Theo Hernández packed the bad memories of his last six months at Milan into a duffel bag and threw it down there, deep, watching it disappear into the darkness before starting a new life. Now he is one of the stars of Simone Inzaghi’s Al Hilal, who from time to time reminds him of the derbies:
"He and the staff tease me about the six straight wins with Inter, but last year we won…" When he talks about Milan, he uses the plural. He shows up for the interview with a mate after an hour of training, then sits down on a small sofa in a room at the training center. And he opens up.
Theo, what’s life like in Riyadh?
“Wonderful. It was the best choice. The only downside is the traffic, terrible," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
How did Inzaghi convince you?
“He said to me, ‘Shall we go and win together?’ I know that at Inter they called him ‘the demon’. On the pitch he’s one person, off it another, a gentleman. Every now and then he jokes about the fact that last year I made him lose the Super Cup here in Riyadh, but the staff also remind me about the derbies or the duels with Dumfries.”
Did you meet Milan?
“Yes, before the match against Napoli. When I left, I couldn’t hug everyone the way I wanted. I’m sorry they lost. I said ‘well done’ to Bartesaghi, who deserves everything, and I hugged Modrić, whom I played with in Madrid. A genius, he’s on another level.”
Did you also see the executives?
"Allegri, Tare and Ibra. Furlani didn’t show up," said Theo.
Would you never have left?
"Never. My priority was to stay."
Last January you turned down Como?
"My agent never told me about it. They said I had asked for outrageous figures for a renewal, that I was pushing for a transfer… all false."
Your farewell post was polemical: ‘The direction the club has taken and some decisions do not reflect the values and ambition that brought me here.’
"It’s the truth. When I arrived there were Massara, Boban and Maldini, my idol. Ibra is top, but after Paolo everything changed for the worse."
Did the criticism from the fans hurt you?
“A lot. I know I made mistakes, like the red cards against Fiorentina or Feyenoord, but we’re human. I wasn’t mentally at peace and I could have done better, but the fans know who Theo was at Milan.”
There was also talk of alleged assaults.
“Finally I have the chance to talk about it: there are people who want to ruin your life and your career. It hurt me to read certain things, but my family knows it isn’t true.”
Back to the pitch: was skipping Paulo Fonseca’s famous cooling break a mistake?
“It was blown out of proportion. Leão and I had just come on and we stayed there. They said we didn’t have a good relationship with the coaches, but that wasn’t true. I also got along well with Conceição. He was authoritative, but people talked nonsense.”
Did you feel abandoned by Milan?
"I deserved better treatment. I didn’t expect it. Some teammates pushed me to stay, but when an executive calls you and says, ‘If you stay here we’ll put you out of the squad,’ what can I do? I look elsewhere."
How many times were you close to leaving the Rossoneri?
"Honestly, I don’t know. I always told my agent not to tell me anything, in Italy I would only have played for Milan."
You were chosen thanks to Paolo Maldini...
“The day he called me to meet was the most beautiful of my sporting life. He came to see me in Ibiza and we talked in front of an orange soda. I couldn’t believe it. If I became what I am, and also the Milan defender with the most goals, it’s thanks to him. We’re still always in touch. His shirt with the dedication moves me: ‘Theo, my worthy heir.’”
Did his departure shock you?
"I felt lost. Last year Calabria and I showed up at Milanello wearing Paolo’s shirt, someone didn’t like it. They tore down a symbol for nothing. Apart from Ibra, you can feel the lack of Milanismo."
What was Zlatan like as a teammate?
"In training he destroyed us. For our own good."
And Pioli’s secret?
“After that 5–0 loss in Bergamo he turned us inside out. I remember his speeches and his calm. The 2022 Scudetto was born there, from that defeat. We were a family, they were magical years, unrepeatable, heart-stopping. And to think that with Giampaolo at the beginning I hardly ever played… but oh well, I had just arrived.”
Your most beautiful goal?
"The one in Milan–Atalanta 2–0, the Scudetto year. A 90-meter coast-to-coast run. The fans still talk to me about it, pure instinct."
Is Rafael Leão a champion?
“He’s incredibly strong, but sometimes his head is who knows where. In those years, he and I on the left caused problems for everyone, that’s why I don’t see him well as a striker.”
Will Maignan renew?
“He has a situation similar to mine, and it didn’t end well.”
Were you the strongest full-back in Serie A?
"Yes. And in Europe I like Nuno Mendes."
Speaking of PSG: your brother won the Champions League… against Inter.
“I was as happy as he was. Inzaghi reminds me of it too, but what can I do? I have a Milan heart…”
Theo, anyone you’d like to thank?
“My mother, Laurence. She raised my brother and me on her own after my father left. I never heard from him again, no relationship at all, while she worked ten hours a day to feed us, keep us calm, take us to training and do everything herself, everything. She’s our heroine.”
The goal is to win the World Cup together?
"Yes. Sometimes I still see Kolo Muani’s chance from 2022… I hope Italy is there too."
If Milan won the Scudetto?
“I’d celebrate among the fans.”
And if they asked you to come back?
“Right now I want to win here. But as long as certain people are there, I won’t return.”
