Amorim after Europa League setback: "No excuse, we are not prepared to play every three days"

AC Milan coach Ruben Amorim expressed sharp frustration and disappointment after his side were beaten 0-2 by Ferencváros in the UEFA Europa League on November 6, 2026, at San Siro. The Portuguese manager admitted the team was not prepared for the match and warned that Milan currently lacks the capacity to sustain performances with a congested schedule.

Amorim did not try to soften his critique of the players' performance. "I have no explanation for what happened. There's nothing to say, especially about our play in the first half. I don't remember the last time we looked like this before the break. It all comes down to ambition and concentration. We gifted chances, made stupid mistakes. Tonight we simply weren't ready to play football," he said.

Only days earlier Milan had produced an impressive 3-1 win over city rivals Inter in the Derby della Madonnina, but on the same San Siro surface they turned in a sluggish, error-prone display against the Hungarian visitors.

Amorim accepts responsibility

Amorim also accepted part of the blame for the lack of preparation after the Serie A derby. "When you wear the Milan shirt, you wear a huge responsibility. You cannot go out onto the pitch with that attitude. Probably I didn't do enough to prepare the lads," he said.

The result leaves Milan in serious trouble in Europe: three defeats in their first four Europa League matches have put progression at risk. Beyond injuries to key players, Amorim pointed to psychological issues inside the squad. "We are not prepared to be competitive on two fronts. We must change our mindset and approach to the game. I usually defend my players, but tonight I have no arguments. We must be humble and understand what went wrong. We lacked courage. Even when things aren't going well, we owe it to give everything to change the course of the match, and tonight that wasn't visible," he added.

Defender Strahinja Pavlović was rested for the fixture after starting almost every match this season, and Amorim singled him out as an example. "Everyone should train like Pavlović. He is ready for anything in training and represents a perfect example. Some players have problems when they are not regular starters, but that is not an excuse. We had to win with this lineup. We must immediately correct the mistakes," the coach said.

Despite the difficult position in continental competition, Amorim insisted Milan will keep fighting. "Of course I think about the domestic championship, but we must represent ourselves with dignity in Europe as well. We can and must win even while rotating. At the moment, however, we are not prepared to play and win every three days. Even so, I will not write off the Europa League — as long as we have mathematical chances, we will fight until the end," he concluded.

Photo: Manchester United (X)