SONCIN: A SAFE PAIR OF HANDS

He's a decisive presence between the sticks. Backed up by the Dane Andreas Jungdal, Matteo Soncin has clearly established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper for AC Milan Primavera this season. Soncin has made twelve league appearances this campaign, conceding just seven goals and also keeping five clean sheets in the process. He has put in several convincing performances and produced some excellent saves. There’s a real feeling that he’s grown considerably on both a technical level and in terms of his character.

While he conceded five goals in three Primavera TIM Cup fixtures this season, this doesn’t tell the whole story. Indeed, Matteo actually raised the bar as the Rossoneri came up against opponents of a higher standard. The cup tie against Sampdoria went to penalties, with Matteo saving two of the Blucerchiati’s spot-kicks to secure the Diavolo’s place in the next round. Then there was the round of 16 clash against Torino, during which the young goalkeeper produced the goods with two excellent stops in normal time.

Born in 2001, Soncin has been at AC Milan since 2015. Along with a host of players who are now also currently involved in the Club’s Under-19 side, he was part of the Scudetto-winning Allievi team in 2017, making a stunning stop to deny Greco in the final. He’s been called up to the first team on four occasions this season (for both Serie A and Coppa Italia fixtures), although he’s yet to feature on the pitch for the senior side.

An unforgettable moment came on 27 December 2017 when, at the age of just 16, he was first named on the bench by Coach Gattuso as AC Milan played Inter in the Coppa Italia. He’s been one of the emerging talents in the Club’s youth sector for a number of years now and has shown that he’s continuing to mature this season despite last year’s relegation setback.

The Fondazione Milan has set up a fundraiser to support AREU's efforts: do your part and help us to support those who are fighting the COVID-19 emergency on a daily basis: www.gofundme.com/f/emergenza-coronavirus-ospedali.