End clap for Simon Kjaer at 35 years old. The Danish central defender decided to hang up his boots while he was free since this summer and his departure from AC Milan. Trained in Midtjylland, he was able to establish himself across Europe, whether at Palermo, Wolfsburg, Rome, Fenerbahçe or even at Sevilla FC. Between 2013 and 2015, he also played in France for Lille. Danish international (132 caps for 5 goals), he will have had a fulfilling career, but for only one small title, Serie A in 2022 with AC Milan.
18th in the 2021 Ballon d’Or after Euro 2020 where he took Denmark to the semi-final of the competition, Simon Kjaer was unanimous. He explained his decision to TV2Sport : “It’s really a good time to close this chapter. It was not a decision I made after the summer, but one I thought about before Euro 2024. Last fall I realized that my stay in Milan was perhaps affecting at its end. I absolutely didn’t need to announce anything to anyone except myself. From there, many elements influenced the future. Children, family, the national team and Milan, my dream club. There were a lot of things that meant that after the European Championship it ended like this, I was waiting for something to happen, but I had to decide first for my family and then for the sporty aspect. I don’t regret anything.»
