Why Riccardo Montolivo Is the AC Milan Player with Most to Prove in Pre-Season

For two years now, Riccardo Montolivo has served as captain of AC Milan. It’s time for him to finally show why.

Various injuries, including a broken leg, kept him out of action for the majority of the 2014-15 season. Montolivo told Milan Channel that he aims to be ready for pre-season training, and a fresh start is exactly what he needs after a disastrous year for him personally and for the club.

“There’s a huge sense of responsibility among the players,” Montolivo said (h/t Football Italia). “We feel indebted to the fans. It’s up to us to get them to come back and fill the stadium.”

Leadership is one thing that is lacking at Milan, and many fans do not see Montolivo as the right fit as captain.

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Just sell Montolivo please get €5m and I will be happy he is awful and certainly doesn't deserve to be our captain.

— AC Milan UK (@uk_acmilan) June 22, 2015"

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@ACMilanBros Montolivo was never a player that convinced me even if he was healthy. To make him captain was just ridiculous!

— Rossoneri TV (@RossoneriTV) May 26, 2015"

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Currently trying to figure out how Montolivo ended up as captain. pic.twitter.com/Oji11uCMwy

— AC Milan Norway (@ACMilanNorway) February 28, 2015"

He is not the type of player to pull collars or bark at his teammates like Gennaro Gattuso. He has not even led quietly by example, as his performances (when fit) are often error-prone.

As the Rossoneri try to strengthen the squad this offseason, it’s on the 30-year-old Italy international to be a man whom the team and new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic can trust. Montolivo must take the initiative and earn the universal respect he currently does not have.

And that is only because Milan demands the best out of their captains. They have a long line of leaders—Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini, Massimo Ambrosini—but in recent years they have lost their way. Sulley Muntari, Philippe Mexes and Ignazio Abate have all worn the armband in Montolivo’s place. These players are hardly Milan material, let alone captains in relief.

Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images

It’s up to Montolivo to take ownership of the team now that he’s on schedule to be healthy for next season. If not, the club cannot allow the armband to be passed from player to player every season like it’s some timeshare. If Milan want to restore their values, the first stop is the captaincy. This is supposed to be the beacon of a seven-time European winner.

Montolivo, unfortunately, has not ever won a single major trophy in his career. He does not have the pedigree to back up his position on this team. He came to Milan in 2012 after a modestly successful time with Fiorentina, and he earned the captaincy a year later almost by default. The Rossoneri had lost all their veterans in one shot—Alessandro Nesta, Clarence Seedorf, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Gattuso all gone in one summer—and Montolivo was the only player of remote distinction left on the team.

In the years since, he has not done much to inspire the team. If anything, he has only caused problems. According to La Gazzetta dello Sport (via Rossoneri Blog), many players reportedly contributed to the downfall of Seedorf as manager, with Montolivo publicly calling the legend’s eventual sacking “for the good of Milan.”

Now there is no one else to criticize but himself. Four managers (including Mauro Tassotti as a caretaker) have come and gone. Montolivo has everything to give and almost everyone to convince. It’s time for him to make this team his.