What Role Should Riccardo Montolivo Play in Final Months of This Season?

Riccardo Montolivo is a unique player. While he is AC Milan’s captain, his place in their starting lineup is far from guaranteed.

It’s not like he’s unproven; he is 31 years old and has 60 caps for Italy to his name. He has played Serie A football for over a decade, having previously plied his trade with Fiorentina and Atalanta, the club whose revered youth academy he came through.

Yet for all his years of playing and proving himself, Montolivo has seemingly struggled to fully convince with Milan.

At the beginning of this season, Sinisa Mihajlovic was appointed Rossoneri head coach as part of a rejuvenation process. This involved investing heavily in new talent and bringing through younger players, with the latter a policy the Serbian has been particularly keen on.

MARCO BERTORELLO/Getty Images

Initially, it didn’t feel like Montolivo would play an important role in Mihajlovic’s project. He had just endured the worst year of his career. After suffering a broken leg while on international duty in the summer of 2014, he missed much of Milan’s last campaign, and when he did play, he failed to make much of an impact. On top of that, he was into his 30s and arguably past his best.

In this vein, it was not entirely surprising to see Montolivo left on the bench for Milan’s first two league fixtures this season. In the away defeat to Fiorentina on the opening day and the home win over Empoli the following week, he was unused. Instead, Mihajlovic opted for Nigel de Jong at the base of midfield, with Giacomo Bonaventura and Andrea Bertolacci either side of the Dutchman.

Montolivo acted professionally in the circumstances. “I am proud to be the Milan captain,” he told Milan Channel (h/t Football Italia). “I cannot be happy about not playing...but I am always training in better shape. I respect the coach’s choices. Even if I don’t play, the good of the team comes first.”

Whether his honest words had much of an effect is uncertain, but Montolivo found himself back in the starting lineup for the third game of Milan’s Serie A campaign, the Derby della Madonnina against Inter. And with an assured display at the base of Mihajlovic’s diamond midfield, he re-established himself in the side.

On the back of this mild resurgence, speculation has grown that the player will extend his stay with the club beyond this summer, which is when his contract is due to expire. According to Calciomercato (h/t Football Italia), “an agreement is all but complete for a new contract, which would see Montolivo stay at San Siro until 2019.”

However, while he has no doubt enjoyed a turnaround in his deeper midfield position, circumstances are different. Milan are setting up in a 4-4-2 system, and Montolivo finds himself competing with Juraj Kucka and Andrea Bertolacci for one of the two central-midfield berths.

Marco Luzzani/Getty Images

He does not have the dynamism or combative spirit of Kucka, who excels in the box-to-box role. Consequently, he and Bertolacci may have to fight it out for the more withdrawn central role.

Bertolacci is younger (25), faster and possesses the same technical refinement as Montolivo. Hence he seems a more suitable long-term option.

However, statistically, Montolivo has been one of the Rossoneri’s key players since regaining a first-team place. According to WhoScored.com, he averages 60.5 passes per game—far more than anyone else in the team. He also averages four interceptions each match. Squawka goes so far as to rate him as the best performing midfielder in Serie A in terms of defensive play.

Beyond this season, it's difficult to see Montolivo being anything more than a squad player for an increasingly youthful Milan. But until then, he has earned the right to retain his place.