One starting appearance this season, in the Ligue 1 opener on Ferragosto: Adrien Rabiot started the match at Rennes on the first day of the French championship. De Zerbi, Marseille’s coach and Rabiot’s former manager, picked him as the central attacking midfielder: in the trio behind the striker, Rabiot was central and Rowe on the left. Close on the field, too close in the locker room: a fight after the team’s defeat led to their separation. Not only were they physically separated, the club also chose to sideline them (Rabiot missed the squad for matchday two and three) and open the door to the transfer market: Rowe moved to Bologna, Rabiot to Milan. Curiously, they will face each other immediately when the league resumes.
Rossonero from tomorrow
From Ferragosto until now, Rabiot had other chances to stay fit: he answered France’s call, played fifteen minutes against Ukraine, and is expected on the field again tonight against Iceland. There will be time; it remains to be seen whether Deschamps will start him, knowing he might need to replace him during the game, or use him off the bench to give him minutes in the second half. The French coach said on the eve: "Adrien is fit, that’s for sure. He obviously has fewer minutes than others due to what happened in Marseille, but I will see." Either way, it will give him more time to regain top form.
From tomorrow, Rabiot will officially be a Rossonero: Max will rely on him as a midfield reference. This is the same reason Allegri wanted him: to support Modric’s leadership, help younger players (Ricci and Jashari) develop, and offer a quality option compared to today’s starters, Loftus-Cheek and Fofana, who are more physical but less creative for team play. From tomorrow, after familiarizing himself with the facilities and new teammates, until Sunday evening, Milan-Bologna day, there will be enough time for Rabiot to adapt to Max’s system (which he already knows) and appear at San Siro as a new Rossonero player. The question remains: starter or substitute? Allegri could surprise, but the conservative choice seems more likely, relying on the same midfield from the first two league matches: Modric in charge, Loftus-Cheek and Fofana on the sides. International duty fatigue affects others too: Loftus was called up by England, Modric captained Croatia against Montenegro yesterday, playing over 80 minutes. There will be several midfield rotations in the league, and Rabiot will be involved, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Rabiot has potential bonuses related to performances and results
Just enough time to warm up before becoming one of the department’s references: Adrien is a designated starter for Max. At Juventus, they were teammates in 128 matches (Rabiot scored 16 goals) and won a Coppa Italia together. The Frenchman adds experience and dynamism, including late runs and goals: last season in Marseille, he scored 10 goals in 32 appearances. Leaving France, Adrien chose Serie A again, and above all Allegri, with whom he had his best seasons. Max also justified a financial sacrifice: Rabiot signed a three-year contract with Milan with a lower salary than the five million guaranteed by Marseille until 2026. In return, there are rich bonuses if his performance meets expectations and especially if he helps the team win another trophy. A substantial bonus awaits him in case of Coppa Italia or Supercup victory, and of course if Milan wins the league.
