Milano is red-and-black again, and for the 19th time in history. Milan put an end to an 11-year title drought as they snatched the Scudetto out of Inter’s hands one season after Antonio Conte’s successful campaign.
The Rossoneri did the trick featuring a young team, with one of the lowest average ages in Serie A, and the contribution of a deep roster that managed to go the distance despite being targeted with multiple injuries across an extenuating season.
So, as Milan kick off their well-deserved celebration, let’s take a look at our player ratings for all the protagonists of the Rossoneri‘s incredible triumph:
It's all over. We've done it! ?❤️?
Ce l'abbiamo fatta! Siamo Campioni ?❤️?#SassuoloMilan #AlwaysWithYou #SempreMilan@Acqua_Lete pic.twitter.com/Ok2f3dBAiV
— AC Milan (@acmilan) May 22, 2022
Mike Maignan – 8.5
An absolute revelation. Magic Mike took the Serie A by storm and made the Rossoneri‘s the best defense in the league. He came to Italy with the daunting task of filling in Gigio Donnarumma’s shoes. Not only did he succeed, keeping the Rossoneri afloat multiple times with many Dida-esque saves, but also turned into Milan’s special weapon thanks to his impressive skills with the ball on his feet (which incidentally was Donnarumma’s Achilles heels). Some of his throw-ins – including the one that turned into an assist for Milan’s winner against Sampdoria – were worth more than three points.
Davide Calabria – 6.5
The Rossoneri‘s backup captain was always there when needed. This was not exactly his best season in red-and-black but the Milan youth academy product’s displays were always solid. And, who knows, perhaps he could have been of some help to the Azzurri and Roberto Mancini – who inexplicably left him out of the squad that failed to qualify to the World Cup…
Fikayo Tomori – 7.5
The Wall. The former Chelsea man gained more and more responsibilities as a consequence of Simon Kjaer’s injury. He became the absolute leader of the Rossoneri‘s defense, working well with any partner – be it Romagnoli, Kalulu, or Gabbia. He literally came out of nowhere as a winter signing last year – another testimony to Paolo Maldini and Frederic Massara’s shrewdness on the transfer market. They will now need to work hard to keep him in Milanello.
Pierre Kalulu – 7
Nobody can fault the young Frenchman for not taking advantage of his chances. Originally deployed as a full back, he eventually had to serve in the middle of the defense as well. He did struggle at times – especially at the beginning of the season – but his shape and performances increased month after month. He ended the season forming a rock-solid defensive line alongside Tomori.
Theo Hernandez – 8
Theo Hernandez is Milan. There is not much more than can be said about this former Real Madrid left-back with a keen for attacking who really found his edge as a Rossonero. His runs back and forth along the left flank make no news anymore, nor does his offensive production which is way above the average for a defender. What we did NOT know, though, is that his goals can also be spectacular – like the epic coast-to-coast he performed against Atalanta in the penultimate league round.
Sandro Tonali – 8
Now everything is clear. Sandro Tonali just needed some time. Billed as the Next Big Thing as he transferred from Brescia to Milan in the summer of 2020, Tonali had a lackluster maiden campaign as a red-and-black. But things started to change already early into this season – a stunning free-kick goal against Cagliari in Round 2 heralding his transformation. The clumsy, often careless midfielder seen one year ago turned into an authentic leader and alpha of the middle of the park. If Milan are to open a cycle from this Scudetto, Sandro is the stepping stone on which to build it.
Frank Kessié – 6
The Presidente lived this season with the idea of parting ways with the Rossoneri at the end of it. The Milan supporters knew that and didn’t like it, so much that they openly contested him and booed at him during many games. It is possible that this had an impact of Kessié’s performances, which were subpar compared to his previous seasons at Milan. Many mistakes – especially his Champions League sendoff against Atletico Madrid – costed Pioli’s side a lot. He bounced back towards the end of the campaign and ended up scoring Milan’s last goal of the season today at Sassuolo. A nice way to say goodbye.
