Milan’s European Crisis Deepens After Ferencváros Shock at San Siro
AC Milan’s momentum from a memorable derby victory vanished at the San Siro, where Ferencváros claimed a commanding 2-0 win and exposed serious weaknesses in the Italian side’s European campaign. The defeat prompted a furious response from coach Ruben Amorim, who said his players had not been prepared to compete and called for greater focus, humility and responsibility.
Milan had entered the match hoping to build on their 3-1 win over Inter and regain confidence in the Europa League. Instead, they delivered a disjointed performance that left the home crowd frustrated and raised fresh questions about the team’s ability to manage competing demands across domestic and European football.
Ferencváros Take Control as Milan Lose Their Focus
Amorim made significant changes to his starting line-up after the derby, retaining only five players: Ramos, Rabiot, Musah, De Winter and Diawara. The rotation was intended to refresh the side, but Milan struggled to find rhythm or intensity. Their passing lacked precision, their defensive shape was vulnerable, and they offered little evidence of the confidence shown against Inter.
The coach’s frustration grew as the match wore on. Moreira and Christian Pulisic were sent to warm up at half-time, but Milan’s planned changes came too late to prevent the visitors from taking control. Haitian forward Lenny Joseph struck twice after the break, scoring in the 52nd and 66th minutes to put Ferencváros firmly in command.
The first goal followed a costly defensive mistake involving Belgian defender Koni De Winter. The error gave Joseph the opportunity to punish Milan, and the home side never recovered. His second goal made the result even more emphatic, turning a difficult night into a damaging defeat for the Rossoneri.
De Winter acknowledged afterwards that Milan had once again lost concentration. He described the performance as difficult to explain and pointed to mentality, preparation and the team’s approach to matches as areas requiring urgent attention. His comments echoed the central concern of the evening: the problem was not simply one misplaced pass or missed chance, but a broader failure to perform collectively.
Amorim: “We Were Not Ready to Play Football”
Amorim did not soften his assessment after the final whistle. The Portuguese coach said Milan’s first-half display was among the worst he could remember and argued that the team had given Ferencváros too many opportunities through naive mistakes and a lack of ambition.
“We were not ready to play football tonight,” Amorim said, describing the transition from the derby to a different competition as a failure. He stressed that wearing the Milan shirt carries a major responsibility and that the team’s performance had fallen well below the standard expected of the club.
The coach also accepted some responsibility himself. He questioned whether he had done enough in the days before the match to prepare his players and admitted that Milan were struggling to compete effectively on two fronts: Serie A and the Europa League. That acknowledgement may offer little immediate comfort to supporters, but it underlined that Amorim sees the setback as a problem involving both preparation and execution.
Amorim said he usually tries to defend his team, but could not do so after this performance. He called for greater humility and said the squad must examine what went wrong rather than search for excuses. He also noted that similar issues had affected Milan last season, suggesting the defeat may be part of a recurring pattern rather than an isolated lapse.
Pavlovic Held Up as a Training Example
The coach’s criticism extended to the players’ work during the week. Amorim pointed to defender Strahinja Pavlovic as an example of the commitment he expects, saying the centre-back gives everything in training and should be a model for his teammates.
He also rejected the idea that squad rotation explained the result. Players left out of the starting line-up may find it difficult to accept a reduced role, but Amorim insisted that every member of the squad must be ready to contribute. In his view, Milan should have been capable of winning with the players selected, making the defeat a collective failure rather than a consequence of individual absences.
Europa League Standings Put Milan Under Pressure
The loss leaves Milan in a precarious position in the reported Europa League standings. They sit 28th with three points after four matches, having recorded three defeats and one victory. Their only success so far was a 4-0 win over Austria’s Salzburg, a result that briefly appeared to offer a platform for recovery.
Before that victory, Milan had lost 2-0 to Benfica and 3-0 to Bournemouth. The defeat to Ferencváros has now undone much of the confidence gained from the Salzburg match and made the club’s route through the competition considerably more complicated. With limited room for further mistakes, Milan must turn their attention quickly to improving their results and their performances.
Ferencváros, meanwhile, strengthened their position with a fourth consecutive win. The Hungarian side moved to 12 points and second place, level with leaders Bournemouth but behind on goal difference. Their disciplined performance at the San Siro showed how effectively a well-organised team can exploit uncertainty in an opponent’s defence.
What Milan Must Fix Before the Next Match
For Milan, the challenge is to ensure that the derby triumph does not become a misleading measure of their current form. A strong result against Inter demonstrated the squad’s potential, but the Europa League defeat highlighted how quickly that level can disappear when concentration and intensity drop.
The next step is not simply to make more changes to the line-up. Milan need greater consistency in their pressing, sharper communication at the back and a more reliable response when opponents seize momentum. Amorim’s comments also point to a need for clearer preparation, so players understand their roles and approach each competition with the same seriousness.
The result is a warning for a club with ambitions in both Italy and Europe. Milan’s European campaign remains salvageable, but only if the team responds with focus and accountability. Ferencváros leave the San Siro with a major victory; Milan are left with difficult questions—and little time to answer them.
