"I have full faith in him, I chose him and he is my Top Gun," Gerry Cardinale told TuttoMercatoWeb, in comments translated from Italian. The AC Milan owner used the unveiling around the new stadium project to make his clearest public defence yet of Ruben Amorim, while insisting the club can still chase the scudetto even though the rebuild is, in his words, only a quarter complete.
That is a much louder message than a routine owner endorsement. Milan go into the derby sitting 5th in Serie A with 18 points from 9 matches, and Cardinale is still arguing for patience, more transfer work and stability on the touchline.
Cardinale's message on Amorim and January
Cardinale doubled down again with Sky Sport Italia, where he said, in comments translated from Italian: "I have full confidence in him. At the end of Top Gun, my film, there is a great line: 'I don't abandon my wingman (the pilot of the support plane, ed.)' Tom Cruise says. And I do not abandon Ruben. He is absolutely not in danger. I will stay by his side. I will not make the mistakes made in recent years. He is my coach and we will continue to work together until we manage to make the leap in quality. You cannot win if you keep switching from one coach to another. I chose Amorim myself. If I had made a mistake, I would admit it, but I do not think I made one."
For a club of Milan's size, that is about as explicit as it gets. Owners usually leave themselves room. Cardinale did the opposite, and it lines up with his wider claim that the project is nowhere near finished.
He said Milan have only reached a quarter of the way through the rebuild and that it could take another couple of transfer windows to complete. That makes the January market part of the same story, not a panic reaction to one bad week or one difficult run.
Cardinale said that January will be "aggressive" and "opportunistic" as Milan look to strengthen the bench. Quoted by Sky Sport Italia, he said: "In January in the transfer market we will continue to be aggressive, opportunistic and I will continue to strengthen our bench. My style is to move decisively and quickly. For me what matters is getting what we want, players... from Milan. I will not waste money, but when I set my mind on signing a player, I do everything I can to make it happen"
The league table explains why he can still talk about the title without pretending everything is fine. Milan's 18 points from 9 Serie A matches leave them 5th rather than out of contention, but Inter already have 25 points and are setting the pace. Milan's recent league form, one defeat, three wins and one draw in the last five, also fits Cardinale's line that the squad still needs more depth.
The stadium launch and the pushback around it
The stadium backdrop made the day bigger than a standard pre-derby intervention. Milan and Inter unveiled joint proposals for a new venue at the historic Castello Sforzesco, with the replacement arena reported in coverage as Generali Stadium.
That naming point is still worth treating carefully. Some reporting presents it as settled, but the public discussion around the project has not fully moved on, and the resistance is not only about the sponsor name.
The design itself is being sold as an attempt to carry San Siro's atmosphere into a new home. David Manica told independent.co.uk: "It is always a challenge to design a building that replaces a beloved project. And the way I’m thinking about this project and the spirit that we began with from the beginning was: same soul, different building.
The most important thing that we realiSed when we designed this project is that the San Siro is a feeling, more than a building, it’s a feeling. And everything that we needed to do here was to drive that feeling and carry it into the building."
Norman Foster, also speaking to independent.co.uk, said: "How do you take the legend of San Siro and how do you build on that? Perhaps the essence are the fans at the two extreme ends behind the goal, 'the curve'.
And in the new stadium, look at the shape of it, it’s low in the body and it rises up at either end, and that’s the response to the fans."
Those details are substantial. The plan is for a 71,500-seat ground across two tiers, with 80 huge diamond shapes in the frame and peaks of 60 metres behind each goal. Construction is expected to begin in 2028, and the first match is targeted for the 2031-32 season.
The derby gives Cardinale's backing immediate weight
Not everyone is buying the wider reset. Gianni Rivera told TuttoMercatoWeb, in comments translated from Italian: "The current facility is still perfect for playing. They are tearing it down to make one that would have no reason to exist. Worse for those who decided that"
Rivera also criticised the naming-rights approach, saying, again via TuttoMercatoWeb in translation: "They assign it based on who pays the most. Imagine what joy for the fans. I would have liked it if they had named it after me and my friend Sandro Mazzola"
That backlash keeps the stadium debate alive, but Cardinale's main football point is still the more pressing one for Milan supporters. He is asking them to accept a slower build while still believing the season can be live at the top end.
The derby makes that stance impossible to park for later. Milan host Inter on 31 October, with Cardinale having just said Amorim is safe, January reinforcements are coming and the rebuild could still need another couple of windows.
FAQ
Why is Gerry Cardinale still backing Ruben Amorim at Milan?
Cardinale said he has full faith in Amorim, called him his "Top Gun" and said the coach is absolutely not in danger. He also argued that changing coaches repeatedly is a mistake and said he will stay by Amorim's side while the club tries to make its leap in quality.
Can Milan still win the scudetto this season?
Cardinale said it is still possible, and Milan are not out of the race after taking 18 points from 9 Serie A matches. They sit 5th, though, while Inter lead the table on 25 points, so the owner's optimism comes with a clear warning that the rebuild is still unfinished.
What did Cardinale say about Milan's January transfer plans?
He said Milan will be aggressive and opportunistic in January and that he wants to strengthen the bench. That fits with his wider message that the squad rebuild is only a quarter complete and may need another couple of transfer windows before it is finished.
Is the Milan new stadium project final yet?
The clubs unveiled joint plans for a replacement arena at Castello Sforzesco, and coverage has referred to it as Generali Stadium. The naming point is not entirely settled in public discussion, so it is safer to treat that as the reported project name rather than an officially final decision.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →
