Kjaer: Dembele can win the Golden Ball, and so can Leo. The happiest moment is when Milan wins Serie A

Kjaer recently accepted an interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, in which he talked about AC Milan and his life after retirement.

The following is the content of the interview👇

The pronunciation of "Kjaer" in Danish is very similar to "kaer", and "kaer" means "beloved". Could this be used to describe your relationship with AC Milan fans?

"I am a fan of Milan and Denmark, and I also like other countries: they are different. Milan fans understand this."

The 2022 Serie A championship speaks for itself. What memories will it leave behind?  

"In 2022, when a teammate came to the Milanello training base, I could see the joy on his face. The game against Lazio was the decisive turning point. Ibrahimovic created tension, both positive and negative. He just wanted to win. "Pioli is very good at timing, and we are very good at dealing with the chaos that Ibrahimovic creates. Sometimes you have to tap him on the shoulder and tell him, 'Calm down and take a deep breath.'"

That chemistry is not there in the 2024-25 season. From a bystander's perspective, what exactly happened?

"For me, there have been too many changes. This is true at all levels. I won't say more because it will involve some things I know from friends, and these are confidential. Of course, I am sad like all fans, but now I am much better."

What is AC Milan like under Allegri's coaching?

"It's Milan again. If Modric and Rabiot return, they can gain experience again... and experience is one of the most underestimated factors today. In my opinion, they can win the Serie A title because they have the right coach. Now you know who is coaching. As for last year, I don't know." 

Is Gabbia the heir apparent to Simon Kjaer?

"Yes, I like him very much. It is difficult to find a more professional player than him: he is willing to sacrifice himself for Milan."

What about Leo? Does it make sense to ask him to be more consistent?

"Yes, that makes sense, I would ask him too. Leo has the potential to be one of the best players in the world. It would be great if he could learn something from Gabbia... Dembele won the Ballon d'Or and Rafa can reach the same level. He needs to improve by 1% every day. In my opinion, he can't do it alone It's impossible to do it alone; he needs a coach and a club to help him. He's 26 and it's too late at 29: he has so many expectations on his shoulders that it won't be easy."

Who is the favorite to win Sunday's game?

"Inter Milan is playing at home, right? Then I think Inter Milan has a 60% chance of winning and the opponent is 40%. The two sides are equally strong on the field."

Let's stop talking about Milan, let's talk about Simon Kjaer. He bid farewell to football after six months of layoff. What happened?

"I learned that Milan would not renew my contract in September 2023. So I started thinking about what kind of contract terms I wanted. I had a few options, but I realized that I had to make a compromise. My wife and I agreed that in this kind of thing, compromise would not work."

What offers were received?

"There were a lot, a few Champions League teams from Denmark, Belgium and the Netherlands. But none of the offers came close to agreeing. "

Was it difficult to make the decision (to retire)?

"Yes, it was difficult, but it helped that my choice was not impulsive. Of course, I miss my friends and teammates. "

Why did you choose to continue living in Italy?

"Because we live a good life here. I (choose to retire) do it for the children, so that I can send them to play football and accompany them. So far, I have missed most of their growing up time. "

What kind of family is the Kjaer family?

"It's a mess. I speak Danish, my wife speaks Swedish, the kids speak English and a little bit of Italian, all mixed together. "

What about the job in Midirand?

"I'm on the board. We fired a coach who was undefeated in 18 games because we wanted to grow: there's huge ambition here. Now I need to figure out whether I want to be sporting director, general manager or something else. There are aspects of football that I don't like. "

Which aspects?

"There are so many interests involved here. If I have a problem with you, I will tell you directly. In football circles, that is often not how it is done. And I also now understand the (various) games that exist behind this. "

Since we are talking about emotions, let's choose a microcosm of a career for each emotion. Let’s start with happiness.  

"Milan won the Serie A championship."

Disappointment

"The 2022 World Cup. At that time in Denmark, people were still debating whether we should go to Qatar. It felt as if we were not going there to play football. "

Shocking

"Obviously it was the time Eriksen fell ill at the European Cup. Another time in Turkey, Opposing fans rushed onto the pitch to beat the players and the referee. I saw other people running and knew I had to run too... "

Surprise

"When Theo played against Atalanta, he crossed the entire pitch and came to the goal... "

Where will Kjaer be in five years?

"I hope to be here, working for a club. Maybe I will do what I am doing now at Midilande, but in Italy. I don’t know if it is possible in Milan (club). I will do things that interest me.. I will try to develop in football, otherwise... I will consider other directions. "