The captain, not at the top, will come back later. A “foreign” formation is on the field in Bologna. The choice to focus on the European experience
What was welcomed last March as an epochal novelty, Milan on the pitch without Italians for the first time in 123 years, risks becoming a habit. In Bologna, his seasonal debut, Pioli will launch eleven foreign players. Calabria, captain who grew up in the nursery, is the only one who will be able to wave the blue flag in the typical formation: not in the best of conditions, he should in the meantime leave room for Kalulu. France is the most represented nation: Maignan, Theo, Giroud, Kalulu himself, Adli among the reserves. Followed by the English, community according to the new rules of football: Tomori and Loftus-Cheek. Then a German (Thiaw), a Bosnian (Krunic), a Dutch (Reijnders), an American (Pulisic) and a Portuguese, Leao. The first changes were also foreign: Kjaer in defense, Musah in the middle, Chukwueze and Romero on the outside, Okafor in the box. They add other flags to globalized Milan: Denmark, Nigeria, Argentina, Switzerland. The Algeria of the injured Bennacer, the Senegal of Ballo-Touré, the Belgium of Saelemaekers and Origi complete the Rossoneri world tour. And the Italians? Calabria, the starting right-back, will often be seen on the pitch. Florenzi can be an alternative on the lanes, as well as Pobega in midfield. More difficult that Italy is represented by Sportiello or Mirante, second and third goalkeeper. Caldara and Colombo, the other “locals” in pink, are destined elsewhere.
NEVER SO FEW
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On 13 March 2023 Milan-Salernitana (1-1) made headlines for the all-foreign composition of Milan: it had never happened before. The blue quota doubles in the running with Tonali and Florenzi, who started from the bench. Matteo Gabbia is also seated. Two out of three are ex: Tonali, Rossoneri and Azzurri soul, is now Juventus Newcastle; Gabbia wore Villarreal yellow. The Italians destined to remain in the team after August 31st are therefore 5: the lowest number ever recorded. Last year Pioli counted on six compatriots, nine the year before and eight in 2020-21. Long gone are the times when the team spoke Italian: the language of 20 players from the 94-95, 96-97 squad but also from 2014-15. A football era ago.
TREND
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Of the eight summer signings, only the reserve goalkeepers wave the Italian flag. For all the others, the club has chosen to fish around Europe (Romero, released by Lazio, is in the world champion Argentina tour). He will try to adapt to Serie A two players from La Liga (Musah and Chukwueze), one from the Premier League (Loftus-Cheek), one from the Dutch Eredivisie (Reijnders) and one from the Austrian Admiral Bundesliga, Okafor. The candidates for the last roles to be assigned also come from abroad: centre-back, deputy Theo, reserve centre-forward. Pioli, who in past seasons started with the advantage of technical continuity (while the other big names changed, his AC Milan remained true to itself), will be called to a new task: fitting all the pieces of the puzzle together, creating an understanding between different cultures football, get the whole team speaking in the universal language of football. In fact, the decision to probe the foreign market has its own logic: not so much economic as technical. It is true that Loftus-Cheek and Reijnders, midfielders in the new 4-3-3, cost both as much as Frattesi, the previous goal. At the base there is above all a sporting consideration: the main foreign signings have experience in European cups. Reijnders, Pulisic and Loftus Cheek, already owners in Bologna, know international football. Chukwueze the same. Romero made his debut in Europe and the Conference League. Musah has 27 games with the US national team. Milan, which wants to regain an international tone, needed people like this.
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