Yacine Adli has announced his arrival at the Rossoneri by claiming that that AC Milan are ‘bigger than anything’ ahead of his first season at the club.
On deadline day night last summer, Milan announced the signing of Adli from Bordeaux in a deal which was completed before the Italian transfer window closed at 8pm. The midfielder signed a five-year contract with the Rossoneri and it was agreed that Adli would be sent back to the French side on loan for the 2021-22 campaign.
Despite a positive season in terms of his role in the team and having worn the captain’s armband, it was not one in which he experienced the feeling of winning much as Bordeaux were relegated to the second division.
Nonetheless, Adli is now in Italy and he can look forward to his first campaign with the Rossoneri, hoping to carve out a key role under Stefano Pioli and help defend the Scudetto. He spoke to Milan TV about his ambitions.
“It is a great honour to play for one of the best clubs in the world, the best in Italy. Certainly last season with Bordeaux was complicated, the last three years have been difficult considering that I came during difficult times for the club, but it helped me to grow as a man, facing difficult situations and I think this has helped me and will help me overcome difficult moments in the future by remembering the past ones and looking forward,” he said (via MilanNews).
“When a club like Milan calls you, no matter what players there are, you want to play in that club. It is a great advantage, however, to have French team-mates or those who speak my language. Milan are greater than anything and everything. What I wanted was to get to this big club.”
Adli will join up with players that he knows very well from their time in France.
“I was in the PSG academy with Ballò-Tourè and Maignan. Mike is a bit older than me so I saw him play for a long time, especially when I was younger. I played for a few moments instead with Fodè so there we already know a little bit but here we can get to know each other even better. It is a wonderful place to play with other Parisian boys,” he said.
“I know Ismael [Bennacer] very well, we have the same agent and have known each other for a long time. I think he’s a great player, probably one of the best midfielders right now. What he does is incredible and I’m sure he can do even better to show everyone he can. become an important name in the world of football.”
There has been plenty of debate regarding what Adli’s best role is given he has been used as a playmaker, as a box-to-box midfielder and even as a wide player if needed.
“I prefer to play. I will adapt to whatever role the manager decides for me. I have no preferences, I have played in many different positions and this is one of my qualities so I will continue to bring it on the pitch.”
Adli will achieve a dream too as he will finally play in the Champions League.
“Playing in the Champions League is my childhood dream. When your career begins, everyone’s dream is to play in the Champions League. Knowing that I will probably take part in this competition is incredible but I want to prepare myself as best as possible to be ready.”
On his passion for music and his childhood home Villejuif, he added: “I am passionate about music because my father had enrolled me, my sister and my brother in a music school. In fact I played violin for 4 years, my sister plays the piano and I watched her a lot. This is why I have a great passion for the piano and the music.
“Villejuif is a really important place for me. I grew up there and I will try to help the young players of my city to have the same opportunities that I had with the association that tries to share our values. Now we are veterans of hard times. because a player from our association, Zinedine, passed away. So once again I want to express my condolences and I hope you rest in peace ”
Adli has at times been compared to France legend Zinedine Zidane because of his technical quality, vision and flexibility.
“Zidane is a player I admired a lot and watched a lot. I played for 3 years in Bordeaux and played 100 games in Ligue 1 so I gained experience. Now I have come to a completely different club with a fantastic group of players. Now. I have to get used to and be ready to help the coach and the team and earn a place in the first team.”
He joins a team with high expectations, given that Milan won the Scudetto in 2021-22, but the 21-year-old is relishing the challenge.
“Last season I watched all the games of the team. A lot of players have grown like Leao, Hernandez but I think the strength of the team was the teamwork. That’s what made the difference last season. We saw it with great players like Kalulu, with whom I played in the youth teams of France and had a great season.”
Grande Yacine
“Last season I watched all the games of the team.”
That really says a lot about him. He’s not there just for the paycheck. He’s there to play and improve.
Improve himself and the team that is.
I watched of his movement on d ball. He makes sense.
I watched some of his movements on the ball. He realy makes sense.
This guy, in my opinion is better than Deketealare
This guy is better than Deketealare, in my opinion.