Simon Kjaer has become a leader for AC Milan since his arrival, and three big tests await him after the international break where he can prove his ability.
La Gazzetta dello Sport writes that the Dane is contracted to Milan until the summer of 2022 but extending that agreement by at least one year should not engage the management in a laborious negotiation, unlike others such as Kessie’s.
Kjaer’s rise has almost coincided perfectly with that of the team, as between June and August 2020 – the two months of the post-pandemic season – Milan closed undefeated. Last season they finished second with the second-best defence after Inter, and this season started with the Rossoneri bringing their count of consecutive matches without conceding a goal to six
The next step is to lead the club into the Champions League, a competition in which Kjaer has made 15 appearances including qualifiers, group stages and the Round of 16 with four different clubs, namely Atalanta, Sevilla, Lille and Fenerbahce.
The game against Liverpool will be interesting for the head-to-head between Kjaer and Diogo Jota or between Kjaer and Firmino, depending on who Klopp chooses. Salah and Mané also represent formidable opponents, and of course this comes after the Dane is tasked with keeping Immobile and Lazio quiet.
After that come Juventus and all the challenges that the Allianz Stadium brings, but Kjaer is ready. For his leadership skills he was recently awarded the “President’s Award” by UEFA together with the Danish medical staff who saved Eriksen’s life in the match against Finland.
Kjaer was the man who took charge that day, aiming to help his team-mates then protect him and his partner’s privacy, and for the same reason he could be awarded the Ambrogino d’Oro – an honour that the City of Milan awards to those who have given prestige to the city.
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