Cardinale Backs Amorim: Milan Owner Promises January Signings, Krösche Talks and New San Siro

FolioPitch.com – 31 October 2026 | AC Milan owner Gerry Cardinale has publicly backed head coach Ruben Amorim and promised further reinforcements in the January transfer window, while also addressing links to Eintracht Frankfurt sporting director Markus Krösche and the club’s new stadium project. In a wide-ranging interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Cardinale discusses support for Amorim signings to come Krösche links and new stadium, offering a candid assessment of his tenure and the road ahead.

Cardinale, who hand-picked Amorim as Massimiliano Allegri’s successor at the start of the summer, insisted that the Portuguese coach is not under threat despite a mixed start to the season. Milan have lost two of three Europa League matches, to Benfica and Bournemouth, without scoring, and suffered their first Serie A defeat against Bologna on Sunday after a worrying second-half collapse. Nevertheless, Cardinale sees signs of progress in Amorim’s intense, proactive style.

“I’m never happy,” Cardinale said when asked about results. “I’m happy when we win a match, but that doesn’t mean anything. Ask me if I’m happy when I lift a trophy or we win a title. Then I’ll tell you I’m really happy. We still have a lot of work to do, and lately I’ve had injuries that have made me nervous.”

With injuries mounting, Cardinale confirmed that Milan will be active in January. “We need to continue improving the squad because in the summer I wasn’t able to do everything I wanted,” he explained. “We’re rebuilding the team, and while I like the new arrivals, the ones who stayed, and the names I got rid of, it will probably take a couple more transfer windows to complete everything. We’re only a quarter of the way there, and the priority is to build a team that can deal with injuries.”

He added: “If you’re competing in European competitions and playing Amorim Ball, which is high-tempo football, with quick transitions, where everyone runs between 9 and 11km per game, you have to rotate them. That’s why we’ll continue to be aggressive and opportunistic in the January transfer market, and I’ll continue to strengthen our bench. My style is to move decisively and quickly.”

On the sporting director front, Cardinale confirmed talks with Krösche but insisted no announcement is imminent. “I’m not close to making an announcement, and I’m in no rush,” he said. “The choice of sporting director is one of the most important after this summer’s transition, when I fired everyone and took over the club. I’m talking to Krösche and other people, the best in football. With a season that ends in May and a transfer window starting in June, I don’t want to rush.”

Cardinale stressed that any new sporting director will work within a more complex organisational structure rather than being handed full control. “I’m directly managing the club now, and I like it, but I can’t do it forever because I have another job,” he noted. “Now a sporting director will arrive, but he or she will be a part of a much more complex organisational structure. Someone who will have to work with me. We’ll do everything together because I will no longer hand over the keys to a sporting director.”

The American owner was unequivocal in his support for Amorim, invoking a line from Top Gun to underline his commitment. “At the end of Top Gun, ‘my’ movie, there’s a great line: ‘I’m not abandoning my wingman’ says Tom Cruise. And I’m not abandoning Ruben. He’s absolutely not in danger. I’ll stay by his side,” he repeated forcefully. “I won’t make the same mistakes I’ve made in recent years. He’s my coach, and we’ll continue to work together until we can make the leap in quality. You can’t win if you keep switching from one coach to another. I chose Amorim. If I’d made a mistake, I’d admit it, but I don’t think I did.”

Cardinale also revealed that Amorim’s experience at Manchester United was a key factor in his appointment. “He learned a lot from what happened at Manchester United, and I hired him because he explained the mistakes I made there. He has the right culture, he’s a leader, a manager, and a well-prepared coach. There’s a different atmosphere at Milanello than in the last four years. The credit goes to him.”

Looking ahead to the derby against Inter, Cardinale acknowledged the challenge but remained optimistic about Milan’s Scudetto chances. “It’s absolutely possible, one hundred percent,” he said. “I wake up every morning hoping for a small glimmer of hope, that Inter will start drawing instead of winning and that we’ll start putting together a series of victories. Winning is the only thing that matters to me, but let’s take it one game at a time.”

On the new stadium, Cardinale described it as a priority four years in the making. “The new San Siro is a fundamental step for Italy, a country where building new facilities seemed impossible,” he said. “We must find a way to bring Serie A back to the level it deserves. Because a stronger Serie A also means a stronger AC Milan. The only way to compete with the Premier League is to start transforming our economic profile. I believe a club like AC Milan and its fans deserve an infrastructure of this quality. This stadium is a powerful statement from me and RedBird of how important all of this is to us.”

Cardinale also touched on RedBird’s interest in Al Nassr and Cristiano Ronaldo, confirming preliminary conversations. “There have been conversations to evaluate the Al Nassr opportunity, and they’ve contacted me to explore it, but we’re still at a preliminary stage,” he said. “I’d like to meet Ronaldo because I’m curious to understand what he might want to do when he retires and what his future interest in the Saudi club will be. I’ll continue to evaluate the possibilities of a multi-club deal, considering that I already have Toulouse and AC Milan.”

In conclusion, Cardinale discusses support for Amorim signings to come Krösche links and new stadium as part of a broader vision to restore AC Milan to the top of Italian and European football. His unwavering backing of Amorim, coupled with promises of January investment and a new stadium, signals a long-term project built on stability and ambition. Whether that vision translates into trophies remains to be seen, but Cardinale’s message is clear: he is fully committed to seeing it through.