Bennacer: ‘Calhanoglu wanted to stay at Milan, I’ll never join Inter’

Ismael Bennacer reflected on his move to Milan, the tensions of the Derby della Madonnina and Hakan Calhanoglu’s unexpected move to Inter.

The 25-year-old Algerian midfielder has been sidelined in the Lombardy capital since he suffered a serious knee injury in the 18^th minute of the Rossoneri’s 2-0 loss to the Nerazzurri in the first leg of their Champions League semi-final derby on May 10.

Bennacer underwent an operation and has been slowly working on his recovery since. He recently returned to training at Milanello and is now hoping to get back out on the pitch in the coming weeks.

Speaking in an interview with Instant Foot via Calciomercato.com, Bennacer first reflected on Milan’s initial interest in him back in 2019.

“I saw how much they wanted me, so I listened to the project without ever thinking about the contract or the money. My agent told me that they were the team that wanted me the most and were the right step for me.

“The Africa Cup of Nations helped, but there had already been talks with Milan. After the semi-final Massara called me speaking in French, I replied that first I would win the cup and then I would go.”

He remembered when he put pen to paper on his contract with the club.

“It arrived before the holidays. Maldini and Massara were there, at the beginning I didn’t realize how big this club was. My older brother is a big Rossoneri fan, I listened to everyone’s opinion but then the decision was mine.

“And here I realize that you can feel the history of this club and the weight of the shirt. I love Milan, and for this reason I always give everything on the pitch.”

The 25-year-old touched on his role as a leader in the dressing room.

“I feel like a leader, but that doesn’t mean I feel stronger than others. I have more responsibilities, you have to set an example when you wear the Milan shirt. Today I try to make new people feel at ease.

“I give them my phone number, I tell them not to hesitate to call me if they have problems. It’s normal to be shy when you arrive in a new locker room, it also happened to Saelemaekers. I think about the team first. We know that the club must return as high as possible in Europe.”

Bennacer looked back at his decisive goal against Napoli in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals last season.

“I would define it as exciting. I had a bad game, then I scored, and everyone told me that I had a fantastic game. Hearing the whole stadium screaming your name is crazy.

“That day I was playing in a new role, in the previous days I had some family situations that made me arrive tired at the match, it was a crazy evening.”

He gave his thoughts on the Derby della Madonnina and Milan’s recent struggles against their inter-city rivals.

“We are not affected by the statistics that see us in difficulty in the derbies, we prepare well for each match. I wasn’t there in the last match against Inter, but I spoke with my teammates and the coach before the match, and I know that they gave everything on the pitch.

“It may be that some players were more tired at a certain point in the match, and perhaps Inter are stronger in some respects, they always score early. It’s an aspect we need to work on, but it’s water now passed.”

Finally, Bennacer discussed his former teammate Calhanoglu, who surprised many by switching Milan for Inter in the summer of 2021.

“I didn’t know anything, I found out at the last minute when Eriksen fell ill. Hakan wanted to stay at Milan, I don’t know what happened. Maybe they didn’t reach an agreement. We’re friends, but on pitch friendship doesn’t exist with opponents and even more so in a derby.

“I respect his choice, but when I read about that transfer, I thought he hadn’t really done it. Personally, I have too much respect for Milan to behave in this way.

“Inter can offer me whatever they want, but it won’t happen. It doesn’t mean that I will stay here for my entire career, but I will certainly never go to the Nerazzurri.”