“The world doesn’t know, but I do” – Gimenez’s father sheds light on ‘step forward’ to Porto

Santiago Gimenez’s father has revealed some of the back story regarding his son’s AC Milan exit as he headed to Porto.

Towards the end of the summer window it was made official that Gimenez is a new Porto player. The Mexican – who had been left out of Ruben Amorim’s plans at Milan – will try and find a new lease of life with the Dragoes after a difficult last 12 months.

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The deal is a loan deal with an option to acquire the player permanently, which will become mandatory if certain conditions are met. A few hours before the deal was made official, Christian ‘Chaco’ Gimenez shed some light on things.

‘The world doesn’t know about, but I do’

He gave an interview with FOX, a few hours before his son’s transfer to Porto, making it clear that the former Feyenoord man felt forced into making the switch. His words are via MilanVibes.

“From a footballing standpoint, there are so many factors that influence performance, but he was also injured for almost eight months, so the situation is also complicated, it’s difficult,” he began.

“When he played – and it’s his fault, it’s no one’s fault – he played nine games, but in those nine games he continued to play despite the injury and didn’t want to stop because he was a starter.

“Santi doesn’t take any medication. He even took Dosul [an antidepressant] just to play, because they had no other options and because the other strikers were injured. There are issues that perhaps the world doesn’t know about, but I do.

“Performance-wise, it may have been that he wasn’t very good or that he wasn’t productive, but I have to say how things really went: in the first nine games he played before the injury, he was actually a starter.

“When he returned from injury, the team suffered a huge collapse, going from first place to fifth, but the responsibility lies entirely with the player. It’s part of the growth process, it’s not the end of the world. He’s 25 years old, has scored 99 career goals, and in 12 Champions League games, he’s found eight goals and two assists.

“These negotiations dragged on for a long time, and fortunately, they ended on good terms. It took longer than expected. We’d already been talking to Porto for 20 days, and they were one of the first clubs to come forward.

“Then, there were some decisions by Milan regarding Santi, according to which if he didn’t find a place, he would be out of action for six months, and this made him increasingly desperate. As time in the transfer market gradually ran out, the situation became more complicated.

“Santi is a very thoughtful guy. We look not only at the names of the teams but also at the coach, how he plays, what offensive options he has, what he can create, whether he plays in the Champions League or not, and how he plays.

“There are so many factors that influence the decision to move to another team, and in reality, we took things as they came. We thought Milan would be a great opportunity because, besides the fact that Santi grew up watching Milan and, when he arrived there, he forgot about other teams and we left for Milan.

“The truth is that for me, Porto is a good step forward because it’s a team that will compete in its own domestic league, that will fight for the title, that will play in the Champions League, and, to be honest, it has a really excellent squad.”