A grim reality came to light when AC Milan met Bologna in the 2023-24 season opener as the starting line-up was announced.
Blessed with the legends of Paolo Maldini, Alessandro Nesta, Andrea Pirlo, Filippo Inzaghi, and Gennaro Gattuso to name a few, Italian talent served as the core foundation of the great AC Milan sides of the past.
Look closely, and you will notice that there is only one regular starter Italian starter in coach Stefano Pioli’s plans; a cultural issue that impacts the majority of Serie A clubs who rely heavily on foreign influence. That in itself is an entirely different discussion though.
That sole representative happens to be right-back Davide Calabria, who is now the Rossoneri captain for the second consecutive season.
Since 2007, Calabria has grown up in the youth system where he’s progressively grown into the Primavera and first-team football. For that reason alone, there is a sense that everyone wants him to live up to his potential. Speaking of potential, perhaps the 27-year-old has reached his ceiling and has nothing more to give.
At his best, there is no disputing that the Italian defender is one of the more intelligent players in reading the game and tactical awareness. He understands when to sit back and wait for the right moment to make those all-important tackles in one-on-one situations.
This is a massively underrated part of his game. Statistics gathered by Kickest show that he has made the equal 11th most tackles in Serie A this season.
This is a player who had one of Europe’s most in-form attackers, Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, in his back pocket for 180 minutes during the Champions League quarter-finals last season. They were arguably his two most impressive displays.
Recently we witnessed another masterclass from Calabria against arguably the best forward on the planet in Kylian Mbappé, albeit some may argue that the Frenchman was nowhere near his best.
Despite showing promising signs that he is a reliable captain for the future, Calabria has repeatedly undone his good work with some below-par performances.
In the past, the Rossoneri youth product has often been heavily criticised, admittedly somewhat harshly at times, but a lingering concern over his future at the club is beneath all of that.
Place his red card against Atalanta to one side, the 3-1 loss to Borussia Dortmund summed up Calabria’s flaws in what we have already known.
Unfortunately, a lack of noticeable pace and explosiveness can be exploited in certain matchups, with 19-year-old Dortmund winger Jamie Bynoe-Gittens doing exactly that to send Calabria in a whirlwind, topped off by the penalty which the full-back committed.
The ease with which Calabria was turned inside out on numerous occasions not only in that particular game but in patches throughout the season must be a worrying trend for Pioli.
The question is: does Pioli even trust him? With Pierre Kalulu sidelined for the foreseeable future, Calabria was tasked with the responsibility of handling Mbappé in the return leg, but Calabria was benched in Paris in favour of someone with more pace and an ability to track back to cover ground.
As the only Italian at the club who is the closest to cementing a starting berth along with the fact that he has grown up through the Milanese ranks, it might so happen to be that we are trying to avoid the brutal discussions.
Registering zero goals and three assists so far this campaign, are Milan getting value from Calabria’s displays?
A few years ago, Calabria was more associated with the conventional modern-day full-back who would make overlapping runs and deliver consistently dangerous crosses into the box for his teammates to latch onto. Now, the defensive side of the ball has notably become Calabria’s number-one priority.
This could be down to his compatriot on the opposite flank. The classic modern-day full-back is exceptionally epitomised by one of Milan’s own, Theo Hernandez, a wide player with lightning pace who can turn a game on its head in an instant going forward. Yes, he isn’t the greatest defender, however, it’s the moments of brilliance up front that lead to goals and assists that are so crucial in today’s game.
Per Transfermarkt, Calabria’s current value sits at roughly €20m, a far cry from Hernandez’s value which begs the question of whether a sale is even worth it.
Players like Ivan Fresneda and Wilfried Singo were linked during the summer, while Arnau Martinez has been more recently. This could well be a sign that Geoffrey Moncada is aware of the need to upgrade key positions, or at least provide the depth to ensure the starters don’t get too comfortable.
As mentioned, Calabria’s intelligence and familiarity with Pioli’s schemes is a crucial asset to his armoury, but too many times he can be caught out of position due to his physical attributes.
Some have been bemused as to why he hasn’t been called up to the Italian national team in recent camps as the first backup to Giovanni Di Lorenzo. Perhaps, both Roberto Mancini and Luciano Spaletti know something that we don’t.
For sure, Calabria’s experience and leadership cannot be swept under the carpet. This man has been through the dark times of the club during the ‘banter era’ and knows what it means to wear the shirt with pride; no one is denying that.
In terms of overall potential and capability, the time may soon be approaching to scout the next big prospect in search of Milan’s new modern-day right-back.
