Ruben Amorim playfully challenges a journalist to choose his AC Milan XI in a surprising press conference moment.

Ruben Amorim playfully challenges a journalist to choose his AC Milan XI in a surprising press conference moment.

Ruben Amorim got into a lively discussion with a journalist during a pre-match press conference ahead of AC Milan’s next Serie A game. He even challenged the journalist to suggest a stronger team line-up. The journalist was briefly taken aback, but Amorim smiled and said, “Yes, let’s go.”

Amorim thought he heard the journalist name four centre-backs in the proposed line-up and quickly questioned his tactical thinking. When the journalist clarified it was actually three centre-backs, Amorim raised four fingers with a grin and asked, “Four centre-backs?”

Next, Amorim asked about the left side of the defense. The journalist said he’d put Diego Moreira there, who scored twice in a recent 2-2 draw against Lazio. Amorim then shifted focus to the left flank and asked who would replace Samuel Chukwueze if he struggled. The journalist suggested Alexis Saelemaekers, which Amorim didn’t agree with, especially noting Saelemaekers is usually on the right side.

Turning to midfield, Amorim asked who the journalist would pick. They named Adrien Rabiot and Luka Modric, which made Amorim smile and joke about the recent opinions on Modric’s pace. He asked if this line-up would be the same every week or if there’d be changes, reminding the journalist about the challenges of managing three games a week and making substitutions.

Currently, AC Milan sit sixth in Serie A, unbeaten after four matches with two wins and two draws. They started strong with wins over Torino and Venezia, then fought to draws against Juventus and Lazio—battling back from behind in the latter game.

Italian media have given mixed reviews of Amorim’s work so far. Corriere dello Sport said the project is interesting but needs a clearer identity, noting that there have been too many experiments in just four games. They added that Amorim’s style involves a dominant way of playing but also understanding when the team is under pressure.

For comparison, Amorim’s first four games as Manchester United manager included two losses, one win, and one draw. This isn’t the first time Amorim has had a tense moment with the Italian press—he once made an odd comment about a plane crash during a press conference on the anniversary of 9/11.

AC Milan will face Lecce this Sunday at 7:45 pm BST, with a chance to climb into the top four if they win.