Youssouf Fofana, 25, joined the AC Milan club with the role of balancing the team by positioning himself between defence and midfield, containing attacks that, since Franck Kessié's time, Milan had struggled to stop without a strong presence in the middle.
La Gazzetta dello Sport on their website focused on the Frenchman's position, noting that since his arrival, he has been sacrificing for Paulo Fonseca and Milan.
At Monaco, he was almost more involved in attack than in defence, and the stats prove it. In France, his average shots per game were 1.6, whereas in Italy, they dropped to 0.6. His expected assists went from 0.14 to 0.02. But this approach seems to be working for Milan. His role is not to attack but to defend.
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With or without the ball, Youssouf Fofana is always playing a crucial role
Looking at the heatmaps and comparing them, the significant difference becomes clear. One such change is in his teammates' roles. At Monaco, he was protected by Denis Zakaria or Mohamed Camara, but now he is the one protecting Tijjani Reijnders.
When Milan has possession, he positions himself between the central defenders or just in front of them. When the opposition has the ball, he acts as a shield to intercept passes.
The differences are also reflected in the numbers. The expected goals against Venezia, Inter, and Lecce were 0.25, 0.73, and 0.49, respectively. he deserves part of the credit for this. For now, he has no intention of attacking: Youssouf Fofana focuses on defending and limiting the opponents' actions. Milan, Fonseca, and especially he himself, are satisfied with this, as relayed via Milan Press.
