Yeah, it's the one thing I really don't like about Rino as coach. It's just being mindlessly stupid, something not even Seedorf would do.
It's not just the un-classy, un-Milanesque treatment of a former captain, he's also hurting himself by not using the by far best anchor available.
Baka and Kessie can't control a game like him, which is why not even the home games to minnows are a given anymore. Mauri is not Serie A material. Berto is hardly a footballer when Gasperini is not there to optimize everything for him.
last season towards the end he played monto for a few matches where he outperformed locatelli, then he ends up benching monto and playing locatelli who had a shit performance against juve in the cup final. (good thing he repaid gattuso's faith in him and stayed in milan)
is montolivo a good player? no. Has he shown questionable (soft af) mentality before? yes.
he's still a fucking anchor who gets offers from 1st division clubs, mauri wouldnt start for the reserves in my local club ffs.
bertolacci isn't a football player, this dude is the biggest fraud in history of sports, by far galliani's biggest financial mistake.
I would start a fan from the san siro who plays in midfield with his friends before bertolacci.