Ruben Amorim faced scrutiny as Manchester United head coach for refusing to move away from his strict formation.
When Ruben Amorim was hired by Manchester United, it was made clear quickly that he would use a 3-4-3 formation identical to the one he enjoyed success with at Sporting Lisbon.
Repeatedly, Amorim stuck stubbornly to his tactics and formation despite the poor results with the Red Devils.
Eventually, Amorim changed formation and went with a four-at-the-back, but he hinted that Jason Wilcox interfered with tactics and the Portuguese coach lashed out at the board and was ultimately sacked in January.
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Ruben Amorim’s planned formations at AC Milan
More than five months after Amorim’s sacking at United, Fabrizio Romano has confirmed that he has struck an agreement to take charge of AC Milan.
Romano reports that Amorim has agreed on a contract running until June 2028 plus an option until June 2029. The deal will be confirmed later this week.
According to Italian journalist Daniele Longo, Amorim plans to use two formations at AC Milan.
Amorim will swap between 3-4-2-1 and a 3-4-3 formation – the same used at United.
The only difference in the two formations is whether the front three play more narrow to support a central striker, or wider as touchline wingers.
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Ruben Amorim refuses to change
During his time at United, Amorim famously said “not even the Pope” could make him change his system.
For better or worse, the Portuguese coach is tied to his style of play, and he will implement the same system at the San Siro in 2026/27.
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Unlike the United squad that Amorim inherited, this Milan squad is familiar with playing in a three-at-the-back.
Under previous manager Massimiliano Allegri, Milan often lined up in a 3-5-2 formation in Serie A, so there is already an understanding of the positions that Amorim will want to deploy.
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