After four and a half years, 120 appearances, 1 goal, and one Scudetto win, Simon Kjaer will leave Milan at the end of the season.
His career dream was to wear the AC Milan shirt, as he mentioned quite a few times, along with his agent. Now, he is ready to bid farewell to the club and fans.
Here are his words in an interview granted to Milan TV:
We've reached the end of this long journey, how do you feel?
“A lot of emotions, both positive and negative. For a couple of months now, I felt that it was the right time to end it, and then there will be a new adventure.”
Do you feel that the end has come at the right time?
“Yes. Over these four years, I’ve reached a good point. But I could obviously have given more, to help even more. It's the right time.”
Do you already have clear ideas about your future post-European Championship? Kjaer said:
“Let’s say that I’ve divided my future into three parts. There’s one week (this one) to be available for my last match at San Siro and wear the Milan jersey one last time. Then there's an adventure with Denmark, which is always very special. And after that, I need to find a place where I can continue playing football. The most important thing is this week.”
How do you approach this new experience?
“Zero fear. I think I’ve experienced so much in my career, I have the experience to understand that fear gives you nothing. I have great curiosity and a strong desire to impact a new group just like I did here.”
You’ve always said that Milan was a dream…:
"I came to Italy when I was 19, to Palermo. There, I immediately told my agent: ‘I want to go to Milan.’ It took some time, but eventually I came here, and this is my club, my place, and it always will be. When I arrived here, Milan was in a very difficult period that had lasted for many years. Paolo (Maldini) and Ricky (Massara) brought me here to make an impact, especially on the young players, to provide continuity and help the group grow. I think I did my job."
You arrived quietly and modestly, did you expect this impact?
“It always depends on the group, of course, but I was fortunate because Zlatan arrived with me. I never needed to shout or provide that kind of stimulus. I was able to work on individuals, showing every day that you had to arrive early to work and stay late. Before I got here, there were 2-3 players in the gym during training sessions. Now there are all of them. It has been a journey with the coach’s staff as well. Now no one relaxes.”
You’re the last veteran of this cycle… It’s been a long journey. What’s inside, and what growth has this group experienced? Kjaer answered:
"Quality alone is not enough. To improve and grow the team, you need to know how to suffer and have the right mentality to work and look forward. You can achieve many things with a group, even with less quality. In the football world, there’s only one thing that rules, and that’s mentality. Everyone knows how to play football. For the budget Milan has spent over these four years, few in Europe have managed to achieve what we have."
You always believed in this, in the 20/21 season, you said this was the strongest team in Italy: the following year, the Scudetto arrived. How did you know?
"Quality. You can’t talk about the Scudetto if you don’t have quality. If you manage to maintain these high standards every day, then you can do things no one expected. I don’t think anyone expected it, not even the true Milan fans.”
During the Scudetto year, you had a long injury… But why do you feel it particularly yours?
"If I could change one thing in my journey, I would definitely say the injury. But it made me grow a lot. You have to take advantage of the moments you have. It was easier to experience pure joy in my work and also at home with my family. I was very aware of the things I did even before, but now it’s double. If you have to do 10, maybe at some point you do 9, then 8, and so on. But every time you go from 10 to 9, you have to understand that you’ve lost 10%. And if you put it all together, it becomes a lot. If you make this clear, then the team can grow even more. We’ve had a great journey, we’ve grown a lot. But we still need to improve.”
How important was your wife's support during this journey? Kjaer commented:
"Fundamental. If you’re not well at home, you’re not well outside. As much as I love Milan, compared to my family, Milan is ‘outside the home.’ Milan is also home to my children; they speak Italian better than Danish. Milan has become home."
Kjaer is shown a video of greetings from many children and young people from Milan's youth sector:
"Cute, thanks (smiles)."
What is the characteristic you want to be remembered for?
"As a defender, I left an impact on the kids with this grit. It's a part of me that I'll always have, even when I no longer play football."
How important has Milan been to you and how proud were you of being nominated among the top 30 for the Ballon d'Or?
"The journey I had with Milan was the dream I had for my career. To have the possibility, at 32 years old, to go to the Ballon d'Or with the Milan jersey... At 18, I would have signed up for that."
Why is Milan so special? Kjaer replied:
"Certainly the history. When I was a kid, the top was Milan. Even Paolo (Maldini, ed) had an impact on that; he was the strongest defender in the world. And when you are a defender, you follow these types of players."
Another tablet moment, this time with video greetings from teammates and Stefano Pioli. The coach greets him like this 'You always sought perfection, it was a great motivation working with you. I'm sure you will get the best from your future experiences and life because you are the best.' Kjaer replied:
"I had an impact then... (laughs)."
The thing that stands out from these messages is your human side. Is that what pleases you the most?
"Of course. It’s the most important thing. It’s the only thing that remains. That’s why I’m happy. Proud, it pleases me."
What does being a team mean to you? Kjaer replied:
"Everything. It all starts from there, you need everyone to do it. You can't have a team if 5 people don't follow you, then it doesn't become a team. If you're in trouble, the group can help you. This is the first group in my career that gives me the same feeling I have when I go to the national team, which is a 14-year journey. Here, however, I’ve been for 4 years."
What does being a team mean to you?
"Everything. It all starts there; you need everyone to make it happen. You can't form a team if five people don't follow you, then it doesn't become a team. If you're in trouble, the group can help you. This is the first group in my career that makes me feel the same way I do when I go to the national team, which has been a 14-year journey. Here, I've only been for four years."
You've never shied away from stepping up when needed:
"There are moments of joy and moments when you take hits. I've never felt the need to speak during the good times. I know that when I get home, my family compliments me if I've played a good game or we've achieved something. In difficult times, it comes naturally to me to step up and 'take the hits.' In my career, I've also paid for these things. But when you hear messages like this from your teammates, it confirms that it's the right thing to do."
On the relationship with your fellow defenders:
"I've always been available for them. Whether playing with Gabbia, Tomori, Kalulu, or Thiaw, the basics need to be the same for everyone because we're not the ones who decide who plays. However, if I can have continuity with the person playing to my left, then 8 times out of 10, I can know what they're going to do."
Do you see them ready to move forward on their own?
"Yes. They have a lot of quality. Fik is perhaps the one with the most experience; now he needs to take that leap. He can become a good, skilled player, but he has all the potential to become one of the best in the world with his characteristics. The others have the same potential, but it will take a little more time because they are younger."
What kind of relationship have you built with AC Milan fans?
"A relationship that is very close to my heart. I was surprised by how they behaved with us last year and this year. I didn't expect it. Even we, my children and I, have become Milan fans."
Kjaer's final message at the end of the interview:
"I thank everyone. The journey I've had here, the pride, the dream that has given me so much joy and satisfaction in my career and my life. In the future, when I stop playing football, I think I'll come back to Milan to live with my family. Milan is our home.
