MARIO GILA: FOCUS AND FUN FACTS

A young, but experienced defender, familiar with Italian football, and still with his best years ahead of him. That’s Mario Gila Fuentes, the second new arrival to the Rossoneri this summer after the signing of Gonçalo Ramos. The former Lazio defender is a player that AC Milan have come up against several times in recent years. Seeing his physical, tecnical and tactical skills up-close, he has always impressed. Now, a new chapter begins for him with Rúben Amorim’s AC Milan, another important step in his career that has already seen plenty of milestones. 

Mario was born in Santa Perpètua de Mogoda, a small town in Catalonia on August 29th, 2000. His football journey began at his hometown club, Unificació Club de Futbol Santa Perpètua, before he continued his development through the youth systems of Sabadell, Mollet, Damm and Espanyol. In 2018, he joined the Real Madrid academy, where he quickly caught the attention of Raúl. Just a few months after arriving in the Spanish capital, the former striker promoted him to Real Madrid Castilla, also making him vice-captain. 

Three formative seasons with Real Madrid’s second team (73 appearance and five goals), also earned him a place in Carlo Ancelotti’sfirst-team plans. He earned his La Liga debut towards the end of the 2021/22 season in games against Espanyol and Levante. That summer, he moved to Italy, with Lazio placing their faith in him and signing a permanent deal. He made his Serie A debut on August 31 against Sampdoria, coming on for ex-Rossoneri defender Alessio Romagnoli. His first start came a few days later in an impressive home win against Feyenoord in the Europa League on September 8. 

In his first season at Lazio, Gila featured mainly in European competitions (eight appearances out his twelve total). In the 2023/24 season, he worked his way up the ranks and also made his Champions League debut. His growth continued steadily, as he established himself as a defender who is strong in one-on-ones but also comfortable in possession, thanks to his past as a midfielder. He quickly emerged as one of the best defenders in Serie A in his position. 

The 2024/25 season marked the start of his first campaign as a regular starter and a key figure in Lazio’s defence. He scored his first goals in Italian football (against Fiorentina in Serie A and Real Sociedad in the Europa League). His performances at the centre of Baroni’s back line earned widespread praise, with the The Athletic naming him in their Team of the Season. 

He continued to establish himself last season too, depite ups and downs in results for Sarri’s side. He ended his spell with the Roman club with 120 appearances across all competitions before making the move to Milanello. In his young, but already intense, career, Gila also made his mark on the Spanish national team, putting in strong performances at the U21 Euros in 2023 (runners-up after a final against England). In March 2025, he received his first call-up to the senior national team from Luis de la Fuente, but he did not make his debut. 

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