“This shows that the most useful and effective recruits are not necessarily the most expensive. » The demanding Gian Piero Gasperini does not hide his satisfaction with the performances of Sead Kolasinac, a Bosnian defender who arrived last summer from Marseille: “His arrival was providential for us, he raised the defensive level of our team . He’s a player who fitted in straight away and a guy who embodies our values. It has become an important element and its performance has always been very high and with a lot of continuity. It’s really a fundamental reinforcement,” declared the Italian coach at a press conference on Saturday.
The Marseille management had tried to retain him by offering him a contract extension from January 2023, while Kolasinac had become a part of Igor Tudor’s three-way defense. The negotiations were put on hold and the player’s entourage returned to Pablo Longoria late and with higher demands once Atalanta had contacted him. Marcelino had given his approval to confirm him in the squad and OM found themselves somewhat faced with a fait accompli when the 30-year-old defender signed up for two seasons and one option with the Bergamo club, with an annual salary estimated at €2 million according to the transalpine press.
“I got along well with Tudor at OM, I was looking for something similar”
A career choice that is not just economic, on the contrary. The eighteen months spent in Marseille allowed Kolasinac to relaunch himself, while he remained at the end of a difficult experience at Arsenal. In Bergamo, he found an attractive gaming project, following on from that advocated by Tudor. The season spent under the Croatian’s orders even served as an accelerated course to master Gasperini’s precepts. “I like to play intense, aggressive football, but also with possession,” the Bosnian confided to Tuttosport in January. I got along well with Tudor at OM, I was looking for something similar in the way of approaching matches. »
He therefore continues to play on the left of the three-way defense, and only Inter’s Alessandro Bastoni has a better statistical performance in this position in Serie A, a championship where he has been regularly announced for several seasons. Kolasinac thus pushed Gasperini to reposition his men, Giorgio Scalvini moving from the left to the axis and Berat Djimsiti from the axis to the right. Robust in duels, capable of quickly verticalizing the game, tactically intelligent, he also brings this surplus of European experience and charisma. Useful and efficient.
