Costacurta: ‘Kessie is replaceable, AC Milan have the best prospect of European football’
Alessandro Costacurta analyzes the situation of AC Milan calling Kessie not fundamental and the most important player.
Alessandro Costacurta is one of those players who have made history with AC Milan. He won 24 trophies with the Rossoneri spending his entire career playing for just one club. Interviewed by La Gazzetta dello Sport, Costacurta made a comprehensive analysis of what Milan is today, its players and the team’s possible goals.
On the drop in performance with the small clubs: “Starting from Napali I can say that I have seen an important demonstration of strength. They have the ability to direct and manage games against top tier teams. Now the calendar is simpler, and in April the return of the Italian Cup and then Lazio and Fiorentina will say a lot. I thought that certain slowdowns were sins of youth. But if other teams, in Italy and in Europe, more mature than AC Milan have the same trend, then there is more: Covid and then the atrocities of the war deprive everyone of concentration, including the players. These are situations that shake us like never before“.
On the talented young players of AC Milan: “This is how it works with talent, and AC Milan suffers from the ups and downs of Leao, the most decisive player of the team. The left wing is often praised, rightly so, but the dangers almost always come from there. With Napoli, Di Lorenzo looked like Cafu also thanks to the lack of defensive capacity from Leao and Hernandez, who fights too often. The solidity of other key players brings balance. I’m referring to the central defenders, to Tonali and Bennacer, who have grown a lot, to Giroud: always on the spot, he touches few balls but is always decisive. He surprised me, I didn’t think he was a champion and instead he is pushing Milan towards the title“.
On Romagnoli’s lack of growth: “My expectations were really high for him, I thought he could become the strongest, the new Chiellini. I don’t mean he’s poor, just that I saw what he did at 19 and thought he had limitless potential. Kalulu, on the other hand, has grown a lot in one year, he has to improve his ball control but he is fast and attentive. That’s what a central defender needs. Botman in the summer? He has qualities to work on, but I don’t know his temperament and the commitment he puts into training. Today he can easily be worth Romagnoli“.
If the loss of Kessie can be a damage: “I see fewer and fewer fundamental players around, except Mbappe. Franck like many others is important but not decisive, absolutely replaceable. Tonali is more important than him, in fact he is the most important player of AC Milan, even more important than Maignan or Giroud. I wrote to Maldini after the purchase of Tonali from Brescia calling him the best prospect of European football. I was called an “idiot” many times but today I can say: I was right…“.
If Ibrahimovic must be kept despite his age: “Yes. He was fundamental in the rebirth of Milan, with Maldini, Massara and Pioli. This is their team, the fruit of their work. Zlatan may no longer be as decisive as before, but he always has his weight ”.
If in addition to the Scudetto, Milan will return to fight in Champions: “Juve have returned in the title race but only partially. The first three remain ahead, Inter shouldn’t feel superior after Liverpool. On international level, things have changed. Today there is a sustainable logic at the basis of Milan that has produced winning ideas. Before, the owners (Berlusconi) opened the catalog and signed the Ballon d’Or winners. To dominate in Europe that’s what makes the difference… “
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