Davide Calabria admits it was an unusual experience to play as a defensive midfielder and explains his role for Milan against Juventus.
The right-back was used in midfield as an emergency stop-gap, as Sandro Tonali was suspended, Ismael Bennacer injured and Rade Krunic out with COVID-19.
“I hadn’t played there for many years, but the coach showed me in training this morning how I should move,” Calabria told Sky Sport Italia after a 3-1 defeat.
Davide Calabria admits it was an unusual experience to play as a defensive midfielder and explains his role for Milan against Juventus.
The right-back was used in midfield as an emergency stop-gap, as Sandro Tonali was suspended, Ismael Bennacer injured and Rade Krunic out with COVID-19.
“I hadn’t played there for many years, but the coach showed me in training this morning how I should move,” Calabria told Sky Sport Italia after a 3-1 defeat.
“I was told to limit Aaron Ramsey and Cristiano Ronaldo, to remain between the lines, leaving Franck Kessie a little deeper.
“It was tough and I am proud of the team for the way we played. Juve are a very strong team, there’s no getting away from that, and there are many positives we can take from this performance.”
Calabria also scored the Milan goal, completing a give-and-go with Rafael Leao, to confirm his strong form this season.
It’s a world away from last term, when he had seemed on the verge of an exit and was unpopular with the fans.
Calabria was asked if there’s truth in the suggestion playing without a crowd helped Milan overcome their early difficulties in 2020?
“It’s not easy when the crowd at San Siro starts to murmur or more, so perhaps it did help at the start, but now we miss our fans and they could’ve given us that extra push tonight to complete the comeback.
“Hopefully with the vaccine rollout beginning, we will soon see some supporters in the stands.”