Manuel Locatelli - future AC Milan captain and ‘new Pirlo’?

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  • Midfield maestros: Locatelli has been compared to legendary Pirlo.

    Manuel Locatelli’s debut for AC Milan was supposed to take place against Juventus six months ago, in April 2016, but was prevented in bizarre circumstances.

    Riccardo Montolivo’s fitness was questionable ahead of the big game, and Sinisa Mihajlovic stated that the 18-year-old starlet will start if the captain is unfit. Eventually, Montolivo managed to play, but midway through the second-half – just as Juve completed the comeback and took a 2-1 lead – he apparently told the bench that a substitution was needed.

    The Serbian coach gave Lecco-born Locatelli instructions, and the youngster was standing on the touchlines. The fourth referee raised the sign with his number, and he was visibly emotional ahead of getting the chance to shine at San Siro. Then something very strange occurred.

    As Montolivo and Mihajlovic explained after the final whistle, there was an unusual misunderstanding. The captain tried to signal that Mario Balotelli was hurt, and the striker was the one who needed to be substituted. The coach told Locatelli to return to the bench, Montolivo remained on the pitch, and Kevin-Prince Boateng came on instead.

    Milan lost, and just three days later Mihajlovic was extremely controversially sacked. Thus, Locatelli played his first two Serie A games under Cristian Brocchi, and that was rather unfair towards the man who was bold enough to make Gianluigi Donnarumma a star at the age of 16 and intended to nurture the talents of the brilliant midfielder as well.

    Mihajlovic saw Locatelli as the natural heir to Montolivo. The captain has been rather unpopular with Milan fans for a while, and the calls to replace him were quite loud last term already. “There are some people I am never going to please, so I just get used to it,” the 31-year-old midfield general said recently. Locatelli, on the other hand, was viewed as a great hope, mostly because of the plaudits he received from everyone.

    Silvio Berlusconi compared the youngster to Andrea Pirlo before he even made a single appearance for the first team. Mihajlovic promoted Locatelli to the senior squad in the summer of 2015, and frequently hailed him as the brightest prospect of his generation. “Manuel is not ready yet, but he will be in the next few weeks”, the Serbian said in March, “He is very intelligent and will be a great addition to us”.

    The most intriguing quote came from the chief of scouting, Mauro Bianchessi, who was responsible for bringing Locatelli to the academy at the age of 11, after the kid chose Milan over Inter. “Remember the name. Manuel is a player of great quality, and he will become our captain within three years. We need to be patient with young players and allow them to make mistakes during the learning process”, he said a few days before the debut that never was.

    Vincenzo Montella, who replaced Brocchi in the summer, had similar ideas, but was still reluctant to give Locatelli a place in the starting line-up. Montolivo continued to be considered a key player in the 4-3-3 formation, alongside Giacomo Bonaventura and Juraj Kucka, and the 18-year-old was only used as a substitute.

    His most impressive performance came at the beginning of October, when Manuel replaced Montolivo as Milan were 3-1 down against Sassuolo at the San Siro. Locatelli scored the equalizing goal with a truly majestic volley, and was absolutely ecstatic to net for the first time in Serie A. He burst into tears in the post-match interview, and it was impossible not to feel excited for him. After all, he had been waiting for this moment since joining Milan’s academy as an 11-year-old from Atlanta.

    Milan fans remembered that Montolivo’s last goal for the club was back in January 2014, and the Rossoneri quite remarkably lost 4-3 to Sassuolo that day. The captain hadn’t found the net since, but Locatelli proved to be a great finisher and Milan won 4-3 against the same opponents this time. Wasn’t it a clear sign?

    A lot of San Siro faithful demanded that Locatelli replaced Montolivo, but didn’t want it to happen in tragic circumstances. Just four days after the Sassuolo fixture, the veteran midfielder tore his knee ligaments in a clash with Sergio Ramos while playing for Italy against Spain. He will now miss the rest of the season, and the youngster was naturally chosen by Montella to fill the void.

    Even Locatelli’s biggest admirers couldn’t possibly have dreamt of such a remarkable rise. After playing superbly in the 3-1 win at Chievo, the 18-year-old “future captain” was the man of the match against Juventus. He was calm under pressure and composed in only his third start in the top division, never letting Sami Khedira and Miralem Pjanic settle in midfield, and then – after 65 minutes – scored a stunning winner. The magnificent shot gave Gianluigi Buffon no chance, and Manuel became the youngest Milan player to find the net against Juve since Gianni Rivera in 1961. Could he become a legend like Rivera and play for Milan for nearly two decades?

    It was an ironic way to close the circle. What would have happened if Locatelli had played against Juventus in April? Maybe he would have scored the equaliser, allowing Berlusconi to change his mind regarding Mihajlovic? The whole scrip might have been different, but that is now irrelevant. Locatelli’s time has come, and Montella trusts him. He is an integral part of a very young squad, and the sky is the limit for him and Donnarumma. The future looks bright for Rossoneri.

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