Conti reflects on injury ordeals, time at Milan and ‘disagreement’ with Pioli | OneFootball

Andrea Conti has made the decision to retire from football after a long ordeal with injuries, and he reflected on his time at AC Milan.

Back in 2017 Conti was on top of the world. He had an impressive season with Atalanta under Gian Piero Gasperini, earned a big move to Milan, made his debut at San Siro and with the senior national team, and seemed to be on an upward trajectory.

That was until the rupture of the cruciate ligament he suffered in September, after a handful of games with the Rossoneri. It would prove to be the beginning of the end because that ligament that cracked twice in nine months, becoming the toughest opponent to face and at the same time his biggest enemy.

Conti spent the last eight seasons dragged by the fear of getting hurt again, held back by the thought of not playing. Now, at 31, after a season as a free agent, he chose to say enough and he spoke to La Gazzetta dello Sport about his decision.

Have you really decided to quit?

“I’m exhausted, I’ve been struggling with physical problems, injuries and disappointments for years. I’ve been a free agent for a year and in the last three I’ve played just nine games. You have to be aware of your situation, I can’t take it anymore and this will be my final decision.”

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Will you make an announcement?

“No, I’m telling La Gazzetta here. I’m stopping. I’m not the social media type, I never post anything and I don’t think I will in this case.”

Did you feel abandoned by the world of football? As if everyone had forgotten about you?

“I lost hope. I knew that after the end of the contract with Samp it wouldn’t be easy and I’ve seen evidence of this in these months, in which no one has called me anyway. So it’s better to accept that it’s over and move on.”

Have you already chosen what you will do in the future?

“No, I don’t know yet. I don’t want to make hasty decisions, I just feel like saying that I still see myself in football. I’m a player on the pitch, maybe I’d like to coach, but it’s still too early to say. I’m still processing the fact that I’ll never play again.

“I’ve been unlucky on my journey, but I know that life doesn’t end here. I’ll definitely do something else. There’s no hiding, even if it’s hard to accept. It’s all mental work. A dream is over: but for me, lately, going to the pitch wasn’t a joy anymore. I dragged myself along, I wasn’t myself anymore.”

Was it distressing to fear that you would never return to your previous levels?

“Every moment after my first injury I was afraid of not knowing what would become of me, of my path, of my future. It’s like a ghost that has always accompanied me.

“When you’re a footballer you are aware of running into similar risks, but then it happens to you at the best moment of your life and… it changes your life a bit. I can say that I stopped playing because of the many injuries. With a different destiny, who knows where I would be now…”

Have you ever felt the need to talk to a psychologist?

“No, and that was a big mistake. The truth is, I never really realised how much I needed it. If I could go back, I would definitely do it. I probably would have been able to handle everything a little better.”

Can we say that the knee has become your greatest opponent?

“Absolutely. There’s not a day when I open my eyes and don’t think about my knee. There’s not a moment when I don’t pay attention to it. And I talk to her about life, not just while I’m playing. It stops me, it slows me down. An example? I can’t get down on my knees, bend over.”

Is there anyone in particular who you felt abandoned by?

“That’s why I was sick for a long time. Football is a world that took me, pampered me and then pushed me away and forgot about me. In many things I was left alone, especially by those who said they loved me.

“Also because I think it’s easy to help yourself when you play for Milan, in the national team and everything is fine. It’s different when you fall, then you see who is truly close to you. And I can count these people on one hand, unfortunately.”

Let’s move on to Milan. You arrived from Atalanta in the summer of 2017, what memories do you have?

“The first thing that comes to mind is the impact with Milanello. It was incredible. Just finding fans asking for photos, autographs, who were there under the sun for me. I felt like I had landed on another planet. Like when before the game with Craiova there were 40 thousand people outside the stadium waiting for the bus.”

At Atalanta you exploded with Gasperini. Is he the best coach you’ve ever had in your career?

“Yes, I put him first. Personally, I owe him a lot and I can only speak well of him: he crushes you in training, he pushes you to give everything, but then on the field on Sunday you reap the rewards. You fly and you don’t notice.

“Plus, you always know what to do without him telling you anything else. He’s not someone who talks a lot to the players, he doesn’t give too much confidence but he always manages to touch the right chords when needed.”

It often happens that many players leave Atalanta and then don’t perform as well as before. How do you explain that?

“When you train with Gasperini you go at a thousand miles an hour and work a lot. Then you change teams and the load is very different and it affects you a bit. Then you add the pressure, the fact that you are paid a lot and that the responsibilities increase. Many have not been able to handle all this. On a mental level it can be complicated.”

At Milan, however, you were coached by Pioli. What memories do you have?

“I got along very well with Pioli, even if I have a bit of a disagreement. When he arrived at Milan I started playing all the time, then I got hurt again and from then on I disappeared for him.

“It was like he didn’t see me. He never gave me an explanation, or anything. Let’s say it was a final slap, because I felt good.”

Milan and Atalanta face each other on Sunday, who will you be cheering for?

“It’s difficult. I have more friends at Atalanta, even though Milan was the team that made my dream come true. Then unfortunately it went the way it went. Sunday’s match will be a hard-fought one, I hope both teams can reach the Champions League. As for the result, I’ll get away with a draw.”