How Reijnders Learned from Watching De Bruyne

The 2023/24 campaign has been anything but smooth for AC Milan and Tijjani Reijnders.

After beginning the season with high hopes of challenging for the Scudetto and making a deep run in the Champions League, Milan now find themselves with one final shot at silverware. On Wednesday night at 21:00, they face Bologna in the Coppa Italia final a match that could salvage pride, if not fully redeem a season full of frustration.

For Reijnders, who joined Milan from AZ Alkmaar last summer, it’s been a period of adaptation, growth, and learning both individually and collectively. In a wide-ranging interview with The Athletic, the Dutch international didn’t hold back in his assessment of the club’s performance.

“If we win the Coppa Italia, it’s still not a successful season,” he said plainly. “We were supposed to be fighting for the league title. We should’ve done better in the Champions League. That was the standard that was the ambition. Winning a domestic cup doesn’t erase everything else.”

Milan’s inconsistency has baffled many this season. Despite showing glimpses of quality including a Supercoppa Italiana win and a memorable Champions League victory over Real Madrid the team has lacked the consistency and sharpness needed to compete at the top level week in, week out.

One reason for that, Reijnders suggests, may be the transition period under new head coach Sérgio Conceição. The Portuguese tactician arrived with a new philosophy, one that requires time to take hold.

“It’s always difficult when a new coach comes in,” Reijnders explained. “He has a different vision, a new way of playing, and he has to get that across to the players quickly. That takes time, and in football, you don’t get much of it. Sometimes we were unlucky, but other times we just weren’t switched on from the start of matches. That’s something we’ve struggled with staying focused and sharp for 90 minutes.”

Even as the team has struggled, Reijnders has quietly enjoyed a strong season on a personal level. With 15 goals and 5 assists in 51 appearances across all competitions, he’s proven to be more than just a midfielder who recycles possession he’s evolved into a complete player capable of influencing games in the final third.

Much of that improvement, Reijnders says, came from refining his composure in front of goal something he credits to advice from his family.

“The problem was never my technique,” he explained. “It was about how I was striking the ball. I used to rush things, but now I’m learning to stay calm. If you’re calm in front of goal, you realise you have more time than you think. That calmness has made a big difference this season.”

But perhaps one of the most surprising and interesting elements of his development has come through his admiration for Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne. Reijnders didn’t just watch De Bruyne casually he studied him, analyzing every detail of the Belgian’s movement, vision, and intelligence.

“I watched a lot of De Bruyne his games, clips on YouTube, everything,” Reijnders revealed. “What really stood out to me was how he scans the pitch before he even gets the ball. He always knows where the space is before he touches it. That’s something I’ve been trying to apply to my own game being more aware, being one step ahead.”

The influence is noticeable. Reijnders has become more proactive in his positioning, more purposeful in his passing, and more decisive in transition. While comparisons to De Bruyne might still be premature, the Dutchman’s growth curve is pointing sharply upward.

Now, he faces one of the biggest matches of his career: the Coppa Italia final against Bologna. Bologna have been one of the surprise packages of the season in Italy, playing attractive football and punching above their weight under manager Thiago Motta. It won’t be an easy task for Milan, and Reijnders knows it.

“Bologna are a very good team,” he said. “They’ve shown all season that they can compete with anyone. We can’t underestimate them. We need to be sharp, disciplined, and clinical.”

Regardless of the result, Reijnders sees this match as a turning point not just for the club, but for himself. It’s a chance to prove that Milan’s project still has a future and that he can be at the heart of it.

“I came here to grow, to compete at the highest level, and to win. This season hasn’t gone the way we hoped, but I’ve learned a lot and I’m still learning. That’s what matters. Hopefully, we can end it with something positive.”

As the final whistle approaches on Milan’s season, Reijnders stands ready armed with lessons from family, inspiration from De Bruyne, and the hunger to write his own story in the red and black.