Ismael Bennacer has spoken about the recovery process after his serious injury, the support he has had from AC Milan and his tactical role on the field.
It has now been five months since Bennacer sustained a serious knee injury during the Champions League semi-final first leg defeat against Inter which required surgery that is expected to keep him away from the field for a few more weeks yet.
The Algeria international has had to remain patient during that period given the complexity of his injury and the long road to recovery, but he will be back at Milanello from this week to take the next step forward in his plan.
Bennacer spoke to the microphones of the YouTube channel ‘Le Club des 5’ about a number of different topics from his post-surgery path to Milan’s support, with his comments relayed by Radio Rossonera.
How is the recovery going?
“It’s going very well, everything is going well and I’m on schedule. It is a somewhat particular injury in football because the cartilage is involved.
“It’s a bit of a long stop and honestly we don’t have an exact date for the return. We have a period, between 6 and 8 months, but then it depends on the reaction of the knee.
“Champions League derby? It was a special match for me, everyone was waiting for it: a derby in the semi-final of the Champions League. It was one of the most important matches of my career.
“I was frustrated, it’s part of the job: everyone has risks, you have to accept it. I didn’t have too many holidays after that, I was focused on re-education.
“A long injury in which I found something good: when you face something so hard in life, you have to see both the glass as half empty and half full. I took advantage of it to optimize time in my life, spend time with my family. I miss the field a lot.”
How hard has the mental aspect of it been?
“It’s the most important one. I had never had a problem like this, it helped me a lot, as did being with my family. I wanted to do part of my re-education in Qatar, because it is an environment in which I feel good and which I already knew.
“Mine was a major operation, for two months I couldn’t put my foot on the ground. I never had doubt. The injury came in a bizarre way, I didn’t understand it. I’ve taken bigger hits in matches, but you can’t control all of that.
“I’m not afraid. This was the first week in which I started running well again and I wasn’t afraid. I’ve done the hardest thing so far, all that remains is to find the condition and see the reaction of the knee to the workloads in training.
“I want to get back to my best level, but it will also take some games to do that. December, January, February: I can’t say when I’ll be back yet, it depends on the next few weeks. Of course, the Africa Cup of Nations is an important moment and I have it in my head, as well as the matches with Milan.
“You have to set goals when you have such a long injury, one of these was the Africa Cup of Nations, but also to return to play with Milan before the competition. I hope to contribute as much as I can, at the beginning even just as a substitute.”
Have Milan been very supportive?
“Yes, the club was very close to me. The fact that a club lets you leave as happened with me is something that stays with you. They made everything available to me.
“They let me choose the surgeon for the operation and where to do the re-education: they understood that the mental aspect of all this is fundamental. They didn’t impose anything on me. I talk a lot with the Milan doctors.”
How is Milan’s journey going?
“We are in constant progression. When I arrived in 2019, the management’s goal was to bring Milan back to the Champions League. Rebuilding a Champions League team after complicated years.
“I arrived in the same year with Rafa and Theo. I signed a five-year contract and this meant that in five years we had to bring Milan back to the Champions League. I arrived at one of the biggest clubs in the world, with an incredible history, everything incredible.
“It’s really top, you feel it in every aspect, it’s like a family, it’s close to you. The level of organisation is very high. In such a reality, goals are set and you must achieve them. We got back in the Champions League again, we won a title and reached a Champions League semi-final.
“It should be normal for a club like Milan, it must become normal again. The results of recent years have been experienced as something exceptional because most have not experienced this, even the coach had never won the Scudetto or reached the semi-final of the Champions League.
“We enjoyed the moment. Winning the Scudetto against Sassuolo? We enjoyed it, but the following season it was all forgotten. Upon returning from holidays everything was even more difficult: you were the team to beat, you have the tricolor on your chest, you have to double your strength.
“I arrived from Empoli, I entered through a small door, even though I won the Africa Cup of Nations. Many said: ‘Who is Bennacer? Does he come from relegated Empoli?’ I really like all this, because you end up surprising people.
“It’s an honour to be part of the reconstruction of a team like Milan, to be there from the beginning. It’s season five, I haven’t even seen the time go by.
“Status in the dressing room? You earn respect on the pitch, you prove your qualities on the pitch over and over again and you earn respect. I did it like this. I love football, but this is also a job that helps my family and I want to excel in my job. I’ve never seen a player that people respect and he’s nothing on the pitch.”
What is your favourite role on the pitch?
“I can agree when you say that in the Covid period we were very very strong, I remember that we played 24/25 games without defeats. Me and Kessié in the 4-2-3-1 behind Calhanoglu. The first year I didn’t have much time to adapt, I played straight away.
“After Empoli, it was different. We are not obsessed with ball possession. We understood each other very well with Kessie and Calhanoglu. Pioli put me on the right midfield at the beginning of last year and I also scored against Atalanta.
“He set me free. He told me that he gave me homework, but I was more free. Then I went back to regista because someone was missing there. I’m not saying I don’t like that position, but I think the best time was with Kessie.
“As a regista it all depends on the context, on the coach’s mentality. If I have a coach who is obsessed with ball possession, taking risks, I really like that position. As a mezzala I really like it when the coach gives me tasks, but he leaves me freedom. However, I can play in both positions.
“The position against Napoli on Lobotka? It was the first match I played as an attacking midfielder, it was something new for me. Without the ball I had to focus on Lobotka.”
Get well soon. We miss your influence on the game. ❤️🖤
This guy is intelligent, and I like the part where he said that even Pioli had not achieved anything before and was new to the prestige of being champions