‘It’ll take a while’ – Boban a huge admirer of new Dinamo player Bennacer

There are several players with immense potential at AC Milan and Ismael Bennacer. However, they often prove that and leave or fall below.

Bennacer is a really difficult player to really discuss. His talent is evident, and there is clearly a player there. However, the toll of constant injuries has really shown in the past few years, with his minutes inconsistent and performances hit and miss.

Mentally, after the consistent battle against your own body, you will lose a bit of faith in yourself; that is only natural. This, unfortunately, will be the case physically, and likely, he will not reach the heights that he once could or even hoped to.

Boban and Bennacer

Massimiliano Allegri decided from the off that he was not going to be a Rossonero this season, and the summer was spent trying to find a new home. Now, he seems to have found one in Croatia with GNK Dinamo.

The club’s president is a familiar face, Zvonimir Boban, and last year he spoke about the Algerian’s quality in depth, as MilanNews relays. So, the Diavolo may have Boban to thank again for a bit of help, just as they did in his playing days.

“Bennacer is a hugely underrated player, and you’re also underrated because you don’t understand him. What can you not like about Bennacer?”

His physical condition, the many injuries… He’s been out a lot…

“It’s understandable, I’ve been out a lot too; others have been out a lot too.”

It seemed like he didn’t want to stay at Milan any longer…

“Why did they trash him in every way? Bennacer is an extraordinary, underrated player. What he’s given to Milan is exceptional. I don’t defend the choice we made for Bennacer. In fact, I even enjoy acknowledging my mistakes, with the maturity I hope I have at 57.

“In fact, my defeats are what helped me understand things. Bennacer is the player who steals the most balls in the world per minute played. He’s the player who touches the ball almost more than the minutes played; he’s always on the ball. I don’t know why people don’t see that.”

After the derby injury, I haven’t seen that player again:

“Yeah, after an injury, it takes a bit of time for him to come back. Others were given plenty of time, but he was given it right away… He didn’t know how to communicate; he’s a closed-off guy, a total soldier. How come I was so interested in him? Meanwhile, Giampaolo said we should have signed Bennacer.

“We went to see him better, and I found a statement from Cristiano Ronaldo, he was talking about the players he likes in Italy. And he mentioned this Empoli number 10. He doesn’t even remember his name.

“If Ronaldo says so, and he hasn’t complimented any other player in the world, then I’m going to watch this game… Absurd, he massacred them all by himself. Juve never managed to catch him. He was a number 10 there; he made a huge mess. He needed to be cleaned up, he needed to be stabilised, he didn’t even know how to turn around to change the game. We worked on it.

“Afterwards, I saw he was in the Arsenal youth team, so I called Wenger. He says to me, “Zvone, if you have to go. If you’re at war with anyone in the world, then you go with Ismael.” So you know, one plus one, you like his potential, and then you take him.

“Not to play straight away, he needed a bit of work: he only looked at the ball, he was a suitable, withdrawn 10. He was born a 10; you could see it. But he’s also an 8; he won the MVP award at the Africa Cup of Nations as an 8, not as a 6.”