Koni De Winter didn’t have the best of starts to life as an AC Milan player, but now he is arguably in the best form of anyone in the squad.
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As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, pressure can break players but it can also make them. Just before Christmas, he was partly responsible for Milan’s Supercoppa Italiana defeat to Napoli after struggling to contain Hojlund. Two and a half months later he’s a starter and has just played in a great derby.
The Belgian kept Pio Esposito and Bonny silent for 90 minutes. To understand why this happened, you have to look beyond the player and get to know the person. De Winter is a calm man, naturally confident, sometimes too much so.
Feeling the pressure of San Siro and Allegri’s rules has done him good: it has raised his level of concentration and lowered the risk factor. He arrived in Italy following a dispute between Juventus and Zulte Waregem, starting as a full-back then being moved, so he is no stranger to change.
Three reasons for the rebirth
Koni also got off to a slow start at Milan. He started on the bench, was logically disappointed, and had a couple of poor performances. Over time, however, he’s risen to the top and three key factors stand out.
The first is his calm: De Winter is naturally composed and he doesn’t read websites, social media, or newspapers. Secondly is his consistency: when he became a starter, he changed his pace. The third: a conversation Allegri gave him at the most difficult moment.
Max chose to be conciliatory, simply telling him to keep working. From there, Koni gained confidence. Igli Tare – the director who spends most time with the team – has also been crucial: before and after the Supercoppa, he tried to revitalise him.
Sunday’s derby was an indication of his growth. While it wasn’t Lautaro and Thuram he was facing, keeping Bonny and Pio Esposito quiet is still easier said than done. Now, De Winter hopes to overtake Theate, Mechele and/or Debast to get a starting spot at the World Cup in the summer.