Charles De Ketelaere has been catapulted into a different life since joining AC Milan and the Belgian forward is continuing his adaptation.
La Gazzetta dello Sport writes how just a week has passed since the signing was officially announced and it has been a chaotic one for the 21-year-old, who pushed hard to leave his home country and begin a new life in Italy.
An exciting adventure has started with enthusiasm but also with a bit of circumspection and shyness as is very much normal for a young player having his first experience away from home, after having been raised by one club.
The amount of personal tests and commitments with Milan is slowing down his choice of home. De Ketelaere is viewing apartments, but he has not yet decided which one to buy and therefore continues to base himself at a hotel.
Among the appointments on the agenda there is no shortage of Italian lessons. He already understands the words related to football, but he wants to improve his ability to communicate and relate as soon as possible, so he continues to study Italian together with his girlfriend Jozefien.
At Milanello, his compatriots Alexis Saelemaekers and Divock Origi are helping him settle, plus Yacine Adli. It may be a while before we see them on the pitch together given their similar role, but off the field it is not uncommon to see them talking.
De Ketelaere is fluent in English, speaks French with Adli and Saelemaekers and uses the mother tongue with Origi. He is not much of a talker though, while the Rossoneri staff are doing everything to put him at ease, helping him whenever they can and protecting him from the pressure that he will inevitably face.
The leap from the Jupiler League to Serie A is a big one and that is why he is working to get to what Pioli deems to be 100% in both condition and tactical awareness. As the days and weeks pass, CDK will learn more about the club, the city, the country and his new life.