Ismael Bennacer – 7
The rise of Sandro Tonali partially overshadowed the Algerian midfielder who, however, still held his own whenever he was called to action. Not the most brilliant season for him, but Bennacer is by now a solid piece of the Rossoneri‘s midfield package and that is not expected to change anytime soon.
Alexis Saelemaekers – 6
The mercurial Belgian winger is another one who had an underwhelming campaign compared to last season’s. Saelemaekers lost his starting spot to Junior Messias a few times but recovered it towards the end of the season. Pioli and Milan will be expecting more from him in the future.
Rade Krunic – 6.5
Kudos to the Bosnian midfielder for his versatility, which allowed him to play even as a trequartista in Stefano Pioli’s usual 4-2-3-1 despite mostly being a central midfielder. He did his job whenever he was called up, ending the season as a starter.
Rafael Leao – 8.5
Simply put, the boy has manned up. Long gone are the days when Rafael Leao apathetically wandered across the pitch, touching two-three balls in the whole 90 minutes of a game. Well, this still happens once in a while but the frequency has dramatically decreased as Leao turned into Milan’s added weapon this season. The Portuguese starlet seems to have understood that he has what it takes to be a phenomenal striker. He just needs to put it to use – which he definitely did this season. Together with Theo Hernandez, he formed a devastating offensive chain on the left flank. He is another one that Milan will have a hard time keeping with them.
Olivier Giroud – 7.5
Over the past few years, the Rossoneri had had a poor record of signing declining strikers. (did anybody say Fernando Torres?) That was not the case with Oliviero. From the very start of his experience in Serie A, Giroud showed that he was not coming to Milan to walk Sunset Boulevard. Despite his 35 years of age, the French World Champion worked incredibly hard, was inconsistent at times, but still managed to hit the scorecard a remarkable ten times. Some of his goals were of paramount importance, including the brace in the Derby di Milano that basically started to tip the Scudetto scales in Milan’s favor.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – 6.5
Zlatan, Zlatan, what should we do with you? It is difficult to rate a player who spent more than two thirds of the season on the sidelines due to recurring injuries. Sure, Ibra put his stamp on every proceedings he was involved in but his dwindling form forced Milan to play with only one real option as a center forward. There’s no doubt about the huge impact Zlatan has had on the Rossoneri when it comes to mindset, grit, and team spirit but – at 41 – perhaps the time has really come for him to call it a career. Indeed, winning an incredible Scudetto as the leader of a team that less than two years earlier was humiliated 0-5 at Atalanta offers him a splendid chance to step down like a Boss.
Ciprian Tatarusanu – 6.5
The Romanian shot-stopper had to step in when Mike Maignan was kept at bay by an injury for several weeks. His moment of glory came in the Derby against Inter when he denied Lautaro Martinez from the penalty spot.
Alessandro Florenzi – 7
Signing Florenzi was a clever move. The former Roma and PSG player has always been an extremely versatile player, one that turned helpful when poor Stefano Pioli started to be targeted with injuries. Plus, he brought to Milan’s young locker room that sense of international experience that Zlatan alone was not enough to provide. He contributed to the Rossoneri‘s triumph with two goals and, at 31, he finally managed to win the first title in his home country.
Alessio Romagnoli – 6
It was not an easy season for the Rossoneri‘s captain among injuries, an expiring contract, and a starting spot that he lost to Tomori. Like for Kessié, it is highly possible that this was the last season as a Rossonero for the Rome-born defender. Romagnoli always did his job, wearing the captain armband during troubled times for the Diavolo and needs to be thanked for his service.
Matteo Gabbia – 5.5
Gabbia has fallen way down in Stefano Pioli’s pecking order in defense, even when he came back from an injury that sidelined him for many months. At 22, he still has all the time in world but perhaps it’s time for him to consider a move away from his youth club to get more playing time.
