In Italy there are never half measures when it comes to young players. They are either immediately considered prodigies or “not good enough.” It is the typical, backward, moralizing mindset of those with a narrow view of talent, used to seeking solutions in players from abroad who might have the same qualities as those already at home but seem more appealing because of a few highlights on YouTube or word of mouth.
The same kind of judgment process happened with Davide Bartesaghi, who in the last three calendar years moved from the Primavera to the First Team, after spending an entire season with Milan Futuro. It was that very experience last year, amid countless technical and other challenges, that forged his character and taught him much more than a standard loan spell elsewhere, where he could have risked spending six months on the bench, because in Italy, that’s how it often goes.
The many matches he played in Serie C opened up a new world for him, one far from the lights of San Siro and much tougher than the youth championship. Of all those from last season, he is the only one to remain in the first-team squad, strongly supported by Massimiliano Allegri himself.
While judgments around him had already labeled him as “not Milan material,” Bartesaghi worked in silence, with seriousness and dedication. The wealth of experience he gained last year shaped him deeply, and those who work with him daily swear he is only at the start of his next stage of growth. A product of Vismara and a Milan player through and through, Bartesaghi has mainly changed his mental approach to matches.
Who would have bet on a strong performance from him against Juventus in Turin, given the context? And who, afterward, would have expected another step forward against Fiorentina? Two hands can be raised at once, those of Allegri, who never hesitates to launch a talented youngster. Bartesaghi rewrote his story among the seniors in those two matches, the result of three months of top-level training and attention to detail, a quality less common today in every aspect.
It should also be noted that he is a 193-centimeter-tall powerhouse. He may not have exceptional top speed, but he has a refined touch and many other qualities that Allegri can further develop.
As mentioned, everyone at Milanello has great confidence in Bartesaghi’s abilities. He has never rested on his laurels and knows well that what he has achieved so far is only the beginning. Allegri, his staff, and his teammates recognized his value from the start, and now he is repaying them all. This shows that before saying someone is “not Milan material,” one should have the humility and patience to watch the matches and perhaps trust a bit more those who coach him. It is no coincidence that he has also regained a starting spot with the Under-21 national team.
