The defender of the great Milan team: “The team has a focus that I didn’t expect. Max is good because he tries to make his opponents make mistakes. Modric? He’s been teaching for 20 years.”
Luka Modric will have to play another season to try to catch up with Billy Costacurta, who scored at 41 years and 25 days. In the meantime, Luka chases opponents on the pitch and wins the applause of the crowd. With him and other leaders, Milan is back at the top of Serie A: heights that Costacurta knows very well and from which he can afford to judge today’s Milan.
Billy, does the Rossoneri’s record surprise you?
“Not really, I’ve been saying from the beginning that they can compete for the title: without the cups, they can focus solely on the league. One thing that surprises me, though, is that I didn’t imagine the team could reach this level of maturity so quickly. That’s what strikes me the most: their focus. After the defeat in their opening game against Cremonese, Allegri spoke of a lack of awareness of danger. I completely agreed, and I would add that this also happened at Milan in previous years: there was a succession of errors in the details. Max explained the problem and corrected it. Of course, the arrival of quality players also brings greater awareness. There is more protection for the defenders, who in turn grow and feel more confident. There is greater attention to detail. An example? Crosses are more difficult to make, fewer balls reach the box, and fewer dangerous situations are created.“
In essence: Modric and Rabiot, before their injuries, are decisive in defense as well as in building play?
”The defense of our great Milan team, without wanting to make comparisons, was also helped by the rest of the team. I repeat, no comparison, just to say that even today the group works well together, they support each other more. If you intercept the ball in midfield, it doesn’t reach your area. And it’s obvious that players like Modric and Rabiot, with their reading of the game, their interceptions of the opponent’s plays, and their experience, are decisive.”
Modric certainly allows comparisons with the great Milan: how can you resist at these levels beyond 40?
“For too many years, Milan had not had a leader with that charisma; he has been teaching soccer for twenty years. Even he is not a surprise: from Boban to Ancelotti, everyone told me that, in addition to being a player, he is an amazing person. Arriving in a group that needed revitalizing and lacked personality was paradoxically positive: players like Luka and Rabiot thrive on it, they enjoy explaining soccer. It happened to me too, there was a phase in my career when I also felt like a teacher of mentality, and those were moments I enjoyed to the fullest. Technically, the team has everything it needs to win, but it lacked leadership: not anymore. And let’s not forget Allegri, who was also instrumental in changing everything.“
With mentors like these, will Leao finally be able to convince himself of his own qualities?
”His first goal against Fiorentina already shows an improvement: Rafa rarely scored with shots from outside the box. This time he did, and while the goalkeeper can make mistakes, it’s crucial to get the ball on target. And the penalty is also something new. Whether it’s positive or negative will depend on him. Positive because it can help him score 15-20 goals, giving him the confidence that playing further forward can unlock his potential. It’s a way of approaching the role with a new mindset. Negative because I wouldn’t want him to take his penalty and be satisfied with that. It mustn’t take away his commitment.”
Leao is a starter for me, but I wouldn’t rush it: if he doesn’t deliver, others will play.
Billy Costacurta
Milan defender 1987-2007
Also because there is no shortage of competition for the role this time: between him, Pulisic, Gimenez, and Nkunku, who are your starters?
“For me, someone like Leao can never be left out. But now I would be in a hurry: either he gives me answers or the others play. Paired with Pulisic, they can hurt any defense. Such a rich department guarantees internal competition: Nkunku is strong and Gimenez is very interesting. He reminds me of Crespo at Parma, even if Santi has a problem with scoring goals. He doesn’t play well, he plays very well. He stretches and challenges his opponents, he knows how to communicate. Apart from the superstars already mentioned, he has been one of the most positive players on the team. And as Ancelotti said about Hernan: if you create chances, the goals will come sooner or later.
To sum up, who or what does Milan have to fear?
“Inter and Napoli are stronger, but they also have Europe and the obligation to win. Milan does not. And Max’s style of play may not excite me, but he has changed too. The team now tries to provoke the opponent into making mistakes, rather than waiting for them to happen. For me, that’s a huge difference. And then he brings a lot of players into the opponent’s area, applies more organized pressure, creates the conditions for the opponent to make mistakes and takes advantage of them. There’s more intent to steal the ball and more solutions for playing it. The goals confirm this.”
