Theo Hernandez has spoken. Months after his departure from AC Milan, the French full-back has given his version of events, claiming that leaving the club was not in his plans. “I never wanted to leave,” he said bluntly in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport.
Last summer, Theo packed his bags and headed to Saudi Arabia to sign for Al Hilal. He left behind six seasons at the San Siro and a legacy that few understood why it was broken. Now, the former Milan player is putting his cards on the table: “I never thought about leaving. My priority was to stay. They said I was asking for exorbitant amounts or that I was pushing to leave… all false,” he said.
The Frenchman claims the break-up came from within. “I deserved better treatment. I didn’t expect it. Some teammates encouraged me to stay, but when someone from the management calls you and tells you ‘if you stay, we cut you from the team’, what can I do? I’m looking for something else,” he explains with a hint of resignation.
Theo also spoke of the golden times, when Maldini, Boban and Massara were at the club. “With them everything was different. Ibra was a reference point, but after Paolo, everything got worse. I know I made mistakes, like the reds against Fiorentina or Feyenoord, but we are human. I was not mentally calm and could have done better. Even so, the fans know who Theo was at Milan.”
A complicated situation
The criticism he read after his departure hurt him. “I finally have the opportunity to talk about it: there are people who want to ruin your life and career. It hurt me to read certain things, but my family knows that they are not true.”
And when Maldini is mentioned, the tone changes. It softens. “The day he called me to meet him was the best day of my sporting life. We chatted in Ibiza over an orange juice. If I am who I am, and if I became Milan’s top-scoring defender, it is thanks to him. We are still in touch. I have his dedicated shirt: ‘Theo, my worthy heir’. It thrills me every time I see it.”
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