Reijnders: Coppa Italia won’t redeem Milan’s ‘frustrating’ season, De Bruyne my inspiration | OneFootball

Tijjani Reijnders has admitted to having ‘mixed feelings’ ahead of Milan’s Coppa Italia final against Bologna, conceding that lifting a second trophy this season wouldn’t be enough to erase what he still considers a ‘frustrating’ campaign for the Rossoneri.

Despite the team’s ups and downs, the Dutch midfielder is enjoying what is arguably the best season of his career so far. His standout performances—both as a playmaker and a goal scorer—have caught the eye of Manchester City, with 15 goals across all competitions serving as proof of his growing impact.

MILAN, ITALY – APRIL 23: Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan runs with the ball under pressure from Mehdi Taremi of FC Internazionale during the coppa Italia Semi Final match between FC Internazionale and AC Milan at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on April 23, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

It is only in recent weeks that things have started to fall into place under new coach Sergio Conceiçao, who replaced fellow Portuguese manager Paulo Fonseca in late December. While the former Porto boss brought a fresh vision to the squad, he initially struggled to address Milan’s biggest issue: inconsistency.

“No, no, no. We cannot say it was a good season,” Reijnders told The Athletic.

“Of course, you would have won two trophies, but in Milan you have to compete for the Scudetto and go further in the Champions League.

“That didn’t happen. Luckily, we have the final and we can add another trophy to this club. But no. It’s mixed feelings.

“It’s frustrating, because we have quality.

“We won against Real Madrid, for example, and then we drew against Cagliari,

“It’s always different when a new coach comes in, because he has another vision on how he wants to play and has to transfer that to the team as soon as possible.

epa11787702 Milan’s Tijjani Reijnders poses after scoring the 0-1 goal during the Italian Serie A soccer match between Hellas Verona and AC Milan, in Verona, Italy, 20 December 2024. EPA-EFE/FILIPPO VENEZIA

“But yeah, for us, it was a discussion about what was going on. Sometimes we were unlucky. Sometimes we weren’t there from the beginning of the match. And there are things we have had to develop much better and much quicker.”

Reijnders: ‘I watched De Bruyne’s games and try to do the same’

Asked to describe his playing style, Reijnders emphasised the importance of his father’s advice in shaping his development, adding that he looked to a Manchester City star for inspiration as he worked to evolve his game.

“I have to give credit to my father for learning about the game and my way of playing,” the midfielder explained.

“After every match, we call one another and ask: ‘What did I do good? What can I do better?’.

“The problem is not the technique, the way I was shooting. It was the calmness before I got the ball because I had a couple of situations where I was like: ‘Oh, I need to shoot’. When I got calmer in front of goal, you realise you have more time. That’s what was lacking last season.

“I’m a typical box-to-box player, helping the team build up and find the connection to the attack — either serving my team-mates with passes or being in the box myself and being important with goals.

MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 03: Tijjani Reijnders of AC Milan celebrates scoring his team’s second goal during the Coppa Italia match between AC Milan and Sassuolo at Stadio Giuseppe Meazza on December 03, 2024 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images)

“When I got older, I looked (up) a lot to Kevin De Bruyne. I watched his games, YouTube clips, especially the way he was scanning the pitch before he gets the ball so he always knows where the space is. I try to do the same.”

Turning his attention to the upcoming clash with Bologna, Reijnders underlined the need for a fearless mindset and a strong desire to prove Milan’s credentials on the big stage.

“They’re a tough team,” Reijnders said.

“They play man-to-man all over the whole pitch, so we need a lot of movement in that game. Besides that, they have quality with the ball. They have wingers doing very well.

“We should not go there with fear of Bologna. We are AC Milan and we have to show it, for sure.”