Having left for AC Milan at just 20 years old, Yoann Gourcuff discovered a world probably too big for him in Lombardy. Essentially confined to a replacement role, the former Rennais experienced two particularly difficult years with the Rossoneri before deciding to return to France in the form of a loan to the Girondins.
Able to oppose the leaders of the Lombard locker room, Clarence Seedorf in the lead, Yoann Gourcuff had suffered a very violent charge from Paolo Maldini after his departure from Milan. “ In Milan, Gourcuff missed everything, 100%. From what I saw, a lot of the blame came from him. His problem here was his behavior. He was not intelligent in the way he handled himself,
he said in the columns of L'Equipe in the fall of 2010.
It's a real shame, because no one questions his technical qualities. He didn't want to make himself available to the group. When a rule was imposed, he didn't care. We cannot behave like this. Honestly, after a while, we didn't even care about him anymore.»
Yoann Gourcuff has a memory
Yoann Gourcuff, however, had some mitigating circumstances, first and foremost his breakup with Anne-Sophie, his childhood sweetheart, who had tried to end his life when the couple had moved into a high-end apartment in the neighborhood. from San Siro.
After his good season with the Girondins, AC Milan tried to keep him. But the efforts of Leonardo and Adriano Galliani, who came to Paris to convince him to return to Milan, were to remain in vain. “ While Galliani handed him a contract with pharaonic amounts, Yoann showed more memory than resentment. explained Didier Poulmaire, his historic lawyer.
