In a season of ups and downs like the one Milan is experiencing, it’s fair to highlight what isn’t working, but also what is, and what has been brought to light by the new management. This is precisely the case with Thiaw, a 2001-born defender now in his third consecutive season with the Rossoneri. After a horror start to the season, marked by a catastrophic and clumsy own goal against Torino, many thought the German's trajectory might continue the downward trend that began last season. That period saw poor performances and a serious injury that sidelined him for months, significantly lowering his level after a promising first season in Italy.
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Milan has had many changes to the central defensive pairings this year under ex coach Fonseca, experimenting with various combinations of Thiaw, Tomori, Gabbia, and Pavlovic before arriving at a fairly clear decision. Since mid-October, it’s evident—as the Portuguese coach stated in a press conference—that the starters are Thiaw and Gabbia: “It’s difficult for me to make these decisions about the center-backs when everyone is fit,” Fonseca said in a press conference. “It’s not easy for me to leave out Tomori or Pavlovic. But at the moment, the two center-backs who are performing very well are Gabbia and Thiaw. Tomori has played in recent matches, such as the last Champions League game, but he needs to keep working because he’s an important player for us and can return to the lineup.”
Thiaw seemed perfectly in sync with the ex coach, both in terms of his ideas about the game and his analysis of the team’s issues. After the Red Star Belgrade match, and following Fonseca’s outburst on TV, the German echoed his coach’s statements: “I agree with Fonseca. It was a tough match, and we didn’t do what we wanted to do: it was difficult to play both with and without the ball. We lacked aggression, giving them two or three opportunities. It’s tough like this because, as the coach said, one day we perform well, and the next day... pfff... I don’t know.”
The symbol of his resurgence after very challenging months is his headed goal at the Santiago Bernabéu in Milan’s Champions League victory in early November, but that’s just the icing on the cake. Thiaw is among the top defenders in Europe under 23 for completed passes, and he’s also one of the best at breaking through opponents’ pressing lines with his passes. This was evident in Reijnders’ winning goal against Verona: the decisive pass was from Fofana, but it was Thiaw who delivered the ball to the Frenchman in the first place. Alongside Gabbia, who is excellent and responsible in leading the defense, Thiaw has been one of the greatest beneficiaries of Fonseca’s new defensive approach. Without needing to cover vast open spaces or engage in reckless high pressing, the former Schalke center-back has resumed the development path that was interrupted last year due to various issues, both physical and otherwise. However, now Fonseca has left Milan, and the centre-back in question must prove himself again under new boss Sergio Conceicao.
What are Thiaw’s numbers this season?
During the 2024/2025 campaign so far with the red and black colours, the former Schalke 04 player has managed to make thirteen appearances. In fact, the German central defender who is 23 years old also has one goal registered to his name in the Champions League competition. He played a total of 1087 minutes. His contract with the Rossoneri club runs until the summer of 2027. The right-footed defender was brought it to AC Milan in 2022 by former technical area director Maldini and Massara for a fee close to 9 million euros. He is seen as an interesting talent with a lot of potential to grow. New coach Sergio Conceicao will certainly have to work more closely with him to unleash all of his skills.
Who else should Milan work on besides Thiaw?
Theo has definitely achieved a superstar status at the San Siro. This season, however, he has not managed to bring the qualities that the fans have been accustomed to to the table. The French left-back, formerly of Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid, is never question. His world class touch and runs in the left flank are unmatched when he is in top form. But, it seems that he is lacking the right push forward. Paulo Fonseca is certainly tried to make him rediscover himself. In a press conference ahead of the match against Verona, he said this:
“For me, Theo’s situation is easy to explain. He has played a lot, he’s been with the national team, and he’s yet to find his best condition. Maybe he needs time to regain form."
Now, however, Theo will also need to work even harder to be on Sergio Conceicao's good side, who is known for his tactical discipline.
