“Advice of Patience from Germany U21 Coach: Thiaw Never Leaves the Field after Months-long Talks with Pioli”

Anthony DiSalvo, technical commissioner of the Germany under-21 team, of which Thiaw is captain, expressed himself thus to La Gazzetta dello Sport on the Rossoneri centre-back: “I’ve been in contact with Pioli for months, we always call each other after the Germany matches and I was at Milanello in January. He believes in the boy, he knows he has good features and he told me he was settling in. Honestly, I didn’t think this moment would come so soon.”

How did you advise him in the first months at Milan?

“Talking to the kids is my job, especially when they play less or have some problems. We’ve talked often in recent months, I suggested he be patient because Milan are a big step up from Schalke 04. We’re talking about a top club. The first few times weren’t easy, you need to get to know a new country and a different kind of football. He had to earn Pioli’s trust, he was very careful and took advantage of the opportunities. Now he doesn’t leave the field anymore. The months without playing he spent working and keeping calm. He has also had a bit of luck, such as in the occasion of the two blocks in the last minutes against Verona, at the beginning of the season. He immediately showed his sense of position, entering with the right head. It’s not easy for young people in Italy. The 3-man defense helped him”.