Rúben Amorim increasingly seriously considered for the AC Milan bench, but there is still no official confirmation
Milan seeks a coach for a new beginning after a major cut
Milan is once again at the center of coaching negotiations after a season that AC Milan's ownership structure described as a failure and a reason for an extensive reorganization of the sporting sector. Rúben Amorim, the Portuguese specialist who has been without a job since January after leaving Manchester United, has in recent days been mentioned increasingly seriously as one of the candidates for the bench of the Italian giant. According to reports from Italian media, contacts with his representatives have already been established, but as of June 14, 2026, no official confirmation has been published that an agreement has been concluded. For that reason, Amorim is currently a candidate in an active process, not Milan's new coach.
The search for a coach was opened after RedBird Capital Partners, the club's owner, announced on May 25 the departure of head coach Massimiliano Allegri, chief executive officer Giorgio Furlani, sporting director Igli Tare and technical director Geoffrey Moncada. In that announcement, the ownership structure stated that the end of the season was completely incompatible with the previous results and that the final part of the championship had turned the season into an unequivocal failure. Milan spent most of the season near the top of Serie A, but in the end remained outside the places that lead to the Champions League. That very outcome gives additional weight to the choice of the new coach, because the next appointment will be part of a broader attempt to rebuild the sporting project, not just the replacement of one person on the bench.
Amorim is in negotiations, but Milan is still weighing several options
According to a report by the portal MilanReports, which cites information from Claudio Raimondi of SportMediaset, Milan has in recent days contacted Rúben Amorim, the coach who is free after leaving Manchester United. The same source states that the Portuguese had already previously been considered for Milan, but at that time the deal was not realized because of conditions linked to his contract with Sporting. In the current situation, the circumstances are different because Amorim does not have a club, but that does not mean that the decision is automatic or that the choice has been completed. Milan's management, according to available information, continues talks with several candidates and is trying to align the choice of coach with the future structure of the sporting sector.
Football Italia, referring to La Gazzetta dello Sport, reported that Oliver Glasner is still among the most important names in the process, while Amorim is mentioned as a candidate supported by Zlatan Ibrahimović, RedBird's adviser and one of the most influential figures in the club's current reshuffle. The same reports also state that Milan has spoken with Matthias Jaissle, the coach of Al Ahli, and that owner Gerry Cardinale wants personally to have greater influence on the final choice. Such a context shows that the club is not only looking for a recognizable coaching name, but is trying to find a model that would connect the new technical director, the sporting strategy and the profile of the squad. Until that structure is defined, negotiations over the coach remain open.
Why Amorim is an attractive profile for the Rossoneri
Amorim's value for Milan stems from the way he built his reputation in Portugal. Manchester United, in its official announcement from November 2024, when it appointed him head coach, emphasized that he was one of the most highly regarded young coaches in European football and recalled that he had won two Portuguese league titles with Sporting. The first title stood out in particular, because Sporting then ended a long period of waiting to reach the top of the Portuguese championship. For a club like Milan, which wants to restore a clear idea of play and stability after a turbulent end to the season, such a résumé explains why Amorim is interesting again.
His coaching identity is most often associated with a clearly structured team, high intensity, the development of young players and a system that can change relationships in the back line and midfield depending on the phase of play. At Sporting, he was known for working in formations with three center-backs, aggressive wide players and pronounced collective pressing. Such a model could not be copied in Italy without adjustments, but it could offer Milan what has often been mentioned at the club in recent months as a priority: a recognizable direction and a clear hierarchy on the pitch. That is especially important for a team that lost continuity and self-confidence in the final part of the championship, even though earlier in the season it had ambitions for the very top.
Manchester United as a warning and an experience
Amorim's stay at Manchester United is an important part of the current discussion because it shows both the strength of his reputation and the risks carried by his appointment. Manchester United stated in its official announcement on November 1, 2024, that it was bringing him in until June 2027, with the option of an extension for an additional year, after he completed his obligations to his then club. But on January 5, 2026, the same club announced that Amorim was leaving the position of head coach. The announcement stated that he had taken over the team in November 2024 and led it to the UEFA Europa League final in Bilbao, but that the club's leadership, at a time when United was sixth in the Premier League, assessed that it was time for a change.
That part of his career creates a double image. On the one hand, the experience of working at one of the most demanding clubs in the world can be useful for a coach who would take over Milan, a club with great expectations, strong public pressure and a rich European tradition. On the other hand, leaving United after 14 months shows that Amorim's methodology does not automatically deliver results if it is not aligned with the club structure, transfer policy and the composition of the dressing room. For Milan, the key question would therefore be whether it can provide him with an environment in which the coaching idea can develop for long enough, but also quickly enough for the club to be competitive again for the Champions League already in the first season.
