Yacine Adli established himself as a fan favourite during his time at AC Milan, but unfortunately that is not enough with the cut-throat nature of football today.
La Gazzetta dello Sport have reflected on Adli’s spell at Milan, which came to an end (for now) after he joined Fiorentina on an initial loan deal earlier in the week. It is a case where seriousness and dedication to the cause are not enough and did not guarantee him a spot.
The pain of having to part with the club that more than anyone believed in him when he was at Bordeaux was felt by Adli, and he is likened to a ‘kid at an amusement park’ who was happy just to be having an experience at a huge club.
Thanks to his sincere and genuine attitude, he formed a bond with the fans and with the squad. He sung chants under the Curva, he invited the team for a BBQ last May and he bought NBA jerseys for every team-mate during the USA tour.
Yet, Adli’s parable at Milan has been decidedly strange. He played just 138 minutes spread over six appearances in his first season, then 1,861 minutes across 33 appearances with 21 starts last season. He also scored a goal, against Roma at San Siro, and emotions were high.
With Paulo Fonseca arriving, it was clear since the summer that the Frenchman would have little space. In reality, Yacine at Milan has always been asked to do coverage work that he began to learn right at Milanello, but he remains basically an attacking player.
At a certain point the decision was made to exclude him from the squads for official matches (along with Pierre Kalulu and Tommaso Pobega who have also since left). It was a very clear signal from the club: you have to find another team.
A year ago, Yacine – with the strength of work and professionalism – managed to convince Stefano Pioli to keep him. This time it was not possible, and his emotional farewell message shows exactly what it means to have to say goodbye.