Amorim Slams Unbeaten Tag After Milan Draw: ‘For Me, I Lost Today’

FolioPitch.com – 13 October 2026 | Ruben Amorim wasted no time in dismantling the narrative of his unbeaten start as AC Milan coach, delivering a blunt assessment following his side’s 1-1 draw with Sassuolo at the Mapei Stadium on Sunday night. In a press conference that laid bare his frustration, Amorim explains how Milan must improve and swats away unbeaten start: “For me, I lost today”. The Portuguese tactician made it clear that two dropped points feel like a defeat, and he is in no mood to celebrate a record that he believes masks underlying issues.

Milan had taken the lead through Adrien Rabiot’s 63rd-minute strike, only to be pegged back five minutes later by Odenthal’s equaliser. The Rossoneri pushed for a winner but ultimately had to settle for a share of the spoils, leaving Amorim to dissect a performance that he described as a missed opportunity. “There are many reasons,” he said when asked about the five-minute meltdown after the goal. “The important thing is that after the goal, we should have managed the ball better, but instead we tried to press as we did and often found ourselves in one-on-one situations. There were no clear situations. These are difficult things to understand, but they happen. We conceded a corner, but we can’t concede that goal. In the second half, we transformed the game into transitions. There are several things we can improve.”

Amorim’s frustration was palpable as he addressed the team’s inability to kill off the game. He dismissed the notion that his side lacked hunger in the final minutes, instead pointing to a lack of experience and game management. “I don’t know if it’s a mentality issue, because I don’t know if the whole point is, ‘I scored, so I’ll defend.’ I think it’s a question of experience, but we have to finish the game, kill it, take our time when we need it. There will be things we’ll improve throughout the season, but there are things we should have done better at the start.”

The coach also defended his decision not to bring on an additional striker after the equaliser, explaining that he wanted to maintain the team’s rhythm. “Because I don’t think you attack more if you have more forwards. More midfielders sometimes help you attack more. Why didn’t I bring on another striker after their equaliser? I wanted to play the same way we were doing. Because it doesn’t matter who creates the chances. It’s a moment. We need to understand how the game changes after the goal. We tried to do that, but in the three minutes before the goal, we made the wrong decisions.”

When probed on Milan’s shooting woes, with Rabiot the only player to truly test the goalkeeper from distance, Amorim highlighted the need for smarter decision-making. “It depends. You have to understand that 95% of goals come from inside the penalty area. Sometimes we can also score from outside the box, but we have to understand where we are capable of scoring. We need to improve on our crossing, which we should have done better today. In terms of shots, I don’t think my players are afraid to shoot from outside the box, they just didn’t think it was the right time.”

Amorim’s insistence on improvement was a recurring theme, and he once again returned to his central message: Amorim explains how Milan must improve and swats away unbeaten start: “For me, I lost today”. He elaborated on his philosophy, stating, “Every game is important here. In my last job, I was doing poorly in the league but winning in Europe. For me, being undefeated means nothing. It doesn’t matter to me. For me, I lost today. I don’t want to be the undefeated manager who still loses points, because three draws are three points, so it’s like winning one game and losing two. We have to win, and we will. And we’re not undefeated, because we still threw away points.”

The coach also compared the Sassuolo performance to the recent draw against Torino, insisting that progress is being made despite the result. “It depends. I look at the team and I know we’re improving. There are things that need to be tweaked, but we’re trying to always be dominant, but sometimes it’s difficult. I don’t think it was our best match against Torino. I think we played better today than against Torino. I understand, I accept all opinions, but I think we were better today. Because we had more rotation, we understood the moments of the game better. And if you remember the first half against Torino, we were very static. Today we always defended 1v1. We struggled with some transitions, but today we played better than against Torino.”

With the Europa League clash against Salzburg on the horizon, Amorim stressed the importance of every fixture, refusing to prioritise one competition over another. His relentless drive for perfection was evident as he reiterated that Amorim explains how Milan must improve and swats away unbeaten start: “For me, I lost today”. The message is clear: second-best is not an option, and the unbeaten tag is a distraction from the real work that lies ahead.

In conclusion, Amorim’s candid reflection serves as a wake-up call for Milan. While the unbeaten run may look impressive on paper, the coach’s refusal to accept mediocrity sets a standard that demands more. The draw against Sassuolo was a lesson in game management, and Amorim’s insistence on improvement suggests that Milan’s true potential is yet to be unlocked. As the season progresses, the focus will be on turning draws into wins and ensuring that the team’s dominance translates into tangible results. For Amorim, the only currency that matters is victory, and he will not rest until Milan consistently deliver.