If Wednesday's Coppa Italia match was the first impression, with Santiago Gimenez and Joao Felix, AC Milan fans could be in for a lot of fun in the second half of the season.
Today, at the Computer Gross Arena in Empoli, the second "performance" of the two gems acquired by the Rossoneri in the winter transfer window could take place: the Portuguese will start from the first minute, while the Mexican will rotate with Abraham, who is favored to wear the starting shirt. During the match, however, the two new leaders of Milan’s dressing room could find themselves side by side. They aim to show that their on-field chemistry matches the one they have off the pitch. Three days ago, it was Santi who provided the assist for Joao's goal, and now Joao hopes to repay him as soon as possible, either against D'Aversa's team today or Wednesday in Rotterdam, during the first leg of the Champions League playoff against Feyenoord.
Both Gimenez and Joao Felix are facing similar challenges, having arrived at Milanello just a few days apart. Thanks to the facilities the club provides to its players to help with all their off-field needs (there are Rossoneri employees or consultants who assist with finding a home, schools for children, babysitters, Italian courses, etc.), their adjustment will be easier. They are currently staying at a hotel near San Siro, where Walker also resides, which was previously used by Conceicao (who has recently found a home). Both are, however, searching for apartments in Milan: Santi is being assisted by his wife Fernanda, while Joao is getting help from his parents. Who knows, they may even become neighbors, just as Inter’s Lautaro and Lukaku were during their first stint at the club. They will certainly study Italian; next week, they’ll start a course to communicate even more easily with their teammates, with whom they already get along well, as relayed via La Gazzetta dello Sport in this morning's edition.
At Milanello, Joao has been taken under the protective wing of his fellow countryman Leao (they share a room at Milanello; Santi, on the other hand, took the famous room number 5, which has been used by various coaches, including Pioli), but the two also talk a lot between themselves. After the Roma match, for example, they had dinner in a room next to the team’s dressing room, with food directly from Milanello’s kitchen, supervised by the club's nutritionist. They smiled at the victory and discussed the incredible impact the Meazza crowd had on both of them. They were the ones to ignite the crowd with the 3-1 goal, starting their Italian adventure in the best possible way.
The Milan team needed this:
the hunger, the quality, and the drive of two young players who have goals and class in their DNA. After winning the Italian Super Cup, Conceicao had loudly requested reinforcements for the forward line, and after signing a key defender like Walker, he got the center-forward he had long desired (Gimenez) as well as an offensive wildcard (Joao Felix). For a team that has struggled to find the back of the net in the league with their strikers (two goals for Abraham, five for Morata, who transferred to Galatasaray), these are two major acquisitions that the owners and management wanted to gift the coach and fans. The Mexican is the most expensive investment of the RedBird era, but next summer or the following one, that could be surpassed by the expense necessary to secure the Portuguese, who is currently on loan from Chelsea. If he performs according to expectations, a negotiation will take place for him to be permanently acquired by Milan.
Between Serie A and the Champions League, Joao will play his first game as a starter tonight, unless there are surprises...
On the other hand Santiago Gimenez will probably wait a few more days—probably just until Wednesday, when he'll hear the Champions League anthem on the pitch that was once his, that of Feyenoord. The Mexican still needs to improve his physical condition after the minor injury he sustained in his last match with the Dutch club: the adductor has healed, or he wouldn't have been used against Roma, but Conceicao and his staff noticed that he is still a bit restricted in his movements and not fully confident in one-on-one situations. This is why the intention is to manage his time on the pitch, at least today in Empoli. Felix, on the other hand, has impressed the coaching staff with how quickly he became decisive, with the quality he immediately provided to Milan through key plays.
This shows that, despite playing little at Chelsea, he worked hard. "He trained well every day," Maresca said yesterday, "but he wanted to play more. We thought the best option for him was to leave, and he accepted." Now, Conceicao and the Rossoneri fans can enjoy him.
