Confidence and an old-school style: Why Gabbia is the unsung hero of Milan’s revival

Judgements often eventuate prematurely in the early stages whereby first impressions persuade fans and pundits.

At Milan, that narrative has been constant during examples ranging from Charles De Ketelaere not being given a long-term opportunity to Stefano Pioli being forced to accept the managerial role on the hot seat instantly due to his coaching pedigree.

Funnily enough, the Rossoneri’s mini-revival period has been driven by outcasts from other clubs or players who haven’t lived up to their full potential in previous years.

Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Christian Pulisic have turned out to be revelations since Chelsea lost faith in the duo and considered their best to have already passed them by.

Luka Jović was deemed unfit to wear the prestigious Milan shirt based on only a handful of performances before silencing the critics as well as Yacine Adli who was an outcast under Pioli – now reaping the rewards for his consistent hard work and commitment.

The left flank of Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leão along with the explosive displays from Loftus-Cheek have rightly grasped the headlines – but one man who is only starting to have his name praised is another outcast in Matteo Gabbia.

Growing up in the Milan youth sector since the age of 12, the hope was clear that Gabbia could potentially fill the boots left behind by countless Diavolo greats in the centre-back role.

Before that, however, he was viewed as a promising talent because of his impressive versatility and general football knowledge having commenced his journey in multiple midfield positions.

When the moment arrived to embed Gabbia in the first-team frame, he failed to inspire and convince the management staff amongst competition involving Mateo Musacchio, Léo Duarte, and Cristián Zapata.

Surplus to requirements at the start of the 2023-24 campaign with Fikayo Tomori, Pierre Kalulu, Malik Thiaw, and Simon Kjaer all considered superior options, the 24-year-old was sent out on loan to Spanish side Villarreal to recoup Pioli’s trust.

Devastating long-term injuries sustained by Tomori, Kalulu, and Thiaw on top of the lack of economic funds to sign an adequate replacement forced the club to recall the Primavera product in January to spare his blushes.

Seven starts and six victories later, that decision has proven to be a masterstroke as Gabbia continues to thrive as the unsung hero where he has been nothing short of sensational.

A defeat on his comeback debut in the Coppa Italia and the defence shipping nine goals in five fixtures, those statistics somewhat overshadowed the brilliant output of Gabbia’s performances.
Back-to-back clean sheets over Napoli and Stade Rennes have completely changed that tune.