Giménez Living the Dream of Joining Milan Ahead of Feyenoord Return
Mexican striker Santiago Giménez is fulfilling a childhood dream with AC Milan and hopes to follow in the footsteps of his idols as he prepares to face his former club, Feyenoord, in the first leg of the UEFA Champions League playoff round on Wednesday at De Kuip stadium.
Giménez joined Milan on the final day of the winter transfer window earlier this month, replacing Spanish striker Álvaro Morata, who moved to Galatasaray.
The 23-year-old forward has already made a strong impression on Milan fans. In his debut in the Coppa Italia against Roma, he provided an assist to Portuguese teammate João Félix, who also arrived from Chelsea. He then scored his first goal for Milan in a Serie A match against Empoli on Saturday.
After coming off the bench in both matches, Giménez is expected to start against a struggling Feyenoord side, which recently dismissed coach Brian Priske, who had replaced Arne Slot after Slot moved to Liverpool at the start of the season.
In a recent interview with Milan’s official media, Giménez expressed mixed emotions about facing his former club: “There are so many emotions involved. Honestly, I wanted Milan to play against Feyenoord because if I had stayed at Feyenoord, I would’ve been playing against the team I always dreamed of joining.”
He continued, “But now I’m at Milan, and it’s going to be special because I’ll get to see my family in Rotterdam and revisit a club that means a lot to me. It’s a chance to say goodbye to a team that gave me so many great memories.”
Giménez has been a lifelong admirer of Italian football and a devoted AC Milan fan. The club had initially targeted him last summer before eventually signing Morata.
Milan secured Giménez for approximately $33 million after he scored 65 goals in 105 matches for Feyenoord, helping them win the Dutch league title in 2023 and the KNVB Cup last season.
“Everything worked out exactly as I hoped,” he said. “I’ve followed Milan since I was a kid. It’s the team I’ve always loved, and I grew up watching legends like Kaká, Beckham, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Pirlo, and Gattuso. That entire generation of players made the world fall in love with them.”
He added, “This was always my dream when I was younger. So when Milan called, I told myself: I can’t miss this opportunity.”
Giménez even has childhood photos of himself wearing an AC Milan jersey, as well as one with his football idol, Kaká, whom he describes as his “role model.”
