Interview with the Danish former Rossoneri defender: “During the Scudetto-winning season, Ibra brought tension—both positive and negative. Pioli did a great job managing the chaos he created.”

Simon Kjaer is like a vast, calm lake. Water is everywhere around him: beyond the windows of his home overlooking Lake Como, in his deep blue eyes, and in his unruffled way of speaking—that of a calm, composed man. Ten months after retiring, he feels ready to talk about Milan with detachment, to recount the day he saved his friend Christian Eriksen’s life.

In Danish, “Kjaer” sounds very similar to “kaer,” which means “beloved.” Does that describe his relationship with Milan fans?

“I’m a fan of Milan and Denmark; I care about the others—it’s different. The Milan fans have understood that.”

The 2022 Scudetto sums it all up. What memories does it leave you with?

“In 2022, when a teammate would pull up at Milanello, I could see the joy of being there written all over his face. The match against Lazio provided the decisive boost. Ibra created tension—both positive and negative. He just wanted to win. Pioli was very good at reading the moment, and we were good at managing the chaos Ibra created. Sometimes you had to put a hand on his shoulder and tell him, ‘Calm down, breathe.’ Zlatan, though, taught me so much.”

That chemistry wasn’t there in 2024–25. From an outsider’s perspective, what happened?

“For me, there were too many changes. At every level. I won’t say more because I’d have to talk about things I know from my friends, and those are confidential matters. Of course, I felt terrible, just like all the fans, but now I’m feeling much better.”

What’s Allegri’s Milan like?

“It’s Milan again. If you bring in Modric and Rabiot, you regain experience… and experience is one of the most underrated things today. I think they can win the Scudetto because they have the right coach. Now you know who’s in charge. Last year, I don’t know.”

Is Matteo Gabbia Simon Kjaer’s successor?

“Yes, I care about him. It’s hard to find a more professional player: he’s ready to sacrifice himself for Milan.”

What about Leao? Does it make sense to keep asking him to be more consistent?

“Yes, it does make sense; I ask him that too. Rafa can be one of the best in the world. If only he’d learn a little from Gabbia… Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or, and Rafa can be on the same level. He needs to improve by 1% every day. In my opinion, he can’t do it on his own—few people can. He needs a coach and a club to help him. He’s 26, and by 29 it’ll be too late: it’s now or never. There’s a lot of pressure on him, and it’s not easy.”

Let’s talk about the derby. Is it true that Inter in 2008…?

“Yes, Inter was interested in signing me, and Real Madrid sent an offer to Midtjylland. Then Palermo signed me.”

Who’s the favorite on Sunday?

“Inter is playing at home, right? So I’d say it’s 60-40 in Inter’s favor. On the field, it’s evenly matched.

Enough about Milan—let’s talk about Simon Kjaer. Your retirement from soccer came after six months of inactivity.“ What happened?

”I found out that Milan wouldn’t be renewing my contract in September 2023. So I started thinking about what terms I wanted. I had a couple of options, but I realized I’d have to make compromises. And my wife and I decided that, when it comes to these things, we don’t make compromises.”

What offers did you get?

“Lots—some in the Champions League from Denmark, Belgium, and the Netherlands. But none of them were close to a ‘yes.’”

Was it hard to retire?

“Yes, it was hard, but my decision wasn’t made from one month to the next, and that helps. Of course, I miss my friends and teammates.”

Why stay in Italy?

“Because we’re happy here. I retired for the kids—to take them to soccer and spend time with them. So far, I’ve missed more than half of their lives.”

What’s the Kjaer family like?

“A mess. I speak Danish, my wife speaks Swedish, they speak English, a little Italian—it’s all mixed up.”

And your job at Midtjylland?

“I’m on the board. We replaced a coach who hadn’t lost in 18 games because we wanted to improve: there’s a real hunger to succeed. Now I have to figure out if I want to be sporting director, general manager, or something else. There are some aspects of soccer I don’t like.”

Which ones?

“There are too many vested interests. If I have a problem with you, I’ll tell you. In soccer, that’s often not how it works. And now I understand the game behind the scenes.”

What changed on June 12, 2021, the day Eriksen suffered cardiac arrest at the European Championship?

“Everything. If Christian had left, I wouldn’t have played anymore. I realized that soccer is soccer, and life is life. Soccer is work and passion; life is something else entirely.”

Do you think about it every day?

“No, I don’t think about it, but something happened to me a few days ago. During one of my son’s games, a boy broke his wrist and the ambulance came onto the field. I felt strange. But as long as Christian is okay, I’ll be okay. They explained to me that, in a traumatic event, you remember some things but not others. There were 40 of us on that field, and together we all recalled those hours. Now I don’t know which memories are mine and which aren’t.”

As if, within that circle around Christian, the memory of a single person had taken shape?

“Yes. My teammates told me that if we hadn’t been hugging each other, some of us would have run away. Some were watching, others weren’t.”

Have you ever seen those images again?

“No. At most, a few snippets on social media.”

Since we’re talking about emotions, let’s pick one highlight from your career for each one. Let’s start with happiness.

“Winning the Scudetto with Milan.”

Disappointment.

“The 2022 World Cup. In Denmark, we were debating whether or not to go to Qatar. It felt like we weren’t there to play.”

Fear.

“The European Championship when Christian fell ill, obviously. In Turkey once, the opposing fans stormed the field to attack the players and the referee. I saw the others running and realized I had to run too…“.

Awe.

”When Theo crossed the field against Atalanta and scored…”

Where will Kjaer be in five years?

“I hope to be here, working for a club. Maybe I’ll be doing what I’m doing with Midtjylland, but in Italy. I don’t know if that’s possible at Milan. I’ll do something that interests me. I’ll try my hand at soccer; otherwise… I’ll look elsewhere.”