"As of a few weeks ago Zachary Athekame remained an unknown quantity, but in recent games he has begun to blossom. As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Athekame is starting to show that he is useful to the cause after arriving at Milan under the radar. Before being snapped up by the Rossoneri in the summer, the defender had never set foot outside of Switzerland."
"As of now, Athekame has the third-least minutes in the league of any player in the squad: 265, with only Odogu (4′) and Füllkrug (191′) having played less. The latter has just arrived. Starts? Two. The first was on matchday seven against Fiorentina, and it didn't go so well. He was substituted after barely an hour of play. It seemed like a negative turning point, but Zachary bounced back just five days later, again at the Meazza, scoring a last-minute equaliser against Pisa."
"Since then, the 21-year-old has improved in tactical understanding and confidence, as demonstrated by his duels at the Dall'Ara with a tough opponent like Rowe. Of course it's possible he won't get many more starts this season, but Allegri knows he can call upon Zach when needed. As Max often emphasises, for a player coming from abroad - and not necessarily a young one - the impact of the Italian league"
Zachary Athekame arrived at Milan from Switzerland with limited experience, having never set foot outside Switzerland before joining and with eight Champions League appearances for Young Boys, Swiss U21 experience and a senior call-up in October. The first season focuses on understanding, observing and learning, while Milan's small squad creates opportunities and Allegri increasingly values him. A solid 6.5 display in Bologna marked growth after a difficult first start against Fiorentina. He has 265 minutes and two starts; he was substituted in his first start but scored a last-minute equaliser against Pisa and has since improved tactically and in confidence.
Read at SempreMilan
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