Cerci made his senior breakthrough at Roma before joining Fiorentina and then Torino, where he really shone and earned a big move to Atletico Madrid. He would only play a few times for the Spanish club before coming to Milan on loan, and it would be safe to say the move was a flop for all involved.
He joined on an 18-month loan deal in January 2015 with Fernando Torres heading the other way, but things went so badly in terms of performances that it was ended early, and he headed to Genoa in January 2016. Cerci retired in 2021, after last playing for Arezzo.
Cerci was asked about his time with Milan during an interview with Calcio Selvaggio and he shed some light on why things didn’t go as planned. MilanPress relayed his comments.
“It’s not easy to play in an atmosphere that works against you. You play with that extra bit of anxiety and you can’t perform, you can’t stay calm. The player on the pitch has to take responsibility but then with the anxiety he can’t perform,” he said.
“I experienced this situation at Milan, I couldn’t express myself. After a difficult start, in which I didn’t perform well, the crowd started booing me San Siro is a heavy stadium and I couldn’t be the Cerci I had been, so I had completely lost my serenity.
In the street they would bother me a bit. A series of things that you can’t get on the pitch with. I also played some great games but it wasn’t enough: as soon as you make a mistake the crowd reminds you of it.
