Ismaël Bennacer says goodbye to Milan and heads to Qatar

Italian club Milan terminated midfielder Ismaël Bennacer’s contract ahead of schedule by mutual agreement. The 28-year-old Algerian, who left the team as a free agent, will continue his career at Qatar’s Al-Gharafa, as reported by Goal.com.

The decision brings the experienced midfielder’s five-year spell at San Siro to an end. Since joining Milan from Empoli in 2019, Bennacer made 178 appearances for the club. He was one of the key pillars of Stefano Pioli’s team that won the 2021/22 Serie A title.

Injuries and loan spells

The past few years have been challenging for the footballer. A serious knee injury has kept him out of official matches for Milan since February 2025. Over the last 18 months, he spent time on loan at Marseille and Dinamo Zagreb.

Since 2019, only six players have made more appearances than Bennacer, with Rafael Leão leading the list on 291 games. However, recurring injuries and changes to the squad made the midfielder’s departure from Milan inevitable.

Emotional farewell and a new destination

The footballer addressed fans on social media and expressed his deep gratitude. “Dear Milan fans, last year I said goodbye without thinking that these words would become a farewell”, he said in a video message.

Bennacer added that he had worn the shirt with pride for more than five years and that winning the Scudetto was one of the finest memories of his career. He is now beginning a new chapter with Al-Gharafa under Pedro Martins.

Milan, now managed by Ruben Amorim, are continuing their preseason tour of Asia. The team are scheduled to play a friendly against Chelsea in Indonesia before facing Manchester United in Poland. The Rossoneri will begin the new 2026/27 Serie A season away to Torino on 23 August.