Amorim tells Chivu: “I’m at Milan, not Inter”

On the eve of the Derby della Madonnina, Ruben Amorim answered a question about Cristian Chivu and Inter with a pointed joke: “I don’t envy Chivu anything at all, because I’m already in the right place, which is Milan and not Inter. That’s my nature, that’s my personality.” The reply put Milan at the centre of his answer as his side prepared to face its traditional rival.

The coach also explained what makes the fixture special in his view: two major clubs from the same city sharing a stadium. “It’s a unique rivalry, but it also has a deep connection,” he said. He added that Italian football’s cultural closeness to Portugal reminded him of an environment different from the one he had previously experienced in England with Manchester United. Amorim pointed to the importance of winning and the supporters’ enthusiasm in both cultures.

The derby comes with a gap in the standings. The Nerazzurri lead on 25 points, level on goal difference with second-placed Lazio, while the Rossoneri are fifth on 18. Milan are preparing to face Inter in the fixture scheduled for the following Saturday.

Amorim also spoke about the trust shown to him by club owner Gerry Cardinale and the time needed to build a stable team. “We want to win every match; and when we don’t, we feel a great deal of pain,” he said, while stressing that building would take time. He described defeat as a pain that remains, even though good things cannot be built immediately.

On the title, the coach brought the focus back to the work ahead. “At Milan, you always have to talk about the Scudetto as the main objective, but we have wasted too many points and must put things right,” he said. He called for progress “step by step” rather than long-term projections, and said the next match must correct what went wrong in the previous one.

Finally, he urged his players to commit themselves to the occasion: in his view, fatigue and the circumstances should not matter once they are on the pitch. The priority, he said, is to give everything.