Filippo Terracciano’s summer appeared to have ended in disappointment. Instead, Milan’s 23-year-old utility man has earned a new opening at San Siro and is set to start the Europa League meeting with Benfica.
The decision
Cremonese’s relegation to Serie B on 24 May removed the condition that would have turned Terracciano’s loan into a permanent transfer. The agreement included an obligation to buy for €3.5 million, but only if the grigiorossi remained in Serie A.
Milan had sent him to Cremona expecting that survival would settle the matter. That plan collapsed when the club, managed by Giampaolo after Nicola’s replacement, went down following a 4-1 home defeat to Como on the final day of last season.
Less than three months later, Terracciano’s position has changed considerably. His commitment on the training ground has persuaded Ruben Amorim to keep him in the squad at least until January, with the coach asking the club not to sanction a departure.
He will now begin against Benfica in Milan’s opening Europa League fixture at San Siro. Gila is being rested, while Terracciano has been preferred to Fikayo Tomori, who was brought back into the group after a proposed Premier League move failed on the final day of the transfer window.
Terracciano has been available throughout pre-season and training, whereas Tomori spent three weeks outside the main squad. That continuity has mattered in Amorim’s selection, as has the Italian’s readiness to cover several roles.
Currently used on the right side of a back three, Terracciano has also played as a box-to-box midfielder, wing-back and full-back in a four-man defence during his time at Hellas Verona, the club he supported as a child. He has never played only as a striker or goalkeeper.
The son of former Verona player Antonio Terracciano, who was a team-mate of Stefano Pioli at Fiorenzuola, Filippo joined Milan in the winter window of 2022 for €4.5 million plus up to €1.5 million in bonuses.
His Milan record stands at 24 appearances, a limited return so far, but Europe has offered him another route into the side. He has played twice in the Champions League and twice in the Europa League for the Rossoneri, and the Benfica match gives him a further chance to make his case.
For Milan, Terracciano’s situation is a small but meaningful part of the season’s wider management: a player who seemed headed away after a failed loan outcome has responded to uncertainty with work, adaptability and a place in the coach’s plans.
SEO title: Milan decision gives Filippo Terracciano a Europa League chance
SEO description: Filippo Terracciano will start for Milan against Benfica after earning Ruben Amorim’s confidence following Cremonese’s relegation and the collapse of his permanent move.