Milan's season ended with a defeat that accelerated changes
The sporting trigger for the changes was the end of Serie A. According to AC Milan's report from the final match of the season, the Rossoneri lost 1:2 to Cagliari at San Siro on May 24, 2026, in the 38th round. Alexis Saelemaekers gave the home side the lead already in the second minute, but Gennaro Borrelli and Rodríguez turned the result around for the visitors. Lega Serie A stated in its match report that Saelemaekers's goal was not enough for Milan to secure a place in the Champions League, so the Rossoneri had to settle for qualification for the Europa League. That defeat was not the only reason for the changes, but it became a symbol of the decline that occurred in the most important part of the season.
RedBird's official announcement further emphasized that the problem was not only the result of one match. The ownership structure stated that Milan had been in the top two positions of Serie A for much of the season and had had a realistic chance to fight for the Scudetto, but that the final part of the competition was unacceptable in relation to the previous results. Such wording clearly shows that the decision on dismissals was the result of an assessment of the entire sporting direction. From that perspective, the new coach must be more than a short-term solution; he will be expected to stabilize the team, restore the competitive standard and help shape the identity for the 2026/27 season.
The role of Ibrahimović and Cardinale's final word
Zlatan Ibrahimović has special significance in this story because he is the link between Milan's recent playing history, fan expectations and RedBird's management model. According to reports by Football Italia and Gazzetta dello Sport, Amorim is a candidate who has Ibrahimović's support, while the final decision is expected from Gerry Cardinale. Such a distribution of influence is important because, after the departure of several executives, Milan must decide whether it will first appoint a technical director and then a coach, or whether the two processes will be concluded in parallel. In any case, the choice of coach will be one of the first publicly visible tests of the new reorganization.
In some Italian media, the name of Ralf Rangnick is also highlighted as a possible candidate for a technical role, which further explains why the coaching choice cannot be viewed in isolation. If Milan wants a clear sporting line, the coach must match the profile of the director who will lead the transfer window, assess the squad and define priority positions. Amorim could be a logical choice in that model if the club wants intense, developmental and tactically recognizable football. However, if the sporting hierarchy decides on a different profile, Glasner, Jaissle or some other candidate could gain the advantage.
What Amorim would have to solve at Milan
If Amorim were to take over Milan, the first task would be to restore the balance between ambition and continuity. Milan is not a club that can publicly postpone results for several years, but it is also clear that frequent changes of coaches and executives make it harder to create a stable system. The new coach would have to quickly assess the players who fit his idea, decide whether the existing squad can meet the demands of a high tempo and coordinate the preparation plan with European obligations. The Europa League is not the level to which Milan aspires in the long term, but it can serve as a competition in which confidence is built and space is given to a broader squad.
The second challenge would be the relationship with the fans and the public. Milan's history carries the expectation of attractive, winning and European-relevant football, and the absence from the Champions League further increases the pressure. Amorim would have to convince the environment that his model is not only a tactical project but also a path toward results. His experience at Sporting shows that he can build an identity and raise the level of a team, but the experience from Manchester United warns that the process must take place with clear institutional support. For that reason, any agreement with Milan will probably include talks about transfers, the decision-making structure and the role of the coach in the long-term plan.
The agreement has not yet been confirmed, so caution remains necessary
Despite increasingly strong media signals, Amorim has not yet been officially confirmed as the new coach of AC Milan. According to available information, talks exist, his name is high on the list of candidates, and some reports state that he has the support of important people at the club. Still, it is equally important to emphasize that Milan is simultaneously being linked with other coaches, especially Oliver Glasner, and that part of the decision may be connected to the appointment of a new technical director. In such a situation, the formulation that Amorim is a favorite or a serious candidate is more precise than the claim that the deal is finished.
For Milan, this is a decision that can mark the entire 2026/27 season. The club must find a coach who will restore competitive firmness to the team, but also managerial stability after the departure of several key people. Amorim fits that framework because of the reputation gained at Sporting, his coaching energy and a clear idea of play, but his last episode at Manchester United requires a cautious assessment. Until the official club channels confirm the appointment, the story remains in the negotiation phase, and Milan's search for a coach is still open.
Sources:
- AC Milan – official RedBird Capital Partners announcement on the departure of Massimiliano Allegri, Giorgio Furlani, Igli Tare and Geoffrey Moncada and the announcement of the club's reorganization (link)
- AC Milan – official report from the AC Milan - Cagliari 1:2 match in the final round of Serie A 2025/26 (link)
- Lega Serie A – report and summary of the Milan - Cagliari 1:2 match, with the context of qualification for European competitions (link)
- Manchester United – official announcement of the appointment of Rúben Amorim as head coach in November 2024 (link)
- Manchester United – official announcement of Rúben Amorim's departure from the position of head coach in January 2026 (link)
- MilanReports – report on Milan's contacts with Rúben Amorim and the context of the coaching search (link)
- Football Italia – report citing La Gazzetta dello Sport on candidates for the Milan bench, including Oliver Glasner, Matthias Jaissle and Rúben Amorim (link)