There are several players with immense potential at AC Milan and Ismael Bennacer. However, they often prove that and leave or fall below.
Bennacer is a really difficult player to really discuss. His talent is evident, and there is clearly a player there. However, the toll of constant injuries has really shown in the past few years, with his minutes inconsistent and performances hit and miss.
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Mentally, after the consistent battle against your own body, you will lose a bit of faith in yourself; that is only natural. This, unfortunately, will be the case physically, and likely, he will not reach the heights that he once could or even hoped to.
Boban and Bennacer
Massimiliano Allegri decided from the off that he was not going to be a Rossonero this season, and the summer was spent trying to find a new home. Now, he seems to have found one in Croatia with GNK Dinamo.
The club’s president is a familiar face, Zvonimir Boban, and last year he spoke about the Algerian’s quality in depth, as MilanNews relays. So, the Diavolo may have Boban to thank again for a bit of help, just as they did in his playing days.
“Bennacer is a hugely underrated player, and you’re also underrated because you don’t understand him. What can you not like about Bennacer?”
His physical condition, the many injuries… He’s been out a lot…
“It’s understandable, I’ve been out a lot too; others have been out a lot too.”
It seemed like he didn’t want to stay at Milan any longer…
“Why did they trash him in every way? Bennacer is an extraordinary, underrated player. What he’s given to Milan is exceptional. I don’t defend the choice we made for Bennacer. In fact, I even enjoy acknowledging my mistakes, with the maturity I hope I have at 57.
“In fact, my defeats are what helped me understand things. Bennacer is the player who steals the most balls in the world per minute played. He’s the player who touches the ball almost more than the minutes played; he’s always on the ball. I don’t know why people don’t see that.”
After the derby injury, I haven’t seen that player again:
“Yeah, after an injury, it takes a bit of time for him to come back. Others were given plenty of time, but he was given it right away… He didn’t know how to communicate; he’s a closed-off guy, a total soldier. How come I was so interested in him? Meanwhile, Giampaolo said we should have signed Bennacer.
“We went to see him better, and I found a statement from Cristiano Ronaldo, he was talking about the players he likes in Italy. And he mentioned this Empoli number 10. He doesn’t even remember his name.
“If Ronaldo says so, and he hasn’t complimented any other player in the world, then I’m going to watch this game… Absurd, he massacred them all by himself. Juve never managed to catch him. He was a number 10 there; he made a huge mess. He needed to be cleaned up, he needed to be stabilised, he didn’t even know how to turn around to change the game. We worked on it.
“Afterwards, I saw he was in the Arsenal youth team, so I called Wenger. He says to me, “Zvone, if you have to go. If you’re at war with anyone in the world, then you go with Ismael.” So you know, one plus one, you like his potential, and then you take him.
“Not to play straight away, he needed a bit of work: he only looked at the ball, he was a suitable, withdrawn 10. He was born a 10; you could see it. But he’s also an 8; he won the MVP award at the Africa Cup of Nations as an 8, not as a 6.”
For me if I am to compare bennacer with any of our current midfielders, I will say only mkdric is better than him not even Rabiot is better than bennacer
You must be under a rock. Very funny.
Perhaps u are
practically giving him away for free AND covering part of his wages.
Totally agree. We’re paying 60%. Sigh
Milan is actually covering 3 mil out of his 4 mil salary.
It is 70% exactly. 1.2M paid by Dinamo.
What happened with Origi? Adli? Bennacer? Some people wrote that Tare deserved a statue in front of San Siro just weeks ago. 😂
Given the lack of time in our hand, the lack of offers and his refusal to go to the few clubs that were willing to take him in, this is the best we can get.
60% or 80% is still better than 100% if it means alleviating what is considered to be a huge wage from our spendings.
Seems like the MGMT didn’t forget his last minute forced move to Marseille last summer.
Injuries aside, he’s paying the price for that apparent ingratitude; playing in AFCON every winter whether he’s fit or not; and his high salary (4th highest).
Crazy to think he’s still only 27 but damaged goods. When fit (when!) he was an asset.
🤣
What a beauty to read how Boban was scouting players, looking for details, questioning former coaches and taking into account professionals’ opinions. So different from Moncada looking for players with the “wonderkid” criteria in FIFA career mode.
Saying this under an article about Bennacer who at age 27, makes a loan move to the Croatian league, where Milan has to pay 75% of his salary to play fo another team, after the transfer window in most of Europe closed and after no team in Europe wanted him.
Saying this about a Scudetto winner and a pivotal player during the UCL semifinals run, with peak values at 40M in 2020, 2022 and 2023 according to Transfermarkt. That’s a lot more accomplishment than any Musah or Chukwueze or whoever Moncada could find on his Playstation.
Peak values according to Transfermarkt?
Again reality check, Milan pays him to play for another club. They can’t even get his salary off their books, let alone get back the money Milan gave Empoli for him.
Moncada is not good but to gas up Boban for a player who has been more useless than useful during his Milan time and nothing more than a burden is embarrassing.
What are you going to do next, tell us the beauty in Massara’s scouting of Origi?
Man, you were giving me numbers of a player 4 years ago and comparing how he is better than Leao and Pulisic combined? Now peak values don’t work? Btw. Moncada was the scout back then as well. How could you know this, right? 🤣🤣
Yeah whatever bro I couldn’t care less about the “books” haha I always loved Milan because of football and I like my Scudetto winners 🙂 Suit yourself with all that budget salary cap and sht
To МИЛАН
You’re saying this after they win NO titles for years? The squad is ofc coming down in values. Plus the formation is constant changing, so is coach, any player 25yo or older in this team barely find a team after this mess. And you’re talking about someone won a Scudetto?
You should be the one do reality check instead – you don’t need transfermarkt to know the value goes down lmao
Ohh he is more useless than useful during this Milan time?? Who is more useful than useless in this team? and also won a championship? You think yourself? You’re probably more embarassing than any of things here. What you talked is near pointless here.. haha 🙂
He is a little bit special, so don’t expect too much.
Man these redbird subcontractors from Indian click farms deserve their salary, they work overtime here 🤣
No, he actually believes what he writes, that is the worrying thing. And his “nickname” is also Milan, maybe even his name. On top of that he knows extremely little about AC Milan for someone that follows and writes about Milan that much.
You should argue when your beloved current management accomplish something first. So far spending millions (net zero) they achieved none.
Interesting backgrounder. So Kool to get the inside scoop of what happens before the deals are made.
Benny, my boy, will always be remembered fondly in my books. He’s an underrated player. Wish he didn’t get injured as much as he does but when he’s fit he’s quality on the ball. Very very press resistant, a lacking trait for players in modern football.
Gerrybots mocking our Scudetto winners and CL quarter finalists yet stand firmly behind this so called team, players and management that finished 8th. What a time to be Milan fan.
“Massimiliano Allegri decided from the off that he was not going to be a Rossonero this season….”
If truly Allegri made this decision, he must be a donkey. We know management made the decision about the players to ship out and that was the task given to Tare. That’s why they agreed 25m from Como for Thiaw.
It takes a man like Boban who has been slighted to understand what the management did to Bennacer. Not for one day has Bennacer made a social media post or talked to the press, yet supposed Milan fans have been trash-talking him. Ungrateful wretches, Cardinale’s fart sniffing troglodytes.
hope you smash it benny & come back to us stronger