Mario Gila has said he wanted his move to Milan "at all costs" and thrown his weight behind Ruben Amorim's higher defensive line, in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
The Spanish defender was Milan's first reinforcement at the back this summer, a deal whose roots reach back to March, when the club under Igli Tare and Massimiliano Allegri first identified him as a target. Much has changed on the bench and in the boardroom since, but Gila arrived all the same after being linked with Napoli and Atalanta earlier in the window.
He also revealed the recovery from a right rectus femoris problem that cost him three weeks of pre-season. He returned for the friendly against Manchester United, coming on in the second half of a win he described as timely. "I'll be honest, it was needed," he said. "I felt this was the ideal match to regain some positivity ahead of the start of Serie A." The injury is not new territory for him, having spent two months out at Lazio two years ago with the same problem.
Gila settled quickly at Milanello and pointed to Amorim's man-management as part of the reason. "He's a coach who likes to talk to everyone, who tries to cultivate relationships even off the pitch," he said. "I think this is a very important factor within a team."
The tactical shift is where Gila sees his own fit. Amorim wants Milan defending higher up the pitch than they did last season, when the side sat deeper and defended with a low block. "Playing with a high line is definitely more risky," Gila admitted. "It's true that everything is more difficult and that you run more risks by throwing more meters behind, but this way the team has the ability to win the ball back in a more dangerous area of the pitch. I think our football will be much more proactive and more attacking."
That approach demands precision from the back three, and Gila conceded the work is not finished. "Against United, we weren't positioned well a couple of times, and in situations like that, the opponents can easily get to the goal," he said. He framed the style as one that suits his own characteristics.
On the reasons behind the transfer, Gila credited Tare directly, calling him "one of the people who helped me the most in my career" and the man who put his name in front of Milan back in March. A call from Amorim closed it. "Having the coach and the club that wanted me was very important in my decision. Even though other teams wanted me, I always thought Milan was the best choice."
He also spoke about reuniting with Luka Modrić, whom he trained alongside as a younger player at Real Madrid. "Reuniting with Luka here at Milan is a gift from fate," he said. "I'm sure he'll help me improve a lot as a player and, above all, in my mentality."
Asked about the ambition set out by Gerry Cardinale and Amorim at their season-opening press conference, Gila said he shared it: "For me, there's no such thing as not winning."
For a defender signed to make a higher line work, the United performance was a first look at whether the plan holds. From here, it falls to Gila and the back three to make the movement second nature before Serie A begins.