When the news emerged yesterday that Alvaro Morata had been granted his favoured squad number, it also became clear that Yacine Adli had changed to quite a strange one.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport recall, Morata thanked Adli on social media yesterday for vacating the No.7 shirt so he could take it: “We don’t know each other yet, but you did a beautiful thing for me. Thank you, see you soon.”
Adli’s response then came: “I hope you score lots of goals with this shirt. Forza Milan, see you soon”. It was a heart-warming back-and-forth with lots of red and black emojis involved, and the former Bordeaux midfielder made it known that he opted for No.94.
The reason for that is to be found in his origins. Adli is very attached to Villejuif, the town on the outskirts of Paris where he grew up and was educated, and 94 is the number that identifies the department of Val de Marne.
Every year, among other things, the association founded by Adli organizes a charity tournament for the kids of the town and they all take to the field with the number 94 on their backs. In short, it is a heartfelt choice for him.