“I am finally getting to join a big team like Milan at 31” said the World Cup winning right-back. AC Milan signed Cristian Zaccardo from Parma for a direct swap with forgotten left-back Djamel Mesbah, along with traveling midfielder Rodney Strasser, albeit the latter leaves on loan till the end of the season.
Zaccardo has signed a contract with Milan until 2017, which essentially means that the duration of his contract doesn’t change when compared to his previous contract with Parma.
This signing creates a direct clash of interest with the stance the management has taken, which is to sign young players and create a generation of footballers to take this club forward. I was initially surprised too, not knowing why Milan are signing an aging defender. Then it all made sense.
Milan’s revolving door of defenders has confounded Massimiliano Allegri and the fans alike, without any truly understanding which two are the best pair of defenders at the football club. Francesco Acerbi, the promising young centre-back signed from Chievo in the summer, showed glimpses of quality, but didn’t reveal sufficient depth in his skill-set, either physically or technically, to be considered seriously by Milan going forward. Philippe Mexes is a red card waiting to happen, ridden with several game-changing blunders wrapped in a Milan shirt. Mario Yepes is 37 years old and Daniele Bonera is Daniele Bonera. Cristian Zapata is a shadow of the player he once was, but has appeared to be the least error prone of the bunch. Milan’s porous back-line was crying out for solidity, experience and consistency.
Zaccardo is by no stretch of imagination a world-class defender, but is a seasoned veteran with over 150 appearances in Serie A. He has represented Italy at the u-21 level and was also part of the World Cup winning national side in 2006. Zaccardo along with Gabriel Paletta helped build Stadio Ennio Tardini into a fortress, with Parma remaining unbeaten at home until this weekend.
Zaccardo might be missing in pace and exuberance, but 12 years of playing as a defender in Italy (and a brief stint in Germany with VfL Wolfsburg) aided him in building a strong positional sense. His reading of the game is also highly commendable, a skill the current defenders at Milan seem to be missing in.
Zaccardo’s versatility to play anywhere in a back three/four furthermore makes him an important acquisition. Milan were 
able to let go of Acerbi to Genoa in order to purchase 50% of Kevin Constant on a co-ownership. Constant has become one of Milan’s best players this season after a string of impressive performances at left-back. The co-ownership deal proves a statement of intent from Milan.
Additionally, since Zaccardo is primarily a full-back capable of playing on both flanks, Milan can proceed to sell Luca Antonini and Ignazio Abate for handsome amounts of money to clubs deluded about their abilities. With Milan attempting to shrink the squad size and discarding players of limited input to the first-team, Zaccardo’s acquisition opens the door to release at least three mediocre footballers.
Let’s not forget that Zaccardo is unlikely to be a prominent member of the core being built, but is a worthy, experienced replacement to come off the bench and perform in numerous roles. He is stable, sound and provides an adequate option for squad depth, without deepening the squad numerically.
Follow Rajath Kumar on Twitter: @rajathkumar. You can read his work on his AC Milan blog titled Milan and Me: The Love Affair.
Good article. Two things
1) You referred to it without going into much depth, but isn’t this really detrimental to the younger players coming through. For once it seemed good to have Milan give younger players opportunities.
2) A little harsh on Abate at the end. Isn’t he better than Zaccardo, in your opinion?
Thank you.
1)I’ve written that Zaccardo brings experience, solidity and consistency, something the younger players do not have starting out. Any big team cannot have naivety in defense, because that’s where games are won and lost.
2)Abate is a mediocre player. Check his stats, how many assists does he have for an attack-minded fullback? Abate’s pace overshadows his inability on 1v1s as well.
Fair enough on the experience bit. But personally, I hope this doesn’t restrict the chances of De Sciglio. He’d probably be played through the centre, given Acerbi’s sale. But i still remember the glimpses of Zapata from Udinese. He still could be quality.
Abate, I haven’t seen enough of. How much i have, thought he was alright. Will check up his stats now. Zenit move back on you feel?
I think Zacardo is here to replace yepes. This is last year of Yepes’ contract.
Zaccardo will not start over De Sciglio. He will play a subsidiary role in the side. Moreover, Zaccardo is likely to play as a CB, which he has become solid at. Parma, for instance, is a very good example, as I’ve mentioned in the article. Zapata is no longer that player, he’s fallen off the cliff.
I’ll give you the stats. Abate: 2009/10 40 games, 2 assists. 2010/11 37 games, 1 assist. 2011/12 40 games, 2 assists.
I’d be happy if the move is back on. Apparently, he is being valued at €13 million. I’d take the money and run.
I just love Internazzionali and i would love to see your team bein fcked up by some random team from west asia with a bunch of super smart kids with an outstanding ability to solve math problems.
Buying zaccardo was a decent move. Milan got rid of players who weren’t good enough and received a solid defender in return. Who knows. Maybe he can come back in Barzagli-like style. I don’t think Abate is a mediocre player though. He is good enough at defense (barring the occasional massive mistake) and dangerous enough in offense. Hes no De Sciglio, but I would miss his contribution.
Rajath…I appreciate your insight and opinions…I have been a fan of the team since Jan 2004…I am not as pessimistic on Abate, but if an offer of €10 million or more were made I think the right decision would be to accept it.
By any chance do you know why De Sciglio has not played the last couple of games?
I’m not entirely sure why he hasn’t played. I’d think it’s more of fitness concern rather than a tactical concern.