GdS: An ‘extra starter’ for Allegri – why Athekame is being trusted more

As of a few weeks ago Zachary Athekame remained an unknown quantity, but in recent games he has begun to blossom.

As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Athekame is starting to show that he is useful to the cause after arriving at Milan under the radar. Before being snapped up by the Rossoneri in the summer, the defender had never set foot outside of Switzerland.

He had limited experience, admittedly, but also eight Champions League appearances with Young Boys (some of his Milan team-mates can’t say the same) and a spell with the Swiss U21 team, plus a senior call-up on October.

Recent rise

Season one for Athekame is more about understanding, observing, studying and learning. After that, Milan’s extremely small squad becomes a help in terms of getting opportunities, and Allegri is slowly starting to value him more and more.

His performance in Bologna – a solid 6.5 in our player ratings – was the symbol of growth. The absence of Alexis Saelemaekers had sparked fears, with talk even of Ruben Loftus-Cheek being used out wide, but the faith of the coach in the Swiss was repaid.

As of now, Athekame has the third-least minutes in the league of any player in the squad: 265, with only Odogu (4′) and Füllkrug (191′) having played less. The latter has just arrived. Starts? Two.

Photo by AC Milan

The first was on matchday seven against Fiorentina, and it didn’t go so well. He was substituted after barely an hour of play. It seemed like a negative turning point, but Zachary bounced back just five days later, again at the Meazza, scoring a last-minute equaliser against Pisa with a shot from range.

Since then, the 21-year-old has improved in tactical understanding and confidence, as demonstrated by his duels at the Dall’Ara with a tough opponent like Rowe. Of course it’s possible he won’t get many more starts this season, but Allegri knows he can call upon Zach when needed.

As Max often emphasises, for a player coming from abroad – and not necessarily a young one – the impact of the Italian league is powerful and complex. Meanwhile, his movement and coverage are improving, a few well-executed crosses deserved better, and now Athekame seems ready.