Ismael Bennacer explains his farewell to AC Milan

Ismael Bennacer puts a point

Much has been said in recent days about alleged internal disagreements that led Ismael Bennacer to ask AC Milan for a transfer: during the presentation of the Algerian national held on Wednesday in the headquarters of Olympique Marseille, which signed the player in the very last hours of the January market, Bennacer himself wanted to put a point, explaining his reasons.

"I like De Zerbi’s game, I hoped one day to be coached by him,” he said, complimenting his new coach. “He is a coach who cares about ball possession, a completely different philosophy than at AC Milan, where there was no more focus on possession in the role of midfielders".

The reason, at least according to what Bennacer said, è therefore, tactical in nature: denied any other kind of contrasts with coach Sergio Conceicao or management, starting with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. "Nobody asked me to leave and Milan did not want to sell me,” the Algerian confirmed. It was I who pushed for the transfer".

Bennacer thus returns to the French league after seven and a half seasons in Italy, where he wore the shirts of Empoli and AC Milan, winning with the Tuscans the Serie B championship in 2017-2018 and with the Rossoneri the Scudetto in the 2021-2022 season and the Italian Super Cup a few weeks ago, beating Inter Milan 3-2 in the final in Riyadh.