GdS: Allegri’s ‘first request’ – why Rabiot is already ‘untouchable’ at Milan

It did not take long for Adrien Rabiot to establish himself as a key man for AC Milan, just over a couple of weeks in fact.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport report this morning, Massimiliano Allegri never does without him. When Rabiot is available, the Milan coach puts him on the pitch and he proved it on Sunday against Bologna. The Frenchman earned a starting spot despite having trained with his new team-mates for three days.

The midfielder repaid his manager’s faith with a strong performance in both phases of the match. Rabiot was also a key figure in the Juventus side coached by Allegri from 2021 to 2024. When he wasn’t used, it was because he wasn’t in top condition. Otherwise, Rabiot practically always started.

When it came to choosing the XI, the decision was almost always ‘Adrien plus ten others’. History seems destined to repeat itself at Milan, given that he started on Sunday and will do the same tomorrow night in Udine.

Photo – AC Milan

In black and white

In his three years at Juventus, Allegri took charge of 149 games, having been sacked after the Coppa Italia final on 15 May 2024 and therefore not present for the last two league matches. Of these 149 matches, Rabiot played 127.

However, there are other data that give pause for thought: the 22 absences are almost actually mostly down to injury (17 matches missed) and suspension (3), with technical decisions (twice on the bench for 90 minutes) a small portion.

There’s more: Adrien was a starter in 94% of the matches in which he took the field, i.e. 119 out of 127 times; 92% of those in which he was available (119 out of 129). Translated: Max never did without him because he was the midfielder with size, technique, attacking runs and aerial ability.

Furthermore, he’s capable of covering all midfield roles, including left wing when he needed to close down that side. Previously at Juventus, Allegri used other midfielders with physicality like Pogba, Khedira and Emre Can. Rabiot was their successor, and he even wore the captain’s armband sometimes.

The first request

After being chosen by CEO Giorgio Furlani and the new sporting director Igli Tare to rebuild Milan after a dire season, Allegri immediately asked for his Juventus protégé but Marseille made it clear they weren’t willing to sell him.

After the brawl with Jon Rowe on August 15, the situation changed, .d Allegri’s pressure convinced Adrien to choose Milan over Saudi Arabia and the Premier League. The squad already had a physically strong midfielder like Ruben Loftus-Cheek, but for Max, Rabiot is a special player.

They have a good connection on a footballing and personal level, a feeling reciprocated, given that the two were in touch last season, when the coach was unemployed and the Frenchman had signed for Marseille.

Now they’re working alongside each other again and want to win again. If possible, something more important than the 2023-24 Coppa Italia. The priority is qualifying for next season’s Champions League, but neither Max nor Adrien are settling for less. Together, those two scare everyone a little.