Fodé Ballo-Touré – 5.5
The multiple injuries in Milan’s roster forced Pioli to push the young Senegalese full back into the pitch earlier then expected. Ballo-Touré paid a price to inexperience but had the merit of filling many holes when the Rossoneri‘s physio table was jam-packed. He will possibly get more chances next season.
Tiémoué Bakayoko – 5
He was one of the most awaited signings. Bakayoko left good memories on loan at Milan in the 2018/19 campaign, then tried to come back to Milanello for the next two seasons. When he finally managed to return, he ended up playing a pretty lackluster season.
Ante Rebic – 5.5
Injuries took their toll on Ante Rebic as well, who was sidelined for a good part of the season. When he was on the pitch, however, the Croatian winger was the pale image of the lethal striker admired in the past. The two goals he scored – compared to the 11 he tallied in both his past years as a Rossonero – pretty much sum his season up.
Brahim Diaz – 6
The young Spaniard’s season start was delusional. He scored three goals in the early stages of the campaign and it seemed that the Rossoneri had quickly found a solution to the “number 10” problem arising from Hakan Calhanoglu’s departure. Brahim Diaz’s performances, though, quickly declined as he once again appeared to be that kind of player with a remarkable bag of tricks that for some reason he cannot manage to use.
Junior Messias – 6.5
His fairy tale is well known. Five years ago, Junior Messias played in Eccellenza (the Italian fifth tier) and worked as delivery boy. Today, he completed his ascent to the calcio heights by winning the Scudetto, after taking the luxury of featuring in Champions League and scoring a key goal to Atletico Madrid. Junior Messias is not and will never be a champion, but proved a reliable and versatile backup, going as far as putting Alexis Saelemaekers’ starting spot at risk.
Pietro Pellegri – 5
Milan took an intriguing bet they tried to revamp the inconsistent career of this once Serie A sensation – the youngest player to ever feature in an Italian top-flight game at 15. The fact that he featured in only six games despite the Rossoneri‘s shortage of offensive options and that he was offloaded at Torino in the winter market says a lot.
Daniel Maldini – 6
The same applies to Maldini the Third – though to a lesser extent. Despite Milan having at times only 35-year-old Giroud available as a center forward, the young figlio d’arte collected only one cap as a starter – where at least he scored his first Serie A goal. Perhaps he should consider a loan move to gain more experience – just like his former youth academy teammate Lorenzo Colombo did.
Simon Kjaer – N/A
The brave Dane picked up a terrible injury to his left knee in December already. His campaign thus ended after collecting only 11 caps. Milan surely missed his charisma across the pitch and will be eager to welcome him back this coming season.
Antonio Mirante – N/A
He was signed as a backup goalkeeper due to Maignan’s injury. There was no need for him in the end but one could think that his experience helped keep the team together during troubled times. The Scudetto is a Career Achievement award for an always reliable player who always got less than he deserved.
Samu Castillejo – N/A
The Spanish winger featured in only four games this season. He seemed destined to leave Milan in the winter transfer market already. He will most likely part ways with the Rossoneri now. Milan fans should thank him for four years of loyal service as a red-and-black.
Marko Lazetic – N/A
The son of a former Serie A player (his father Nikola journeyed through various Italian clubs for six seasons) he was mostly signed to be part of the Primavera team. We will see about him next season.
Stefano Pioli – 9
Milan’s triumph is first and foremost Stefano Pioli’s triumph. The Parma-born coach truly lived his “sliding doors” moment in Milanello. Traditionally considered a mid-table clubs manager whose specialty was ferrying a struggling team towards the end of a disappointing season, he was likely expected to do the same with the Rossoneri after Marco Giampaolo got the ax early into the 2019/2020 campaign.
Pioli humbly did his supposedly temporary job while the Rossoneri prepared to onboard Ralf Rangnick, but then his good performances and the arrival of a certain Zlatan Ibrahimovic (whom Pioli had the merit of overseeing and managing while dealing with his larger-than-life persona) turned the tide and won him a new contract. The rest, as they say, is history. A history that was made today.