Milan defeated Torino 2-1 away from home in the opening round of Serie A. Head coach Amorim attended the post-match press conference.

Hello coach, congratulations on your victory. We noticed that the team showed different phases of performance in today’s match. How do you evaluate the team’s possession in the first and second halves? In particular, in the last 15 minutes, the team seemed to be under considerable defensive pressure. Was this due to physical reasons or tactical adjustments?

I think we completely controlled the game in the first half. Although we lacked some attacking aggression, that is entirely understandable, as it was the first official match of the new season and we wanted to manage the opener carefully. Our tactical approach was very clear: first, to grow into the game through possession, and then to look for opportunities to deliver a decisive blow and kill the match.

I think we performed very well at the start of the second half, and our attacking efforts quickly paid off with two goals. However, after the 75th minute, our legs began to feel heavy, and we were completely exhausted. We couldn’t maintain our physical intensity or sustain our running. For our team, once our fitness declines and we lose the ability to press high up the pitch or control possession, we really struggle and become passive.

I think the main reason for the situation today is that the team came into this match with an objective shortcoming: insufficient physical preparation. You cannot ignore this—look at our players; almost none of them played a full 90 minutes throughout the entire pre-season. I believe the difficulties we faced in the latter stages of today's match are the price we are paying for an incomplete pre-season buildup.

For example, it was clear that Rabiot’s current competitive form and physical condition are still far from their optimal levels. The same applies to Modrić, which is why we carefully managed and protected Luka’s playing time today; we had to be cautious about his physical workload. In short, I think we were quite successful in controlling the game during the first 75 minutes. However, after that, the situation changed dramatically, and the match turned into an extremely tough battle.

In today's match, the team's wing play was very active. How do you assess the tactical positioning and rotation of wingers Moreira and Chukwueze? Especially with a long season ahead, how important is the versatility of both wingers? How will you arrange their positions going forward? Is their relationship one of competition or coexistence?

Chukwueze is excellent and tactically very versatile; he can play effectively on both the left and right wings. Yes, he can operate on both sides, and he will get more opportunities on the right in the future. I think this versatility is crucial, especially at top clubs. To compete across multiple competitions, you need two high-quality players in every position to ensure effective rotation.

Both Moreira and Chukwueze possess distinctive athletic qualities that are difficult to find in today’s market. When Chukwueze is fit, you can even field them both simultaneously. However, when Chukwueze is unavailable, you need another player with similar qualities who is ready to contribute in the same tactical role. This way, when the team makes personnel changes, the tactical system won’t suffer severe disruption or a significant decline due to substitutions.

In contrast, Saelemaekers is a completely different type of player. He tends to cut inside from the wing, offering a different style of play and attacking approach. Therefore, they can play on different wings depending on the needs of the match. They will certainly play alongside each other at times, but they must also compete actively for a starting position.

Congratulations, Coach. During the final 15 minutes, the match was very tense, and both the fans and players seemed anxious. How do you assess the tension shown by the entire team in the closing stages? Do you think you were being too hard on your players?

Thank you for the congratulations. Honestly, I don't want to be too harsh on my players, nor do I intend to criticize them. I truly enjoyed the performance and spirit they showed during the first 75 minutes today. Regarding what happened after 75 minutes, I personally feel that the sharp decline in physical fitness was more my responsibility than the players' fault. As the coaching staff, we should have prepared the entire team more thoroughly and solidly from a physical standpoint at the beginning of the season. In this regard, I need to review my work.

When I look at this team, I can clearly see that we have the potential to do more and better. Today, I also really appreciated the energy the substitute players brought. Saelemaekers and the other players who came off the bench, for example, showed speed, explosiveness, intensity in challenges and all these positive elements, which satisfied me. I truly love my players today.

Of course, we still have a lot of tactical, defensive, and physical work to do. As everyone clearly saw, the period after the 75th minute was very difficult for us, and everyone on the field seemed anxious and tense. However, I must emphasize again that this is more my responsibility than the players' fault. We must continue to improve and prepare for a long season.

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