Milan’s trip to Reggio Emilia brings an unexpected change to the matchday group, with Pietro Terracciano ruled out of the bench through fever for the 18:00 meeting with Sassuolo. His absence opens a place for Leo Paul Bouyer, the 18-year-old French goalkeeper who has been called into the senior squad as the third option behind Mike Maignan and Lorenzo Torriani.
Torriani has become Maignan’s established deputy, while Bouyer is being given another close view of first-team football under Amorim. The young keeper had already been included among the substitutes for Milan’s opening match of the season against Torino, although he is still waiting for his first appearance this campaign, whether with Milan Futuro or the Primavera.
Bouyer joined Milan from Paris FC two summers ago, recruited following the judgement of Geoffrey Moncada, then the club’s head of scouting. Standing 1.94 metres tall, he has progressed through the Rossoneri pathway from the Under-18 side to the Primavera and Milan Futuro, and in August committed his future to the club by extending his contract until 2029.
Last season offered a clearer measure of his development. Bouyer was the Primavera’s first-choice goalkeeper, making 21 appearances and conceding 29 goals, while also playing six matches for Milan’s second team. He has already been involved with France at Under-16 and Under-17 level, another indication of the regard in which he is held.
There is also a personal conviction behind the goalkeeper’s quiet rise. Bouyer is deeply religious and regularly shares passages from the Gospel on social media, including the words: “Do not be afraid; believe in God and believe also in me.” For now, Milan’s belief is expressed in a place on the bench at Sassuolo, but the call-up is another small step in the education of a goalkeeper the club have chosen to keep close.
