Bryan Cristante has revealed why he chose to leave Italian giants Milan for Benfica this summer.
The Italian youth international was surprisingly sold by the Rossoneri after a reported fee of €6m was agreed between the two clubs.
Bryan Cristante has revealed why he chose to leave Italian giants Milan for Benfica this summer.
The Italian youth international was surprisingly sold by the Rossoneri after a reported fee of €6m was agreed between the two clubs.
“They wanted to sign me and I thought it was a good solution,” the 19-year-old told the Vivo Azzurro website.
“They have tradition, they take part in the Champions League and they are always amongst the top three teams in Portugal.”
Cristante only made a handful of appearances for the Milan first team, but he has fond memories of his time at Milanello.
“My very first game in the Milan first team in the Champions League against Viktoria Plzen was a great experience for me. It was the beginning of it all,” he added.
“I barely even realised that I was making my Champions League debut – I was only 16…
“The fact that it happened with a team like Milan helped me a lot. I have collected more experience since that day and now here I am.
“The Champions League debut was kind of like a ‘prize’,” he continued. “We had already qualified for the next stage and our Coach granted me that ‘gift’.
“At the time of my Serie A debut, I was already part of the first team and I was used to training with them, so it was somehow more important. I was more conscious.”