Mattia Caldara got to make his first league appearance for AC Milan last night and coincidentally, it was also his last. Indeed, his contract with the Rossoneri will expire at the end of June and it won’t be renewed.
Caldara joined Milan in a deal worth €38m back in 2018, with Leo Bonucci going the other way, but he suffered several injuries during his first season. Just when it looked like he was back, he tore his ACL and that was the start of the end for his Rossoneri career.
Loan spells with Atalanta, Venezia and Spezia followed by the centre-back never got back to the form he displayed at Atalanta back in the day. This season, he remained at Milan but missed all the action up until February due to an ankle injury, struggling for fitness afterwards.
His contract will expire at the end of June and it has been known for quite some time that Milan won’t renew it. Therefore, during the game against Salernitana last night, Pioli subbed on Caldara after 58 minutes for his first and final league appearance for the club.
It wasn’t a brilliant performance, as you would expect, but at least he got some sort of closure to his Milan tenure. Milan are certainly happy to get him off the balance sheet as he’s been costing the club around €9m gross per season (read our mercato financial breakdown).
one of the most ridiculous signings ever
It wasn’t ridiculous in 2018 when we signed him. He was the Scalvini/Bourngiorno of 2018. No worse than thinking of signing Zirkzee, Sesko or any other name that’s in fashion now. It’s just after the fact it didn’t turn out well. Happens
Exactly. These are measured according to the players potentials and Caldaras at the time was pretty high.
he might have been a guy with potential but still swapping bonucci for him is still fairly ridiculous
Calamitous to be exact, not ridiculous. Nobody wants that to happen, even Juve at that moment. But i know they were expecting it, that’s why the sold him instead of keeping Bonnuci.
But i would say that that Chinese owner was dumb with all the signings that summer.
Thats how illogical and anti milan pioli is
What’s the relationship of your comment with the article? What’s Pioli got to do with this?
LOLOLOLOLOL Because Caldara was such a bad player, it is suddenly Pioli’s fault? He was here before Pioli even arrived.
Caldara was a good youngster. But like Califiori he has serious ligament issues.
caldara will end up playing in india so enjoy pappu
9 mil per year!!!
I had high hopes for him when they signed him but he was very unlucky with injuries.
Weird part is that prior to last night, Caldara, who was one of the most sought after defenders back in 2018, was signed by both Juventus and then Milan, and 6 years later never played an official game in serie A for either one of them.
Injuries affected him, for the past two seasons he played regularly in Venezia and Spezia, unfortunately he got injured this season at Milan, he recovered in December, Pioli should have used him more, as he was fit throughout 2024, he looked ok yesterday, but lacking match fitness.
If the club is sensible , rather than getting an old 35 year old experienced defender as mentioned some days ago, the club should assess him on the trip to Australia, give him decent playing time, then look at him properly during pre season, if his ok, give him a one year contract at a very reduced sum, then we can proceed to get a younger CB during the July window, what’s the harm in trying….??
no man, Caldara is awful. He didn’t even cut it in those other teams.
very right, after injury, a player needs time to gain proper match fitness
Can we have our money back now please
Wow and I (with my bad memory) thought he’s played like a couple of games for Milan.
Couple of cup games. Not in Serie A.
One in europa league, one in Coppa Italia.
Yeah ar is right, worst buy/swap ever in ac milans history and even a top five of most expenssove players as well. If not top 3.
Not sure about the prize as announced. Juve, Barca, Atalanta was cooking their books at that time. Prizes could’ve been inflated during the Plusvalenza
bonucci was swapped for him and he had a valuation of roughly 40 mil (42 if i remember correctly) at the time.of the deal so even when we take money value of that time compared to the past and now present he is absolutely a top five most expensive players ever bought by ac milan. Bonucci could easiy have been sold for such fee at that time as both real madird and utd wanted him.
Must be that guys. I was sure to have seen him playing for us before last night.
So nice to see him come on after months of battling different injuries. Still remember watching him play for Atalanta. Wish him the best as he moves on.
I will still complain.
We gave Bonucci for Caldara… Milan is a team that self destructs.
Honestly, I feel happy for the man… Milan was a curse to him
Caldara was a good youngster. But like Califiori he has serious ligament issues.