Koni De Winter’s adventure at Milan did not get off to the best start. After his excellent seasons in a Genoa shirt, the Belgian often struggled to find continuity with the Rossoneri, piling up bench appearances, short cameos, and performances below expectations. In particular, his display against Roma last October, and above all the Supercoppa defeat to Napoli in Riyadh, heightened doubts and criticism about his adaptation to Milan’s system, despite having a coach on the bench who knows him well in Massimiliano Allegri.
Growth in recent outings and the first answers
In recent league rounds, something has changed. De Winter has been used more regularly, also due to injuries to Gabbia first, then Pavlovic, and Tomori’s suspension, showing greater balance and, above all, more solidity compared to the early part of the season. In the away win against Cagliari, for example, the former Genoa defender delivered a convincing performance, managing the defensive phase well and showing good positional awareness from the opening minutes, earning positive reviews even from the most demanding reporters at the Unipol Domus Arena.
Against Lecce on Sunday, De Winter again carried out his task with great care, contributing to the unit’s compactness as Milan finished the match without conceding a single goal, also helped by the fact they suffered virtually nothing over the full 90 minutes, as relayed via Milan News.
The Como performance and new continuity
De Winter’s mental switch most likely came in last Thursday’s match in Como, against Cesc Fabregas’ side, a game in which the defender produced one of his best performances in a Milan shirt, if not his very best. Despite adapting to a role that is not his natural one, playing as a left-sided center back, the Belgian showed strong defensive aptitude, focus, and adaptability, qualities highlighted above all by the way he handled the changes of pace of the more dynamic opponents.
After a turbulent adaptation period, De Winter therefore seems to have finally found his place in the Rossoneri shirt, and perhaps this is precisely what lies behind Milan’s decision not to push for another central defender, at least for now.
