Yacine Adli has always been a player that wants to create a positive environment around the AC Milan squad, and news as emerged of another amazing gesture.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Adli woke up at 5am on his day off during Milan’s tour in the United United States. He went to New York, an hour away from Milan’s hotel in New Jersey, and came back with gifts.
More specifically, he bought an NBA jersey for each team-mate, and distributed them to the team. Obviously it’s not the expense that counts – he can afford it – but the gesture is one that was very well received.
Adli is in his second consecutive summer in which he seems close to leaving Milan, yet in the dressing room he has a special role. Many team-mates speak of the midfielder being wise, available to help and to talk, so while he might not be a vocal leader on the pitch he’s one of the most valuable in the group.
In May 2023, when he was completely on the fringes of the team, the Frenchman organised a barbecue at his home, with all of his team-mates and their families invited. A month later he said no to Eintracht Frankfurt, determined to fight for minutes, and they started to arrive.
Adli reciprocated the affection from the fans, too, as he learned the chants of the Curva Sud and applauded them when they collected necessities to aid charity. When he spoke to SportWeek he revealed even more about his character.
“I am a footballer, but first of all I am a man. And as such I want to be useful to my family and the club. We have money, but it is not everything,” he said.
“I do not have the strong legs of someone who can sprint 40 meters and leave the opponent behind, but I understand the timing of the game, I ‘see’ passes that not everyone sees.”
A year later, however, he is again on the fringe. Pioli did not play him due to his defensive limitations at first, then in the key moment of 2024 cited him as the best Milan midfielder at reading trajectories and intercepting, yet now the risk is that there might not be a spot in the squad list.
A year later, Adli remains faithful to his previous attitude: in difficult times, instead of complaining, he does something for the group, also because he has a very strong bond with teammates like Bennacer, Thiaw and Chukwueze.
Back to the NBA jerseys: to Mike Maignan he gave a Michael Jordan jersey, Mike for Mike. To Luka Jovic he gave Nikola Jokic’s, given the Serbian connection. To Tijjani Reijnders, LeBron James’s: all-around players with the soul of a playmaker.
Other pairings are less obvious such as Ja Morant for Leao and Wembanyama for Pobega, but the meaning remains: and there is a thought behind the gift. They are small things, but they help him to be part of the group, for how long remains to be seen.