match that Amorim There was no game as 10-man Milan punished in Bournemouth will forever be remembered as a harsh lesson in discipline and composure. The Rossoneri must regroup quickly before facing Udinese, or their Europa League campaign risks unravelling further.