A confirmation.
After a convincing first season at AC Milan punctuated by 6 goals and 3 assists in the league, Theo Hernandez (23) is asserting himself this year as one of the best, if not the best left-back in the Serie A. The brother of the world champion Lucas (Bayern) passes a new test this Thursday (9 p.m.) during the shock of the knockout stages of the Europa League against Manchester United (1-1 in the first leg).
Since his arrival in June 2019 from Real Madrid for a transfer of 20 million euros, he has been progressing at (very) high speed.
This year, he already has 5 goals (4 in the league and one in the Europa League) and 6 assists.
In December, he was named the best Serie A player. "I am not surprised by his level of play because Theo is blessed with great athleticism and he can play as well in a 3 defense as on the left side," said Ludovic Batelli, his former coach in the France Under-18 team.
He has an offensive spirit and puts creativity in his game. Before, he lacked a little maturity but his arrival in Italy with a different rigor did him a lot of good.
He thrives on playing very high level matches.
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Already an AC Milan executive at 23
"Confirming this is no small task, but he remains constant in his performance," says Grégory Paisley, BeIN Sports consultant on Serie A. His qualities are numerous: he is fast, powerful, with a very interesting center quality. and with a big left foot strike, he has an excellent header and, finally, he is decisive by scoring goals.
Mentally, he's tough.
Theo also has a large volume of play by repeating efforts in his hallway without stopping.
Tactically, he can still improve as he sometimes relies on his speed.
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In the youngest team in Europe, which currently occupies 2nd place in the championship behind his neighbor Inter, Theo is already a manager.
“He is very happy in Milan.
In the media, he is nicknamed Theo the motorcycle, says his mother Laurence Py.
Theo is confident with his trainer Stefano Pioli.
He wants to win titles and play in the Champions League next year.
In the locker room, he gets along well with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
The latter talks a lot with the players.
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Traffic jam at the left side post
After a season and a half completed within one of the biggest clubs of the Old Continent (9 European Cups including 7 C1 on the clock), can Theo join his brother Lucas in the short term during the knockout matches at the World Cup? 2022 at the end of the month (Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Bosnia) or for the Euro which starts on June 11?
Last Saturday, the Rossonero spoke to Sportweek, the weekly supplement of the Gazzetta dello Sport.
“It's a dream for me to play with my brother in the France jersey.
I'm waiting, the coach has not called me yet, "said the French defender who, this season, had already shown his impatience with a goal celebration where he had mimed the expectation of a phone call .
It would be the 4th time that a sibling has joined the French team after Revelli (Hervé and Patrick), Vandooren (Jules and Roger) and Laurent (Lucien and Jean).
“When a young 23-year-old expresses himself so well in a club like AC Milan, it catches the eye,” said Batelli.
If he maintains his performance level, the door should open.
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Coach Didier Deschamps, who will unveil his list this Thursday for the 3 qualifying matches at the World Cup in Qatar, follows him like many promising players but in his hierarchy his brother Lucas is in first position then there is Lucas Digne (Everton ) and the two Mendy, Benjamin and Ferland, who can also play on the right.
“Deschamps has a host of left side.
Theo must complete a big extra season and Milan must qualify for the C1 so that he shows all his qualities on the European level, thinks Grégory Paisley.
If it shines in C1, I don't see what could prevent it from being in blue.
"" The two brothers call each other every day.
Lucas would be very happy if his brother joined him, says Laurence Py.
You have to be patient and wait.
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