Speaking on the YouTube channel "Milan Hello" by Andrea Longoni, Zvonimir Boban, former player and manager of AC Milan, made these statements:
"Bennacer is a super underrated player, and you also did it because you didn't understand him. What is it that you don't like about Bennacer?"
His physical condition, many injuries... He's been out a lot.
"That's fair, I was also out a lot, and others were also out a lot."
It seemed like he no longer wanted to stay at Milan:
"But that's because they massacred him in every way. Bennacer is an extraordinary player, underrated. What he gave to Milan is exceptional. I'm not defending the choice we made regarding Bennacer. On the contrary, I even enjoy recognizing my mistakes in the maturity I hope to have at 57 years old. Actually, my defeats are the ones that helped me understand things. Bennacer is the player who steals the most balls in the world per minutes played. He is the player who touches the ball almost the most in relation to minutes played, he's always on the ball. I don't know how people don't see it."
After the injury in the derby, I haven't seen that player anymore:
"Well, yes, after the injury it takes some time for him to return. Others were given all the time and him instead immediately... He didn't know how to communicate, he's a closed-off boy, a total soldier. How come I became so interested in him? Well, Giampaolo said that we should get Bennacer. We went to see him more carefully and I found a statement by Cristiano Ronaldo, he was talking about the players he liked in Italy. And he mentioned this number 10 of Empoli. He doesn't even remember the name. If Ronaldo, who has never complimented any other player in the world, says it, then I went to watch that match... Absurd, he destroyed them by himself, Juve could never catch him. Back then he was a 10, he created a hell of a mess. He needed to be cleaned up, stabilized, he didn't even know how to turn to change play. We worked on him. Later I saw that he had been in Arsenal's youth academy, so I called Wenger. He told me: 'Zvone, if you have to go to war with one person in the world, then you go with Ismael.' So you know, one plus one, you like him for his potential and then you take him. Not to play immediately, he needed a bit of work: he only watched the ball, he was a 10 adapted and brought back. He was born as a 10, you could see it. But he is also an 8, he won the MVP award of the Africa Cup of Nations as an 8, not as a 6," as relayed via Milannews.it.
What are your thoughts on Paolo Scaroni? Boban replied:
"A person who should never be in football. He has nothing to do with football. But you know, certain people, because of the powers they've had and the positions they've held, have never really asked themselves deeply, they've never created that spiritual structure to ask themselves: is it right that I go there? Because obviously it's about interests. But Milan?... It has nothing to do with Milan. Even if he is still a great manager, he has had great successes. I haven't followed his life just as he hasn't followed mine. One time we had to go to the Lega Calcio and he couldn't manage it. We were at the stadium, I was addressing him formally because I kept my distance, Maldini says to him: 'Paolo, for Zvone this has been his bread and butter in recent years, he's done institutions, he knows the League, he knows how to handle these things.' Then I also had these duties of representation in the contract, but I didn't care because we had to fix other things. And Scaroni says: 'Okay, then send me your resume...' (laughs)"
Did he ask you for your resume?
"I told him to get lost and I threw him out of the office. I told him: 'What the hell are you doing in football?' He told me: 'Why should I know what you've done in life?' Fine (laughs). You don't have to, but then I also don't have to show you any respect. But he said it in such a natural way, without even realizing it, I think. It's not like I took it badly afterward, but at the moment I reacted by throwing him out of the office. That's what I think of Scaroni."
What do you think instead of Giorgio Furlani?
"Giorgio Furlani is a Milanista, a real Milanista. But in his own way. He was built differently. He was a mathematician, a businessman from a fund and that's his way of seeing things, he can't distinguish well what Milan represents for us. But he's supported it all his life, I already knew him before and that is not in question. Then he has his bosses to whom he responds religiously, forgetting about passion, sport, football, everything that is belonging, all the other values that Milan is for all the normal people who love Milan. He can't get there, he's really square as a manager and that's it. He doesn't know how to do football, what skills does Giorgio Furlani have to do football? And it's normal. He should surround himself with people who understand football. Someone who understood a lot, he sent away. He too should have asked himself questions, understood what is good for Milan and that Maldini and Massara were good for Milan. They were technical protection, not to mention the representation of the symbolism that Paolo carries in himself. I reproach him more for that than for whether he knows or doesn't know... He doesn't know. And he thinks that Moncada knows everything. That's the thing. Because for him scouting is enough to understand everything. Coach? Imagine, big coach or not, we'll see: this is the budget and that's it, they're all the same. They don't give importance to these things because they don't know how to do football. They have no idea."
And the Sporting Director in this regard?
"If they get to a Sporting Director he will be completely closed off and blocked, practically reduced to a technocracy level without ambition. I don't think he will have an important role that can change history. Instead, he should have a role of representation of the club, be in the middle between the team, the coach, and the club: protect everyone and everything, that's what the Technical Director does. He must see when a player is in crisis, the coach doesn't talk to him and he must go to the player. When the coach is in crisis or maybe a bit confused, he must ask him two questions to clarify his ideas or put a bit of pressure on him. The role of the Sporting Director is too important, but they don't see it that way. For Giorgio, already Moncada, excellent scout as I said, can choose the players and that's enough. I don't think they consider all the other work of a Sporting Director important, otherwise, it would have already been done months ago."
