Theo Hernandez said. Months after leaving AC Milan, the French full-back has given his version of events, insisting that leaving the club was never in his plans. “I never wanted to leave,” he said candidly in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Last summer, Theo packed his bags and headed to Saudi Arabia to sign with Al Hilal. He remained at the San Siro for six seasons, leaving a legacy that few could understand why it was broken. The former Milan player is now putting his cards on the table, saying: “I never thought about leaving. My priority was to stay. They said I was asking for an exorbitant amount of money or that I was trying to get him to leave… but that’s all a lie.”
Cristiano Ronaldo Jr. scores his first goal of the season for Al Nasr U16
The French man claims that the breakup came from within. “I deserved better treatment. I didn’t expect it. Some of my teammates encouraged me to stay, but when management calls me and says, ‘If you stay, you’ll be removed from the team,’ what can I do? I’m looking for something else,” he explained with a hint of resignation.
Theo also spoke about the golden era when Maldini, Boban and Masala were at the club. “Everything was different for them. Ibra was the reference point, but after Paolo everything went worse. We know we made mistakes like against Fiorentina and against Feyenoord, but we are also human. Mentally we were not calm and we could have done better. But the fans know what kind of player Theo was at Milan.”
complicated situation
The criticism he read after his retirement hurt him. “I finally have a chance to talk about this. There are people out there who are trying to ruin your life and career. I read certain things that hurt, but my family knows it’s not true.”
And when Maldini’s name is mentioned, his tone changes. It becomes soft. “The day he called me to see me was the best day of my sporting life. We talked over orange juice in Ibiza. If I am who I am today and am Milan’s top scorer, it is because of him. We still keep in touch. I have his special shirt, which says ‘Theo, my worthy successor’. I get excited every time I see it.”
