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What was your childhood in Arles like?<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWhere it all began, where it all began, where I was born, where I kicked a ball for the first time. Here I did almost everything until I was 17, in my neighbourhood. When I come back I come here and it will always be like this: my parents don\u2019t want to go to another house and it\u2019s better for me so all my things remain.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy neighbourhood was quiet but there were also dangerous ones, even today. I saw tough and ugly things. I wanted to play with the older players, when I arrived everyone laughed, then they saw the determination I had for everything, not just football, and they immediately included me in their group. This thing made me grow more\u201d<\/p>\n
How did your relationship with football begin?<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cI took the ball everywhere, really: I took the ball everywhere. At school I played football with my class and therefore I trained with them; then I trained with the team in Arles; after all that I played futsal with the people who live in the neighbourhood. I did three workouts.<\/p>\n
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\u201cI knew that if I worked more than others, it was normal that I would have something more. I must not forget where I come from, it is very important for me and for my family.\u201d<\/p>\n
Tell us a bit about Zlatan Ibrahimovic\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cI\u2019ve never seen a leader like him. We have a somewhat special relationship because he makes me learn a lot: I see Zlatan as a great brother, he advises me and when I write him a message he is always available.\u201d<\/p>\n
You moved to England to join Arsenal in 2015\u2026<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cI didn\u2019t want to leave France but then I needed training because I had it in Arles but at Arsenal it was different: one of the best youth sectors in Europe. A very very nice experience. In Arles where I live it is a small neighbourhood and there is nothing: in London however there was everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
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And then you went to Empoli\u2026<\/b><\/div>\n<\/div>\n \u201cI think it was the most dangerous choice of my career but in any case I am a player who likes to take risks, even on the pitch, and then I wanted to play, I wanted to show my qualities to everyone.<\/p>\n
\u201cEmpoli was the only team that wanted me so badly. A tough decision but when you have the confidence to work well and you put patience into it, you get rewarded in the end: and I think I was rewarded in the end.\u201d<\/p>\n
What was it like when the call came from Milan?<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cWhen Milan called me, I didn\u2019t think too much about it. I knew they wanted me so much. I think Milan was the perfect team for me to work well. Talent is something you can have but it\u2019s the work that makes you become the person and player you want to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes when I\u2019m on the training pitch I look at the badge on my chest and say to myself: \u2018Wow, I play for Milan\u2019. Then I think about where I was, where I come from, and when you think about these things you always want to do more.\u201d<\/p>\n
What was the feeling llike after the Scudetto win?<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cUntil Sassuolo I was normal but then when we won it it was something else: it was incredible to experience with the fans. I was very happy for them and for having given them this gift, for having written history for this company. I celebrated a lot.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/picture>\nHow would you describe your time at Milan so far?<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cI learned a lot in my work but also in my life here. I grew up a lot in the city. Now that I have children, I think of doing everything for them as my parents did for me: of being with them, of explaining things to them to have the right mentality of never leaving what they want.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am very happy here in Italy and in Milan, no one tells me anything and everyone understands me, this is very important for me because my life depends on my religion. When people understand this, it means that I have made a good step: they are very good here.<\/p>\n
\u201cI try to shape my life around my religion, not the other way around. It\u2019s hard to wake up during the night to pray but we do it for a purpose, not just for the sake of it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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What made you choose Algeria?<\/strong><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\u201cA choice I made very young, I didn\u2019t want to wait and I wanted to play for one of these two countries: my father\u2019s Morocco or my mother\u2019s Algeria. The heart is for both of us.<\/p>\n
\u201cI learned to know Algeria more, a very particular country: football in the country handles a lot of problems, when it goes well the country is happy. I will never have regrets for choosing Algeria, I am very, very proud.\u201d<\/p>\n
What individual aims do you have?<\/strong><\/p>\n\u201cPersonally, the Ballon d\u2019Or: it is the most prestigious thing in football. I put this goal in my head, so I won\u2019t have regrets. I have to do everything to get it and I have to work a lot. Winning it would mean many things: having done well with your team and with the national team.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Ismael Bennacer made his long-awaited return to the field during the recent win over Frosinone, and he has given an interview about…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":94058,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"video","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4,17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-94057","post","type-post","status-publish","format-video","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-articles","category-sport","post_format-post-format-video"],"yoast_head":"\n
Roots: The Story of Isma\u00ebl Bennacer - AAH.JZR<\/title>\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n \n \n \n\t \n\t \n\t \n