If you asked AC Milan fans who their favourite player is at this point in time there would be a lot of shouts for Matteo Gabbia, and it is thanks to a rise that truly begun at the start of the year.
La Gazzetta dello Sport recall how Gabbia has been working day by day, one step at a time, to try and conquer Milan. In the summer of 2023 he left his boyhood club to try a new experience at Villarreal, in January he returned to base in a hurry for emergency reasons.
Game after game he climbed the hierarchies first with Stefano Pioli and then with Paulo Fonseca, benching some expensive signings, scoring a derby winner and becoming the leader of a group looking for pillars.
The latest example comes from the 2-1 defeat suffered against Fiorentina before the international break in which he spoke to the media and called for everyone to react.
“We are not satisfied with how we approached the match, we feel this defeat. The team did not do our best, we have to look ourselves in the face and understand why we played like this,” he said.
“We did not have the continuity to be able to win, during this break we have to work and have a different continuity. Everything must start from us, in the locker room I saw the right disappointment. There is little positive.”
In these words we can find the reasons that have led the defender to be among the most appreciated by the fans today: the sense of responsibility and the attachment to the shirt, things that have often been lacking in recent weeks.
In such a confusing moment, Gabbia is seen by many as an example to follow to start again. He is composed in his statements, focused on the pitch, always respectful and an emblem of ‘Milanismo’, given his growth path that started in the youth team in 2012.
His journey also represents one of the greatest aspirations for a boy from the youth team, who grew up with the Rossoneri being his team. From watching matches as a fan at San Siro – next to his grandparents Gilberto and Adriana – up to his arrival in the first team and the joy of the derby winner.
He has earned it by overcoming difficult moments (until recently, he wasn’t even considered a candidate to start) and also by working as hard as he could, even leaving home to grow as a footballer and as a man in Spain.
For Fonseca, he has now been a starter since the match against Venezia and his excellent start even led to his first call-up to the Italian national team. The curious thing is that even with the Azzurri Matteo made it clear that Milan is always in his thoughts, choosing ‘Sarà perché ti amo’ by Ricchi e Poveri as his initiation song.
After the week with Spalletti, the challenge will be to give a hand to Fonseca in reuniting the squad and getting results back on track, maybe with the consideration of having the armband.
Gabbia has said he benefited a great deal from his loan at Villarreal.
I find that very hard to believe given he was only at the club for less than 6 months and played only 13 times under 4 different coaches.
I think the more likely explanation for his form after he returned due to an injury crisis is because he actually played.
And even when he was playing well Pioli still didn’t trust him. He was dropped the minute other players returned, when they failed he was given some more opportunities but then he had to be ‘rested’.
Fonseca arrived and decided that (in addition to replacing the club captain) he couldn’t possibly trust him so demanded another CB. Gabbia was dropped again and only brought back after numerous mistakes.
Gabbia is back but I’ve no doubt if he even looks the wrong way he’ll be dropped again.
It’s blatant discrimination. There is no other word for it.
Players that come from the youth team who are free are discriminated against in favour of expensive signings because a) there’s so many people in the background who have to justify their existence (I mean how many people are involved in transfers at Milan?); b) people assume the more you pay for something the better it is (e.g. expensive lawyers, art or wine).
I really don’t see Gabbia having a long term future. Too many itchy feet. Too many opportunities for defenders to make a mistake. Especially without any midfielders.
One mistake and he’s dropped. No pressure.
Why is it so hard to believe people grow from such a experience? Imagine if it was you, being send abroad for the first time in your life living with strangers who don’t speak your language, you have to grow up in those situations. the realization he was sent from Milan must give you a extra kick up the butt to, he didn’t know it would last only 6 months. point being you can grow as a person without being on the field. But I agree with the rest
Because Gabbia is one of the first youth players to break into the side who went on loan.
Most players who went on loan failed and never returned.
The only players to really become established in the past 10 years never went on loan: De Sciglio, Calabria, Cristante Locatelli, Cutrone all broke into the side without ever going on loan and when any of them did they were finished.
Why are you so determined to defend loans!
“I find that very hard to believe given he was only at the club for less than 6 months and played only 13 times under 4 different coaches.”
Just because you have a “small issue” with EVERYTHING even remotely related to mercatos doesn’t mean Satan himslef invented it just to ruin the whole world.
But nearly every loan ends in failure.
Gabbia’s would be one of the few successful loans in the past 10 years. Maybe Niang and Suso.
Who else actually returned from a loan?
Why are you so defensive about the transfer market?
Why does my criticism of a system invite more anger than anyone’s criticism of the actual players?
You are all so defensive about it. It’s bizarre and hilarious.
Defensive? I couldn’t care less about it. It’s your constant b*tching and whining about it that is bizarre and hilarious. It’s like an incurable obsession. It’s all you rant about. Transfer market this, transfer market that. The market only lasts for couple of months per year yet you cry about it 24/7 every fkng year.
Defensive? LOL. F*** transfer markets. Open them completely or close them down completely. The **** do I care. You’re the one with issues with it. BIG ISSUES. Mental breakdown level issues.
Just began? Naaah, just call Moncada and ask his plans for the Italian. He’ll trade Gabbia for anything shiny.
So you agree with me…
Bizarre.