I can’t repeat my mistakes from Manchester United in AC Milan — Amorim

Abdullateef Fowewe

AC Milan manager, Ruben Amorim has vowed not to make the same errors that cost him his job at Manchester United, stressing the need to adapt his tactics to the players available.

Speaking after Milan’s 3-0 Serie A win over Lecce, Amorim said, “I can’t repeat my mistakes from Manchester United. If we don’t have the characteristics to play a certain way, we have to adapt.”

The Portuguese coach admitted his side had been “a bit too static” in recent matches and that he gave the players “more freedom” against Lecce.

The result saw Milan field a back four at times rather than rigidly sticking to his preferred system.

Amorim was sacked by Manchester United in January 2026 after roughly 14 months in charge.

He managed just 24 wins in 63 matches and finished the previous season with United’s worst Premier League points total in the modern era.

Critics frequently pointed to his stubborn insistence on a 3-4-3 formation even when results and player profiles suggested a change was needed.

Now at Milan, where the team sits fifth in Serie A after five games, Amorim appears to be applying the lessons of that failed spell.

He has indicated he remains open to returning to a back-three build-up but prioritises having “different ways of playing,” particularly in a league where opposing coaches are adept at nullifying fixed systems.

The comments mark a clear shift in approach from the man who once insisted on his tactical identity at Old Trafford, signalling that the hard lessons of his United tenure are shaping his second chance in Italy.