Ruben Amorim declined to engage with Christian Chivu's comments in his pre-match press conference on Saturday, turning the question back on the idea that Milan should need outside words to find motivation.
The Rossoneri travel to Juventus tomorrow on the back of two wins from their opening two games, a strong start under Amorim but also their toughest test yet at a ground where they haven't won in over three years.
Asked what he made of Chivu's words, Amorim kept his focus firmly on the match. “Nothing. I’m just focused on our game. What I know is that if we win, we will be top of the league along with someone else. I have nothing to say about that.”
Pushed again on the subject, he widened the point into a broader reflection on where the club stands. “Regarding Chivu, if we need words from him to win titles at Milan, then there’s something wrong with us. I know that it’s hard for the fans to hear, but for all of us who love the club, we have to admit that we have a lot of work to do.”
He then set the target higher, framing recent history as the real issue. “The biggest concern is winning just two Scudetti in 20 years. We don’t need the words of Chivu to motivate us. Milan is a very historic club with seven Champions League trophies, but in 20 years, they have zero Coppa Italia trophies and two Scudetti. Something’s wrong. I don’t care what Chivu says.”
The message lands harder than any reply to a rival could, and Amorim will find out at the Allianz Stadium tomorrow whether his players share the standard he has just set for them.