Ruben Amorim acknowledged the scale of the task facing him at Milan ahead of Thursday's Europa League clash against Benfica, telling Sky that he wants to help the club return to the top while admitting that time may not be on his side.
The Portuguese coach drew a direct parallel between his current situation and his spell at Manchester United, two massive clubs where external expectations far outpace the speed at which a new system can be installed. Speaking before kick-off at a sold-out San Siro, Amorim was candid about the gap between what he needs and what he currently has.
"At United and Milan, I find two great clubs and a lot of pressure, where people think I can solve everything in a short time," he told Sky, as relayed by MilanNews. "This team is different; they're used to playing with three men, and the defenders are quick. I don't have the perfect characteristics because it's impossible to arrive at a new club and have everything ready."
Amorim also addressed his decision to start Luka Modrić on the bench, framing it as a product of squad management rather than a reaction to the Lazio performance. "The Lazio game was simply a match where the team didn't play well, not just Luka," he said. "I have to rotate players, especially with a 40-year-old player. But he can play." He added that maintaining freshness across a three-game week is "impossible" and that selections are being made with physical condition in mind.
The most striking part of his pre-match interview, though, was his honesty about the tension between patience and pressure. "I know it will take time, and I also know the pressure is so high that you don't have time," he said. "But I prefer doing this type of work because it means a lot to me: if I have to fail, it's better if I fail big. I want to help this club. I don't know if I'll have the time, but the players listen to me a lot in training, and that gives me hope that solutions can be found."
Over 65,000 were expected inside San Siro for a fixture carrying genuine weight in the first phase, with both Amorim and Benfica's Marco Silva making notable changes to their starting line-ups. From here, the results will determine whether Amorim gets the runway he is asking for.