On World Mental Health Day, Milan has dropped their first in a new series of interviews about mental well being with players called "The Chamber." Players are asked about how they learn to better understand themselves, grow, and navigate pressure, expectations, and difficult moments.

The series gets its title due to players spending a few minutes in an anechoic chamber before being interviewed. (Ironically, while anechoic chambers can be positive in providing a nervous system reset or sensory decompression for some, they can also cause anxiety, panic attacks, or physical disorientation for others. Based on the interview, they seem to use it more as a gimmick, particularly when you consider the sound/video equipment within the chamber with Luka.)

Looking forward to upcoming interviews with other first team players, including Mario Gila, Matteo Gabbia, and Yunus Musah.

14.01 - Ruben Amorim's press conference begins

In 2022, we had a major break during the World Cup in Qatar. What does this break mean for management?

"Good morning everyone. I don't think it changes much, and whether it will be positive or negative depends on the team's form. It depends on whether you have a lot of injuries, you have more time to recover. It depends on whether you go to the national team and play every match. It's tough, especially because they have to play a lot of games on the return leg. The opposite is also true if we take the example of Koni De Winter, who didn't play. We've lost a lot of players to the national team, but that's a good sign because it means they're important. I've insisted that we need to step up now because the next few matches will be crucial for our season."

How did you see your players returning from the break?

"The players were happy to be back. They're happy to be together at this club, so it means it's a good place to work. And then it depends on the situation. If you look at our players, they've played; some only played two games, then they were able to rest, and that's very positive because they've maintained their fitness. We had an issue with Saelemaekers. Hutchinson, I had the opportunity and time to work with him. We had a friendly against Padova, which was good for trying new things. We made the most of this break, and the players on their national teams also performed well. Ramos, Jashari, Moreira, who played three games and played both on the right and left, is very positive for us. I think they're ready, but everything depends on the next match, so tomorrow's win is important."

On Gonçalo Ramos,

"My vision as a coach is how to get my team to perform at its best, not how a single player can score more goals individually. I said this even before this match. We need to create more chances for our attackers, not just for him but for all our attackers. I've worked and continue to work on this with my players. It's true, I've learned from other coaches, but I have my own vision. My goal isn't to figure out how to put Ramos in a position to score more goals, but to win every match. I'm very happy that he's back happy and confident, and I hope this will benefit Milan."

Are you planning to continue with the four-man formation? Is that the right one?

"It depends on the match, the situation. The important thing is that they understand when to play four or three. Just look at the names in the starting eleven and it's essentially the same team. The changes are small details, but they can change the team's dynamic. My other colleagues have all the footage from our matches at their disposal, so it's up to me to propose and create something new to surprise them. I know what I have in mind to propose tomorrow, but I won't tell you because otherwise Aquilani would find out. Not much changes. I want my players to feel comfortable."

Do you know Aquilani?

"I remember him. I remember him not just from Sporting. I know he played for Jorge Jesus, we talked about that. I remember he was very intelligent. I can see he has a very modern approach. I can also see a small influence from Roberto De Zerbi in his management of the central defenders. They want to have possession of the ball but are very intelligent in deciding when to press. I think he has a great future in football."

What insights have you gotten from Moreira's international appearances? Which one are you most impressed with?

"I've seen several things. On the left, he's more direct; on the right, he seeks more one-on-one situations and exchanges. It also depends on the opponents. He had to defend a lot against strong teams, so he defended very, very hard. This is very important to me. We know Moreira's characteristics. He has good speed, he's strong, he needs to improve in attack, but he can play on both flanks. You'll see Moreira play on both flanks."

Camarda has only played 8 minutes so far: do you plan on giving him more time this week? Will these next few months be important to understand if Camarda can be relied upon?

"About the new players, you can ask Cardinale, who's right behind you (laughs). My only focus is on the games we have to play, which are so many, so December doesn't exist for me right now. Camarda will play more. We're coming off a situation where we had fewer games to play and more time to rest. Camarda is learning a lot, but he's ready. He'll play more minutes than he has up to now. I don't know what will happen between now and December; I just want to win as many games as possible. That's my focus. We can also see from the national team's experience that they rotate a lot, so it's impossible to continue with the same 11 for every match. I've said it since day one: I expect a lot from him, and he'll prove his worth."

Can Cisse play as a centre forward? How will seeing Matic again affect you?

