AC Milan full-back Theo Hernandez has pledged to work on one key area of his game, and spoke about life away from the football pitch.
The Frenchman arrived last summer from Real Madrid and has already established himself as one of the best full-backs in Serie A if not in Europe, having netted six times in all competitions this season making him the club’s second-top scorer behind Ante Rebic.
His excellent performances have endeared him to the Rossoneri fans but have also led to suggestions that the LaLiga side regret selling him to Milan for a fee widely reported to be around €20m.
Theo Hernandez participated in a Q&A with the fans on AC Milan’s official Instagram profile, and the questions and answers were transcribed by MilanNews, which we have translated below.
How are you in these difficult days? “These days I’m here at home, don’t worry. We hope everything will pass quickly and we can go back to training and playing, which is what we like best.”
How would you define the atmosphere of San Siro? “It’s impressive, we hope that the fans will always support us until the end.”
What would it be like to play with your brother in the same club, maybe even in Milan? “It would be a dream, we did it in the youth team, we were kids and I hope to play together again in the future. If he is at Milan, even better.”
The first person you told that you had signed for Milan? “The first person to whom I said that I had signed for Milan was my mother, then of course my brother, who are the people who always support me and are by my side every day.”
What do you like most about Milan? “What I like most about Milan is above all San Siro. Aside from the stadium, I really like fashion, so via Montenapoleone.”
What aspects of the game do you want to improve on? “I am still young and have a lot to learn, but I want to improve especially in the defensive phase, where I have more difficulties, but I improve day after day.”
Favourite DJ? “David Guetta, a great DJ.”
Why did you choose 19? “Because it’s a number I like and my brother also had it, he was free and I chose it. It is bringing me luck.”
Are you studying to learn Italian? “No, I’m not studying Italian. It is difficult to learn it because there are many guys in the team who speak Spanish, but I understand Italian well and will soon speak it.”
Which song of the Curva Sud do you like best? “The ‘Olè olè olè olè, Theo, Theo’ one.”
Favourite three players in AC Milan history? “The 3 greatest legends in Milan’s history are Kaká, Ronaldinho and Maldini.”
Funniest teammate? “I am happy with everyone, they are incredible guys. The ones I feel better with are obviously the Spaniards who obviously speak my language and I deal with it every day.
“I am very happy. It’s a very nice moment in my career. I feel very comfortable with my team mates, in the Club and in this city and I hope to enjoy it for a long time to come.
Have you stayed in touch with the rest of the team? “I haven’t been talking to my team-mates much lately. I talk a lot with Samu Castillejo, I get on well with him. Let’s talk about what’s going on right now, a very complicated situation.”
What will it be like to get back on the pitch? “It will be great, because what we players want is to train and play every weekend. I hope this situation goes away immediately because we want to get back on the pitch as soon as possible. ”
Do you have a message for doctors and rescuers engaged in the battle against Coronavirus? “The only thing I want to say to them is a big thank you for all the work they are doing. From doctors to nurses, you are doing an incredible job and I hope we will all win this battle together as soon as possible. Always go Milan and stay home. ”