Simon Kjær did several interviews with Italian media on 17 April 2023, the day before the Champions League match against Napoli.
▪ Simon Kjær interview at Milanello
▪ Simon Kjær press conference in Napoli
▪ Simon Kjær interview with Sport Mediaset
▪ Simon Kjær interview with Sky Sport
Before the squad flew to Napoli for the Champions League quarter finals, Simon Kjær did this interview at Milanello
Simon Kjær and AC Milan manager Stefano Pioli did the press conference in Napoli. Watch below and read the full translation.
Simon, tomorrow you'll meet an important player who was absent in the previous game (Osimhen).
Simon Kjær: "Yes, we'll meet him like we met any other player before. It's not the job of a single person,
it's always the job of a team. We'll meet him with the highest respect but we will be thinking of ourselves, first."
Simon, you are one of the leaders of the team, maybe the one with the most experience in
the first team. How do you face a game like this one? How do you explain it to your mates,
especially the younger ones living this kind of nights for the first time?
Simon Kjær: "These games, well, you don't know when they will happen again. These are nights that
you'll carry inside of you for all your life, for the best or for the worst. We play football for
these emotions, for the adrenaline that comes with. Last match in San Siro was one of the best of my
career, thanks to our fans. Tomorrow will be different but it will be another opportunity to feel and
live these emotions again. Emotions that you won't find anywhere else. That s why we play football."
You arrived at Ac Milan in January 2020 and Ac Milan hadn't played in Champions League for 7 years. It's April 2023,
three years after, and you're playing for the access to the semifinals. You are one of the leaders so how did you see the growth of the team in these years?
Simon Kjær: "Being here is a joy for me. This was one of my childhood dream. During these years together we made very important steps.
I had a dream but I couldn't imagine something like this. The thing that makes the difference, for me, is the coach's point of view.
Mr Pioli everyday pushes us to improve ourselves. He keeps reminding us not to settle for what we already have. If someone, three years ago,
told me this would be our journey, I would have signed. Everybody would have signed. A beautiful journey."
Like this. Credits to Italian journalist Claudio Raimondi.
What the press room in Napoli looked like. Featuring Simon Kjær.#ACMilan #NapoliMilan #ChampionsLeague pic.twitter.com/ZKmlRgzPS7
— Simon Kjær GIFs (@simonkjaergifs) April 21, 2023
Another interview with Simon Kjær. Continue reading for the English translation of our King's words.
Simon, tell me how your feelings are.
Simon Kjær: "Good, we did a good first match when we saw and also lived a
very strong team we were also able to beat, so tomorrow we should play to win with courage,
we should not only defend and we should be proud to be Milan players."
You are living like a second life as a player. Do you have a kind of plan to beat Osimhen tomorrow?
Simon Kjær: "No, he’s like another kind of SImeone but also of Elmas.
Osimhen is playing a great season, he’s an excellent player with a lot of qualities,
above all his strong physicality but also his rapidity. We should, of course, keep his
great skills in mind, but I repeat, we as a team are not only depending on a single player.
Of course, I’ll be the one who will have more to do with him tomorrow but it will anyways depend on
the work of the team: starting by the front and midfield, trying to leave them less space as possible
to help us in the defense too. That’s the secret: it will depend on the team, not on a single one."
You "risked" to score last time. Could you be the unsuspecting scorer this time?
Simon Kjær: "Of course! Why not? We should dream, right?"
Milan already won the Scudetto last year, will you also try to gift this dream of the Champions League to your fans?
Simon Kjær: "Absolutely, they gave me the gift last night in San Siro to make me live one of the best matches in my career,
thanks to the great atmosphere they created. It was a magical night for me, so why not? Let’s dream and work together!"
The rare Sky Sport interview with Simon Kjær. Video and English translation.
Simon, you said something very beautiful at the press conference,
that San Siro's night has remained in your heart, can you tell us why
it was so important for you, even if you have already a lot of experience?
Simon Kjær: "Because there was a special atmosphere in the stadium,
filled with sensations of joy and feelings of being proud to be part of
Milan. This is the beautiful part of the Champions League, tomorrow we have to do the
next step, but this was anyways, one of the best experiences in my career."
You have always being very moderate with us in the interviews, you said Milan
should no more be considerate as a young squad but now that you're close to the Champions semi-finals. How
are you living that?
Simon Kjær: "We will see tomorrow! No, to be true, I'm very confident of the team.
It will be a very difficult match but also in the Maradona Stadium, I think it will be
very difficult from the one we see in Serie A, but we should live and
feel those matches and go there to do our job and our passion but as squad, we are at a point
when we won the scudetto we lived a lot of beautiful and
difficult moments, we also struggled a lot this year but
we have at a good point now."
Do you think Osimhen's presence will change Napoli a bit?
Simon Kjær: "Osimhen has surely something very positive for his
team, he's a great player and he's playing a fantastic season,
so we should think what to do to stop him, but as I already said also after last match: it always depends by the team,
it does not depent on a single player or only on two players. Then I think we are in the condition to defend well.
I have all the respect for them but I have more trust in us."
You already had a long career, and you rarely show your emotions, is there
still a place for dreams for you?
"I'll tell you the truth, after the injury I had, everything is a dream to me.
I've always been willing to work a lot, to do sacrifices every day.
Football is my passion, is my first love, until I won't be able to walk anymore,
I'll live this dream.
So, I'm living in a dream now. I worked a lot last year, for matches like these, for my team and the club I love a lot."
Many thanks to Jessica and to Emanu for the English translations and for finding all videos that are out there :)
This is the Simon Kjær Champions League blog of 17 April 2023. Read the latest about our favourite defender.