Lautaro Martinez in Appiano earlier than expected, the Gazzetta compares with Maignan

Lautaro Martinez showed up yesterday at Appiano Gentile to begin preparations ahead of the upcoming league commitments. The Inter captain returned early from vacation after the World Cup final, showing immediate availability even though he could have requested additional days of rest.

On the other hand, Mike Maignan and Adrien Rabiot will be available to Amorim. The goalkeeper and the midfielder of Milan will therefore arrive late, even though the World Cup commitments of the Nerazzurri and Rossoneri players ended on the same weekend.

Gazzetta dello Sport, through an article signed by G.B. Olivero, developed a reflection on the behavior of captains. The comparison starts from an episode in 2006, when Pippo Inzaghi, world champion with Italy, interrupted his vacation at the request of Adriano Galliani to return for the Champions qualifiers. That choice was rewarded with a brace in the Athens final against Liverpool the following May.

According to the newspaper, Martinez is “made of that stuff: captain’s material.” The locker room is governed by actions, not by shouting, and the group follows what the captain does, not just what he says. The Argentine could have asked for extra vacation and it would have been granted, considering that “he pulls the cart all year,” but he chose to show up immediately.

Maignan, described as “a less outgoing type, a matter of character,” instead opted for an additional week of rest. His World Cup ended the day before Lautaro’s, with the six goals conceded to England in the third-place final. The goalkeeper will return to Milanello on the 16th, four days after the scheduled date. The same program applies to Rabiot.

Gazzetta emphasizes that the captain’s armband is not “a decorative element,” but imposes a code of conduct. The new calendar includes five matchdays before the autumn break, making an immediate start essential. The newspaper also points out that Maignan “did not take into account how Milan’s season ended, with the shocking exclusion from the Champions League,” nor Amorim’s need to work with the whole group from the very beginning.