Reports in Italy claim that Milan owner Gerry Cardinale was disappointed after watching his side’s 1-1 draw away against Sassuolo in Serie A on Sunday evening, leaving Ruben Amorim with four main issues to address.
Gazzetta: Cardinale disappointed after Sassuolo 1-1 Milan
The Rossoneri had to settle for a 1-1 draw away against Sassuolo on their return to league action on Sunday evening: Adrien Rabiot opened the scoring after an hour, only for Neroverdi defender Cas Odenthal to level less than five minutes later for the hosts.
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: Adrien Rabiot of AC Milan scores his team’s first goal during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on October 11, 2026 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
The Rossoneri are the first team to leave the Mapei Stadium with a point so far in Serie A this season; Juventus and Torino were both beaten in their recent matches away against Sassuolo, but according to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Cardinale still came away disappointed with what he saw after watching the game in Emilia-Romagna.
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: Gerry Cardinale of AC Milan reacts prior to the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on October 11, 2026 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
The Pink Paper criticised Milan and Amorim for their game management, accusing them of looking imbalanced and disorganised immediately after going ahead and for conceding three big chances in the five minutes between their goal and Odenthal’s equaliser.
Despite the presence of goalscorer Adrien Rabiot and the introduction of Luka Modric off the bench, La Gazzetta dello Sport has questioned whether there is enough leadership in the Milan side and whether they have enough players with enough Serie A experience. When the Rossoneri needed a goal to claim victory, they turned to 19- and 22-year-olds Alphadjo Cisse and Omari Hutchinson, both in their first seasons in this league.
Milan were also criticised for their lack of shots on goal, not just against Sassuolo but in all of their matches so far in 2026-27. As La Gazzetta dello Sport points out, Milan were ranked 13th in the league for attempted shots and bottom for shots from outside the penalty area.
REGGIO NELL’EMILIA, ITALY – OCTOBER 11: Diego Moreira of AC Milan competes for the ball with Vasilije Adzic of US Sassuolo during the Serie A match between US Sassuolo and AC Milan at Mapei Stadium – Citta’ del Tricolore on October 11, 2026 in Reggio nell’Emilia, Italy. (Photo by Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Getty Images)
This means that their finishing rate is slightly better than some of their competitors, but it also means that the goalscoring opportunities are coming less regularly than their rivals as well. It’s not what the club would have wanted to see after spending a club-record fee on a new centre-forward over the summer, anyway.
Lastly, Amorim has come under criticism for failing to provide Milan with a real ‘identity’ after six games of the Serie A season. His formation and line-ups alter depending on the opponent, and it has been suggested that he is not yet entirely sure of his best XI, if there is such a thing.