Elegant in his stride, delicate in his ball control. Tijjani Reijnders evokes a football from another era, when the game was slower, the field less crowded, and there was more room for a technical flourish, whether a pirouette or a step-over.
A player like him hasn’t been seen in Italy for a long time. As Luca Bianchin writes, he is “a billboard for foreign audiences: watch Serie A, we are about beauty, not just defensive football.”
Meanwhile, Reijnders, featured on the cover of Sportweek and increasingly a pillar of Milan—runs fast, dribbles, dictates play, tracks back… and shoots on goal. More frequently and more effectively than ever this season, with the number of his attempts soaring by 193%.
As a result, his goal tally has also spiked, making him one of Europe’s most prolific midfielders as of February 10. He is second only to Oihan Sancet of Athletic Bilbao, who leads by a single goal thanks to his recent hat-trick against Girona. Reijnders sits at 11 goals, level with Jude Bellingham, leaving behind some of European football’s biggest names. But now, he too has earned a seat at the table.