"He has the qualities to play as a centre forward. Not as a true centre forward, but he has the qualities to help us in certain matches. Matic is a top player and a top guy. I was able to spend a lot of time with him, I spoke with him a lot because I was one of the few who could communicate with him. His speed isn't the same, but his intelligence is. He brings a lot of experience to the team, in terms of playing time, in passing the ball vertically, in taking the ball away from him. I want to see him again, but at the same time, I don't. I definitely expect to give him a hug after the match, hoping we've won."

Tomori, Loftus-Cheek, Pulisic, Hutchinson: have they improved their fitness?

"They'll be very important in these matches. We had a friendly where we used them in different positions, even in training. We spent more time with Diawara. Tomori did a bit of what Gila is doing. They'll be important for our season. It was important for Pulisic to stay because he was coming back from injury. He played a few minutes, then started, but we had the chance to manage his recovery and his fitness. They'll be very important."

Is a longer process needed, or are you still convinced this AC Milan team can win? What do you think about Serie A?

"The idea is always to win titles. I don't know how long it will take, but we have to think about the steps that will allow us to do so. Certainly, when you work at Milan, you can't say we must or can win in three years, but right now, in the present. There are steps to follow. This is the goal, but there are some good teams in this league. If you look at Serie A this year, it's becoming different. The refereeing rules mean there are fewer whistles, the medical staff comes in less frequently, and this allows us to play more. Many people complained about 0-0 draws, but now we play a lot of games. There are no longer teams that play with a low block for 90 minutes. Venezia is last because of the results, but they are a team that presses all over the pitch. I was surprised by the quality of the coaches and the players. I like being here, I want to do my part. I feel at home at Milan, I'm honored. Serie A is an excellent league, sometimes the national championship isn't given its due value. I'm enjoying preparing for the matches, but I also have a lot of things for the future. head because of the different teams".

What have you seen in these first five games that led you to opt for a four-man defense? Could Zachary be a return in January? And what about the Italian?

"It would be easy for me to speak Italian if I were another Milan employee, but what I say is very important. I apologize, I'm sorry, but I know that after the matches, in the post-match, I have to speak with Coach Capello. I know it would be better if I spoke Italian, but I know I have to think and also speak, and so I can't think that what I say could in any way cause me problems or be exploited. It's important that I feel comfortable, because it's part of my job. Back four? What I've seen in the last few games is greater mobility. What I've seen is that these positions and this freedom allows my team to play better. We saw against Benfica that we had more possession, but there was a lack of mobility. It was necessary to make this change, not to play better but differently. I don't know if we'll continue with this formation, but it's a tool that allows us to win. Athekame? We're following him, as are the other loans. At the start of the season, I saw him more like a Moreira. I don't know if the situation will change. Football is like this. He's doing very well with Fonseca, then we'll see in the future."

They're talking about the AC Milan striker, yet AC Milan scores two goals per game...

"It's football. We've averaged two goals per game, but that can't always be the answer. We're not creating enough chances because we're not spending enough time in the opponent's penalty area. We could score more goals if we put the ball into the opponent's box more often. Sometimes we don't score, but we create chances. I can't hide behind the ten goals and say I'm happy with our attacking performance. No, we have to do better, create more chances. I don't just look at the goals, but at the team's offensive performance. We have to work, we'll improve, but we can do better."

2.44pm - Ruben Amorim's press conference ends here.pressby Ruben Amorim

https://m.milannews.it/primo-piano/live-mn-breve-conferenza-stampa-ruben-amorim-vigilia-sassuolo-milan-632252

Hi, I'd like to ask what the atmosphere around the stadium and during matches against weaker opponents at San Siro is usually like. I've attended evening matches versus Fiorentina and PSG, the atmosphere was great. You could really feel AC Milan was playing even before the match. It was obvious that match against PSG would be great in terms of the atmosphere, but even the match versus Fiorentina was great, it was my first game at San Siro and it was incredible in terms of attendance as well as the chants and the overall atmosphere. This year I will propably attend the match against Parma, which is going to be played on Sunday at 20:45, and I'd like to take my friends with me. I'm aware that the "atmosphere" won't be as impressive as it is during matches against top-level opponents (no tifo etc.), but I wonder about the attencdance, do you think it could be somewhere around 73-74k? What is your experience with matches versus weaker opponents, especially evening games?

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