Youssouf Fofana has reflected on his first season with AC Milan, and also shed a lot of light on what Zlatan Ibrahimovic is like.
Fofana was someone that Milan pursued for weeks at the start of the last summer transfer window and when it felt like the deal would never materialise, it eventually got over the line and he arrived from AS Monaco.
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It was a positive first season for the Frenchman as he racked up 52 appearances across all competitions. He even managed 10 goal contributions (one goal, nine assists) and was named by some Italian media as the ‘main engine’ of the midfield department.
Fofana speaks on first Milan season
The midfielder was a guest on the podcast Kampo and he spoke about a number of topics, including his first campaign with Milan. His comments were relayed by MilanPress.
What was it like joining Milan?
“When I signed for Milan, there were many people I know who told me how they secretly supported the club. It’s true that there is a large fan base. At Monaco they made me responsible, I obviously made my mistakes too. Then I came here.”
What is Ibrahimovic like?
“Great man. Great great great man. The first time I saw him, because I had never seen him and we had spoken on the phone, it was in the office where he signed the contract. He was behind me, he was over the chair.
“The corridor was long and the door was open. I saw him with his tail, the further I advanced, the further he was over the chair. I said to myself: it’s not possible, it’s not like people told me. He says to me: ‘Oh oh Fofana’. I get to him and I look up and he says to me: ‘Good, good’.
“From his look, from his approach, if he asks you a question, you can answer yes or no, you can’t make jokes. ‘Have you eaten?’ he tells me. I replied: ‘No, not yet’. He asked me what I wanted to eat and I didn’t know what I wanted to eat anymore.
“I started eating, I had a white shirt on and he told me: ‘Put on the napkin, you have to be in the conference room for the press conference’. If you’re good with him, he’ll be great with you. But if you’re a bit like that with him, he’ll ruin you, he’s straight.
“What did he say to me that stuck with me? The relationship we have. I feel that he loves me. He’s a straight man. If he loves the way you play, he’ll talk to you a lot. If he doesn’t like it that much, he’ll give you advice, very simple.
“When he’s angry, he really is. When he’s happy… do you know how dads are? They’re happy in their little corner, not in front of you (laughs).”
Who are you closest to as a player?
“Once it was Disasi, then with the distance it is more difficult. Now it is Mike [Maignan]. You have to know Mike. When you know him, you cannot have problems with him, it is not possible. When you don’t know him, you will have them.
“Why? He sometimes overreacts, I have already told you. But it is normal. If you don’t know him, you may think he wants to be the boss, but it is not like that. You just have to listen to what he says, even if he doesn’t say it in the right way, and you will agree with him.
“He is a real man. The way he gets nervous, he will be happy for you in the same way. You have to accept that a person is like that, that’s why I say that when you know him, you will not have problems with him.”
What do you think of Cesc Fabregas, who is at Como?
“Masterclass. At the end of his career he wasn’t so elegant to watch, but he was effective. In keeping the ball, you couldn’t take it from him because he knew when you would arrive or not. If you man-marked him, he would walk and all of a sudden surprise you. He was ahead. Total football.”
And Busquets, your idol…
“Unfortunately I didn’t play with him. Videos? Yes, I’ve seen a lot of videos of him. I recently saw a compilation. There was no talk of him, there was a lot of talk about Xavi and Iniesta. Now that he’s gone, you can see it.
“He’s a bit like Rodri at City. Busquets is a modern 6, he wasn’t a 6 who had to recover and pass it next to him. He didn’t recover many balls, but I don’t lose them and I let you play.”
Ismael Bennacer ended up at Marseille…
“I haven’t played with him much, but the little I’ve seen has been enough to confirm my expectations. I already knew the player, I didn’t know him personally, he’s a very good guy. He’s one of those who welcomed me here, he didn’t live far from me.
“Football-wise, he understands very quickly, you can see that he already has some years in his legs, you can see the experience in the way he plays and manages himself during matches.”
