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According to a report published by TNT Sports on Friday, October 23, 2026, AC Milan manager Ruben Amorim attracted attention after smiling during his team’s 3–0 defeat to Bournemouth in the UEFA Europa League.
The incident occurred on Thursday night at the Vitality Stadium, where Bournemouth secured an impressive victory against the Italian side.
Amorim’s reaction became a talking point after home supporters began singing, “Ruben Amorim, it’s happened again,” recalling Manchester United’s previous 3–0 defeat to Bournemouth in December 2024, when the Portuguese coach was in charge at Old Trafford.
TNT Sports pundit Robbie Savage questioned the manager’s response as television cameras showed him smiling in the dugout.
“I wouldn’t be laughing if I was 3-0 down,” Savage said, expressing his surprise at the reaction.
The defeat had already become difficult for Milan before the end of the first half.
Bournemouth took the lead in the eighth minute when Justin Kluivert converted a penalty awarded after a VAR review found that Milan defender Koni De Winter had handled the ball.
The situation worsened when goalkeeper Mike Maignan was sent off following an incident involving Bournemouth midfielder Tyler Adams.
Maignan’s dismissal left Milan with ten players, and Marcus Tavernier converted the resulting penalty to extend Bournemouth’s advantage to 2–0.
Milan attempted to respond after the interval, but Bournemouth continued to defend their lead before Amine Adli scored the third goal with a free-kick in the 84th minute.
The result gave Bournemouth another significant victory in their European campaign and left Milan with questions to address before their next fixture.
Speaking after the match, Amorim argued that the penalty and subsequent red card had fundamentally changed the contest.
“We didn’t see a game,” he said, explaining that the penalty and dismissal had left his team facing a difficult situation.
He also criticised the circumstances surrounding the sending-off but said he wanted to move on and prepare for the club’s next match.
Although Amorim’s smile attracted attention, the available reports do not establish that he laughed because he believed his players had ignored his tactical instructions.
The longer statement circulating online, which claims he laughed because players repeatedly failed to follow instructions, could not be independently authenticated.
The episode nevertheless generated discussion about how managers react publicly when their teams suffer heavy defeats, particularly when supporters and television pundits are closely watching their behaviour.
For Amorim, the immediate priority is to help Milan recover from the defeat and improve their performance in their upcoming fixtures.