A few months after that famous interview on Sky, did you understand Zlatan Ibrahimovic's role?
"I'm sorry. I said it for the good of Ibrahimovic, to whom I care a lot. I'm attached to him and I always will be, especially for that moment when he returned and what he gave to Milan in that year and a half. I will never move from that, he is my football brother if you want. But everything he's doing now is not like Ibrahimovic, not what we thought he was. Even this latest delegitimization... With his proclaimed strength, dignity, and courage, you leave immediately. Immediately. Where did all that go that I thought he had? I'm really sorry, it's not good for him but it's not good for anyone because he is an extraordinary player and he gave so much to Milan anyway. We can see it as growth, as disorientation in having been left without certain clarities that football gives. It makes sense, but I hope he comes to the right conclusions and detaches himself and really grows as God commands."
In the end, he's also an influencer on Instagram, right? Boban replied:
"He's not a Milan executive, he's from RedBird. He's not on the organizational chart. I'm joking (smiles). He doesn't protect himself for what he was, and that saddens me. But you have to think, you have to study, you have to read, you have to think about others and work on yourself."
What do you think of Gerry Cardinale?
"I don't care at all."
Of the Scudetto-winning team, little or nothing remains and probably this summer it will be further dismantled...
"It's hard to explain, as if they wanted to do a de-Maldini-ization or de-Massara-ization. I was there at the beginning but those two were the symbol of these three years. It's also hard to believe it, why hurt yourself like that? Probably they didn't believe that certain players could do well at Milan but what they didn't understand is that it's not just about individual quality, it's about how you assemble the team, the spirit that was created: they won together, they are winners. You add something and you already have a beautiful team. You add a right back, a young striker... Invest! Buy Osimhen, get a great right back. There you have a team that was in the Champions League Semifinal, that won a Scudetto. A team with character, that pushes each other, that works on the pitch. Dismantling this was crazy recklessness, and at the beginning of the summer I said it. It's not about the individual quality of the players, that's the point. It's the group, we know that the group spirit is often stronger than individualities. If that is missing you will never win."
Do you ever talk to Paolo Maldini, commenting on what's happening at Milan?
"We talk, yes. He suffers, I know he suffers. It's hard. But obviously, he's still very very attached to Milan, he was born a real Milanista. I became one, you who were born that way it's a whole different thing and I realize it because I am from Dinamo Zagreb from day one. Even though I love and respect Milan very much, the symbols and flags are others. Paolo feels all this, he gave his whole life for Milan. The other day I told him that in the end he should be happy, in the end, whether he returns or not, who knows, he wouldn't mind a bit (smiles). The years come for everyone but he would still be fresh enough, he has still completed his story at Milan. As a player, let's not even talk about it, but now also as an executive. And now people have recognized it, but at the beginning it was a disaster. For him, for me, for everyone."
Questioon: Were you already following me when I was talking about the possibility of a return with the Arabs?
"You weren't that important at the time but I saw some videos yes... I don't remember exactly..."
Will Paolo Maldini return? It's the fans' dream:
"We talked earlier, he would always be ready to give himself back to Milan in the most absolute way as he always has as a player or as an executive. If it will happen I don't know, I have no idea. I have no idea. Honestly, if he had told me something like that I wouldn't have revealed it here. But it doesn't seem to me that there are situations... There you go."
And will you ever return to Milan?
"I will never return to Milan. I will always love Milan. My last football station is Dinamo Zagreb, after this experience I will no longer work in football, however long it lasts. I have quite clear ideas of what I want to do. It's a bit of a circle that closes. My father was the representative of Dinamo Zagreb in a small place where they were all Hajduk Split fans. It's as if you were born a Milan fan in a place where everyone is Inter fans. I swear to give you an idea. I grew up like that, then at 13 I went to a football school of Dinamo Zagreb where I played with my brother, we lived in the old barracks where the young players lived. Then at 15 and a half, I was in the first team, at 18 the captain... I was born in blue, all my flow is in blue and I will end in blue. You were born in red and black, you will live in red and black and you will end in red and black. For me, that's Dinamo Zagreb. Milan I love and respect very much, it has class, it has something different from all other clubs in the world. Maybe Barcelona has something, but not this class. No other club in the world has the class that Milan has."
If Milan's season were to end with the best possible scenario, therefore winning the Coppa Italia final, how would you judge it? Boban answered:
"By now there is an accepted mediocrity by many people. Being happy for a Super Cup that should never have been played... Then beautiful, that night I enjoyed it a lot because it's too fun to do it that way. But then it ends there, it's a flash. Unfortunately, the season is quite dramatic, it's not up to Milan's greatness. No one who truly understands, who gives value to what AC Milan should be, can be happy with this season. Back in the day, they made us understand that we should get out of the Coppa Italia immediately to play the league and the Champions League. This is Milan and this is what anyone who works at Milan and loves Milan should aim for. These are Milan's levels, this is Milan's greatness. Not now with the Coppa Italia, what does it save? Personally, zero. Actually, it's almost a bit sad. It's ridiculous. It can save Bologna, it can save some other mid-level team that has won little. It cannot save Milan's season. Better to win it, also to give a bit of strength to the boys, to make them feel a bit stronger for next year where things will have to be fixed. This yes, better to win it. But that the Coppa Italia saves the season for Milan... Come on, let's not joke."
