Franck Kessie reveals his leadership style at Milan, the tribute to his father, preparing for the Champions League and the regrets he holds about doing Leonardo Bonucci a favour.
The Ivorian sat down with La Gazzetta dello Sport to discuss his career, including the infamous reason why he is nicknamed The President (he took the parking spot of CEO Ivan Gazidis one day at the training ground).
Franck Kessie reveals his leadership style at Milan, the tribute to his father, preparing for the Champions League and the regrets he holds about doing Leonardo Bonucci a favour.
The Ivorian sat down with La Gazzetta dello Sport to discuss his career, including the infamous reason why he is nicknamed The President (he took the parking spot of CEO Ivan Gazidis one day at the training ground).
“If I have something to say to a teammate, I don’t do it in front of everyone, because I don’t know how he’ll react. So I take him to one side and explain myself. It’s more difficult during a match situation, as then I might have to shout.
“I think it’s such a good midfield partnership with Ismael Bennacer because we both speak French, so can communicate quickly. Sometimes by the time I’ve thought of the right word in Italian, the opponent has already gone…”
Kessie explained the leaders in the locker room are Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Simon Kjaer and captain Alessio Romagnoli, while the teammate he spends the most time with off the field is Hakan Calhanoglu.
There are some regrets about his decision to hand over the Number 19 jersey to Bonucci for that one season at Milan.
“He explained to me that it was important, I spoke to (director) Leonardo, the coach Vincenzo Montella, even Gennaro Gattuso, who at the time was the youth team coach… Bonucci was a bigger player with more experience. I don’t know if I’d make the same decision again, though.”
Kessie’s goal celebration is always a military salute, a tribute to his father, who died of illness when Franck was just 11 years old.
“His death made me grow up fast, even if I was the youngest of seven kids. Football helped me to keep going during the pain.
“I would see him do the military salute when guests came to the house and asked why. He said: ‘This is how you salute someone more important than you.’
“It used to take me three hours to get to training at my first club and the pitch was more dirt than grass. I supported Milan as a kid and couldn’t believe it the first time I got to pull on this jersey. Playing the Champions League with Milan would be marvellous.”
Yet his contract is due to expire in June 2022 and it is another situation up in the air for the Rossoneri.
“I am concentrated on the work we need to do and getting to the Champions League. At the end of the season, we’ll talk to the club.
“Big clubs are never content, they want to win every game, and that has to be our mentality too.”