Amorim: 'I'd rather fail big than limp' at Milan

“I prefer this kind of job because if I need to fail one day, I want to fail big,” Ruben Amorim said during a Sky Sport Italia interview, underscoring the weight of expectation at AC Milan and his own stance on ambition versus compromise.

The Europa League first-phase opener against Benfica begins tonight at San Siro, with kick-off scheduled for 20.00 UK time (21.00 CEST).

Liveblog coverage will deliver real-time updates on all pre-match build-up and in-game action.

TURIN, ITALY – AUGUST 23: Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of AC Milan, looks on before the Serie A match between Torino FC and AC Milan at Stadio Olimpico Grande Torino on August 23, 2026 in Turin, Italy. (Photo by Valerio Pennicino/Getty Images)

This fixture marks Milan’s debut in the Europa League’s new first phase, which features eight group-stage opponents: RB Salzburg, Bournemouth, Ferencváros, Olympiacos, Sunderland, Levski-Sofia, and Ararat-Armenia — alongside Benfica.

All match outcomes feed into a single consolidated table, replicating the format introduced last season for the Champions League.

Pressure and pace at San Siro

MILAN, ITALY – AUGUST 28: Ruben Amorim, Head Coach of AC Milan, reacts during the Serie A match between AC Milan and Venezia FC at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on August 28, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

Luka Modrić was substituted at half-time in the 2-2 draw with Lazio and is omitted from the starting XI for the Benfica clash — raising questions about his role amid mounting fixture congestion.

“That was a game the team didn’t play well in the first half. That is normal,” Amorim told Sky Sport Italia. “We need patience, especially with a player who is 40 years old. But when we have three games in a week, we need everyone.”

He added: “We need to win every game. For my experience, it is impossible to be fresh playing three games in a week. I don’t see some players so much better than the others — we need everyone and to pick the best line-up for every match.”

JAKARTA, INDONESIA – AUGUST 08: Head coach Ruben Amorim of AC Milan looks on during the pre-season friendly between Chelsea FC and AC Milan at Gelora Bung Karno Stadium on August 08, 2026 in Jakarta, Indonesia. (Photo by Peksi Cahyo/Getty Images)

Drawing a parallel during the same Sky Sport Italia studio segment, Paolo Di Canio suggested Amorim faces challenges similar to those encountered during his tenure at Manchester United — specifically, the difficulty of installing a high-intensity, pressing-based system without sufficient personnel aligned to that philosophy.

Amorim responded: “I think you are a little bit right. I know at Manchester United and Milan, two big clubs with the pressure to win, people expect everything in just a few months — and I feel the same pressure here.”

Ruben Amorim smiles at his first Milan press conference (acmilan.com)

He continued: “I think this team is a little bit different — they are more accustomed to working with three defenders, they are a little bit faster, a little bit stronger. Of course, I don’t have the clear characteristics that are perfect at this moment, but it is impossible when you take on a new team to have those perfect characteristics right away.”

“I know it will take time, but I also know that there is big pressure at this club — yet I prefer this kind of job because if I need to fail one day, I want to fail big. I have a lot of passion for this club, I want to help this club to be better. I don’t know if I will have the time, but I look at my players and I think they are listening to everything that I say in training — and that gives me hope we can solve these problems.”

PERTH, AUSTRALIA – AUGUST 05: AC Milan head coach Ruben Amorim looks on during the pre-season match between AC Milan and FC Internazionale at Optus Stadium on August 05, 2026 in Perth, Australia. (Photo by Janelle St Pierre/Getty Images)

For the Benfica fixture, Amorim has rotated the squad: Omari Hutchinson makes his first start, Filippo Terracciano starts in defence, and Ardon Jashari and Yunus Musah are selected in midfield.

Benfica enter the match having won their last seven competitive fixtures — though their upcoming Sunday showdown with FC Porto makes their rotation strategy more predictable.