Amorim lands in Milan to begin his San Siro reset: 'It's an honour, and we're here to win'

Ruben Amorim has arrived in Milan to begin his first adventure in Italian football, touching down on Monday and wasting no time in setting the tone for his project at the San Siro. Announced by the club in recent weeks, the Portuguese coach landed ahead of schedule and delivered his first words on Italian soil with the ambition that has defined his career so far.

'A big challenge, even bigger than the last'

Speaking at the airport, Amorim did not hide his pride, nor his intentions. "I'm really very happy to be here, it's an honour to be Milan's coach," he said. "It's a big challenge. After the last one I'd promised myself to choose a smaller challenge, but I'm here and it's even bigger. I just want to work with my players and my staff, and I'm truly happy to be here." Asked directly whether he had come to win, he did not hesitate: "Of course. If you want to be Milan's coach, you have to play for that."

The reference to his last challenge is a clear nod to his time at Manchester United, and the scale of what awaits him at Milan is no smaller. The Rossoneri are rebuilding after a disappointing campaign that left them outside the Champions League, and in Amorim the club's ownership have entrusted the reset to a young, modern coach with a defined style and a reputation for backing his ideas without compromise.

The rebuild begins

His arrival follows Milan's confirmation of their first signing of the summer in Goncalo Ramos, currently away on World Cup duty with Portugal. Amorim will head to Casa Milan to take in his new surroundings before travelling to the Milanello training base to begin laying the groundwork, and the early signs suggest a manager eager to stamp his identity on the squad from day one.

The task is considerable. Milan need not just fresh faces but a coherent direction, a return to the European nights their history demands, and a manager capable of turning a talented but underachieving group into a team. Amorim's brand of football is distinctive and demanding, and whether it translates to Serie A will be one of the more fascinating subplots of the coming season. What is not in doubt is his ambition. On day one, at an airport, he has already made clear he did not come to Milan to settle for anything less than winning.

For more on Milan's summer and the rest of the Serie A rebuild, follow our latest football news, or keep up with the club's fixtures and results on the AC Milan team page.