Abate controversy, Amorim pressure and fixture troubles [Bonus Article]

I don’t know about you all, but it feels like the summer has flown by. In just two days, Milan will start their 2026-27 season, hoping to make up for the top-four fiasco that is still fresh in our minds (at least mine). Flown by or not, it’s clear that a lot has happened in the three months since the season ended.

Ruben Amorim was named the new head coach, some unexpected player decisions were made, and several high-profile signings have arrived. The mercato is obviously far from over as far as the Rossoneri are concerned, but I would argue that most of the pieces have been laid out, with the puzzle almost complete.

Yes, there are many sales that need to be completed, but it doesn’t really affect what we will see on the pitch this Sunday. If it had been the other way around, i.e. that many signings were still needed, then it would have been a different question. Anyway, all of this means that we can approach the game in a different way.

Instead of heading to the Stadio Olimpico completely swept up in our own thoughts, by virtue of having so much to do, we can actually enjoy the intrigues of the fixture. Milan may not have drawn Inter, Juve, or any of the other major rivals in the opening clash, but this is a pretty good one too in my opinion.

I briefly mentioned some of the talking points in the newsletter for the week, from the Ignazio Abate controversy to the pressure on Amorim, but I feel like they all deserve a few more thoughts. And background for that matter, especially when it comes to Abate’s past with the club.

We need to start with the man of the hour. No, not Amorim, but rather Abate. The 39-year-old is the second-youngest manager in the league, tied with Como’s Cesc Fabregas and beaten by Parma’s Carlos Cuesta (31!). That is incredibly impressive in a league which tends to favour experience and wisdom, so any manager who does well at that age deserves applause.

Abate started his coaching career just five years ago, taking over Milan’s U16 side, and he brought them to the play-offs final in his first season. That subsequently earned him a promotion to the Primavera side in his second summer as a coach, and it would be safe to say that he hit the ground running. The league outcome wasn’t brilliant (12th place), but he did a lot better in the UEFA Youth League.

Relying on many youngsters, consistently giving them a chance regardless of the pedigree of the games, he brought them to the semi-finals of the tournament. Out of the nine games played in total, they won an impressive six, drew two, and lost just one (the semi-final). The truth is that it could have gone even better if it hadn’t been for some mistakes in the last game.

The following season, Abate improved upon the above by reaching the final with his side. Ten games, seven wins and three defeats that time, all the while (once again) relying on much younger players compared to the other teams in the tournament. The final league position also changed for the better, finishing in 6th to reach the Scudetto play-offs (knocked out after a draw, due to regulations).

In short, we are talking about two extraordinary first seasons with the Primavera, not to mention that it was only the second and third season as a coach in his career! But why on earth wasn’t he then promoted to Milan Futuro for the 2024-25 season? His contract with the Primavera had just expired, making it perfect timing for the new gig, so why did he leave?

What actually happened is not 100% certain as both sides have recapped the matter differently, but one thing is true: they didn’t part ways on the best of terms, and that is what led to the departure in the first place. To understand it all, we need to look at the players who were in the Primavera squad under Abate’s reign.

Diego Sia? Yes. Kevin Zeroli? Yes. Gabriele Alesi? Yes. These are some of the stars from that time, but if you ask the upper echelons of the Milan management, one name was missing: Maximilian Ibrahimovic. I assume that you can deduce which member of the management (technically a consultant?) didn’t share Abate’s opinion on the squad selection.