In the new episode of Unlocker Room-The Rossoneri Podcast, a new podcast produced by Milan with some of the protagonists of the Rossoneri team as guests, the Rossoneri defender was the protagonist Matteo Gabbia who, after starting the season on loan at Villarreal, returned to home base in January to deal with emergencies in the department.
This year’s season, with the loan to Villarreal. “It was very strange. I knew I had to leave this summer, I had also spoken to the coach. At the beginning of the summer I had options that didn’t make me experience the emotion I wanted to feel. The day we left for America, I heard my agent telling me not to leave because everything was done with Villarreal. But we were on the plane and so I left. My agent spoke to director Furlani and there were still things missing, they told him that until everything was defined I should have stayed with Milan for two or three days until everything was defined and I went back. It was born quite quickly and I immediately liked it as an experience. I was eager to get involved in a different country and championship. It was very nice, I was happy with the choice I made, with how the six months went and then obviously being back.”
Life and experience in Spain. “It was certainly trying, more because I had been in a personal comfort zone for 4 or 5 years: for me Milan is family, it’s faces I’ve known since I was little. Changing country, a new city and with teammates who don’t speak the your language was certainly trying but it was something that gave me a lot: the impact was very positive, there were positive and good guys, even the coach who had an impact on my purchase. Then it depends on how you approach it : I tried to make myself known for who I am, I was lucky enough that Pepe Reina was there and also Raul Albiol who spoke Italian. It was a crescendo: after a couple of weeks everything was better, I found a home An experience that opened my mind, I didn’t know the difficulties that could exist from one country to another but I was lucky to find everything immediately.”
The link maintained with Milan while he was on loan. “For me it’s as if I never left again, many times I felt there was a daily relationship with the Italian kids here. Sometimes even the foreign kids. From that point of view it’s like I never left because I knew what it happened, how were the boys, I saw them all when there was a chance. I’m always attached to Milan also because I’m a fan and therefore I’m happy to see them as a fan , as if I were injured at home… Now I see Villarreal’s matches when they play but I don’t have the same sensations as when I saw Milan’s.”
What has changed to raise the level of performance? “I think that not much has changed. I did a job on myself, on what were defects or on what I lost energy. I think I have improved the attention to some details in the work: it is not always about working more but maybe for me it was working better but less. Sometimes when you don’t play you want to show that you are there, you want to train more to be ready but this is not always a positive thing. I managed to find a safer comfort zone for me from the point in terms of training and organization of the week: in Spain I played more and it’s not a trivial thing, I had more continuity. I came back here and I had more continuity, playing consistently helps you.”
The match against Barcelona. “A beautiful match, it moved me: we lost 4-3 but with comebacks and counter-comebacks. We had given everything we had. They are an objectively strong team. Incredible individuality and young people who are very good: they launch them with a simplicity… I felt old because a 2007 player is eight years younger than me and I knew what was waiting for me during the match. Lewandowski? Very strong, even when you feel like you have him under control he can make a play where he steals your time or where he shoots you: he scored a goal that seemed lucky but he was there.”
