Santi Gimenez's agent, Rafaela Pimenta, gave an interview to TNT Sports Mexico focusing on her client. The prominent agent retraced the Mexican striker's journey and explained in detail the difficulties he encountered in Italy and at AC Milan. Below is an extract from her comments.
He needed this change, didn't he? Things didn't work out at Milan, partly because of the injuries, and he was unlucky in that respect.
"It bothers me a little, though, that people forget Santi's story and what happened. Santi arrived at Milan halfway through the season. It isn't easy to settle into a team in January. It's very different from arriving at the start of the season, especially when you're moving to another country, with a different language, a different culture and a style of football that is very different from what you're used to.
"Then the coach changed, the entire management changed, and this year everything changed again. Continuity becomes impossible, truly impossible, when a club, as Milan was at that time, does not have a stable structure. And when the structure isn't stable, it's difficult for a player to find his place, especially if he's a foreigner arriving in a new environment.
"You know what the situation is like in Italy: those who arrive criticise what was done before, while those who leave criticise the decisions made by the previous management. It's a bit of a political issue.
"I believe Santi got caught up in a situation that was much bigger than his sporting performances. In my opinion, even taking the injuries into account, he wasn't given the right opportunities to show what he could do at his best."
