This summer, the sale of Malick Thiaw to Newcastle sparked plenty of debate. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri considered him a key piece in his defence, despite last season not being one of his best. Still, Thiaw’s physical presence, his quality in aerial duels, decent technical ability and, above all, the previous seasons in which he had proven himself a very solid defender had convinced the Livorno-born coach to put his faith in him. When a €40 million offer arrived from the Premier League, however, neither the player nor the club hesitated to accept it, and Allegri suddenly found himself without a player he regarded as fundamental.
That is when, a few days later, Milan signed Koni De Winter from Genoa. A deal worth €25 million in total for a defender who was steadily improving and attracting interest from several Serie A clubs. A missed opportunity for the usual “Milan snubbed” headlines, given that the Belgian ultimately became a Rossonero, but as we know, these little games do not apply to everyone. Jokes aside, the 2002-born defender immediately looked like a convincing signing: charisma, experience despite his young age of 23, and excellent defensive qualities.
De Winter's difficult start at AC Milan:
Despite the positive expectations surrounding him, as was predictable, Koni did not become a regular starter straight away, and there is nothing wrong with that. It is worth remembering that the 2002-born defender had played only three Serie A seasons, with two clubs, Empoli and Genoa, which, with all due respect, do not carry the stature of Milan. They do not have a stadium that whistles after two poor games, where your legs start shaking when you have to play certain matches. This was therefore a natural and physiological path, one that should not raise doubts about the player.
To be fair, though, it must also be said that in the matches he has played so far, he has never shown great reliability or security at the back, often appearing timid and unsure. But what should we do, tear apart a player who has made such a major and difficult step up to a top club after only five months? That is certainly not the right philosophy, nor one that helps a young player grow. De Winter has shown he has real quality, and he has an absolute need for time to settle in and to cope with the pressure that suddenly fell on his shoulders. Clearly, this is not a criticism of the team or of coach Allegri, who has always offered words of support and great appreciation for his number 5.
In the Italian Super Cup, De Winter started the semi-final against Napoli due to Gabbia’s absence, caused by a knee injury suffered against Sassuolo. By far the worst performance of his career in a Milan shirt. It could have been a heavy psychological blow, one that might have led him into a shorter or longer crisis, with fear creeping into his game. Yet that was not the case. Quite the opposite.
In Cagliari, the Rossoneri’s most recent match, Koni was once again named in the starting lineup by his coach, who, as mentioned above, has always shown great trust in him. And here, after hitting rock bottom, he delivered a performance worth noting: confidence, aerial dominance, technical accuracy, solidity. He almost looked like a different player compared to just two weeks earlier. This explains the title of this article. After hitting rock bottom in Riyadh, the 2002-born defender has started to shine.
Of course, it is only one match. But delivering it in an emergency situation, amid heavy criticism, shows the personality and professionalism of a player who should be allowed to grow and even to make mistakes in peace, as is only right. You will also remember Gabbia, to use the example of a teammate in the same department. He was sent out on loan to Spain after criticism in Milan was constant, only to return and become, over time and through hard work, a cornerstone of the Rossoneri defence. Who knows, maybe in a few months we will be talking about number 46 and number 5 as the backbone of Milan’s future defence.
Source: Milan News
