AC Milan have placed a lot of hope on Santiago Gimenez’s shoulders, and so far, he has not really delivered. However, he remains keen to change that.
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In the past 18 months, Gimenez’s journey with Milan has taken several turns. He arrived carrying the hopes that the Rossoneri would be led forward by one of their own, having performed exceptionally in the Champions League that season.
However, he has not been able to recreate that form at San Siro, even failing to score a single goal this season.
Of course, there were problems with injuries in the year, but that doesn’t really allow him to hide from the simple fact that he has not lived up to expectations. So, it seems likely that there will be exit talks involving him again this summer.
Gimenez’s interview
Speaking to Cronache di Spogliatoio, Gimenez spoke about the move to Milan, his feelings about the club and the struggles of not scoring as MilanNews relayed.
What kind of country did you find in Italy when you arrived?
“I think Italy is very similar to Mexico. I think Italy, Mexico, and Argentina have a lot in common. I also have an Italian passport: I think this is also a country with good food, beautiful beaches, great climate, and incredible people.
“I’m very happy: they welcomed me fantastically and there are really many similarities. My dad has Italian roots, and so do my paternal grandparents. On my mom’s side, I have Ukrainian roots: I’m a mix of everything. My grandmother told me I should go to a specific town whose name I don’t remember, which is near Milan, a couple of hours away: I hope it’s near the sea.
“I’ve played in Italy before, but I’d never visited or been on vacation there. It was a new and unique experience that impressed me, and I’m still impressed by living in Milan.”
Over the last two years you’ve always spoken highly of Milan and AC Milan…
“I always say I’m grateful to the people and the club; they made me realise a dream. I’ve always said I’ve been a Milan fan since I was little, and that’s true because I was able to witness a golden era for Milan; I tried to see as many games as possible.
“And now that I’m here, a dream has come true. But the city has also surprised me, and I like it. We really enjoy living here.”
What memories do you have of the AC Milan matches you watched from Mexico?
“I always remember that when there was the Milan-Inter derby, we’d organize ourselves because we had to see it. Both teams had incredible players. I think that match, back then when I was a kid, was like the Barcelona-Real Madrid match today.
“I had a Kaká shirt when I was little, but I had many as a kid. I even had a Ronaldinho one.”
Is it a support even in difficult times like the recent one when you can’t score? How do you cope with these moments?
“As always in life, you have good times and bad times. But I think that since I met God, I’ve found emotional stability: in the bad times, I have faith that everything will be okay and that I’m preparing, that the battle will be short and won’t last forever.
“But also, on the contrary, when I’m in a good moment, I feel that God keeps me humble and calm. There are ups and downs. I have an anecdote: once at Feyenoord, I had a fight with a teammate—things that happen—and the next day we made up.
“But a lot of Mexicans wrote to me on Instagram to defend me. I have thirty million Mexicans behind me supporting me.”
Does the “breakfast club” that there was at Feyenoord not exist at Milan?
“No, we don’t do it here now, because the type of work here is different in many ways. We did it at Feyenoord. Together with an athletic trainer, who helped me a lot, we decided to create this club where, before breakfast, we’d train a little, then have breakfast and then do normal training.
“It started as just the two of us, but the others started to see us and joined us, growing more and more: after two years, it felt like a team workout before training.”