'They should have believed in me more!' - Bournemouth star hits out at AC Milan and clarifies 'sh*tty coach' dig at Max Allegri as he reveals he 'didn't want to leave' for Cherries

Jimenez initially left Milan for Bournemouth on loan last September, and after a highly impressive stint, the Cherries have already secured his permanent transfer for €18.5 million, which will go into effect in the summer. However, the right-back has broken his silence on the deep frustration that triggered his departure from San Siro, admitting he planned on staying before finally giving up on a future at the club. Speaking to GianlucaDiMarzio, the 20-year-old Spanish full-back immediately addressed the underlying issue behind his exit, stating: "I wasn't given the responsibility I thought I deserved, they should have believed in me more."

Despite his initial desire to stay and fight for his place, the defender felt completely undervalued by the Rossoneri hierarchy heading into the new campaign. "I was very happy at Milan: I didn't want to leave. But when the season started, I realised that I wouldn't be a protagonist: there were various situations that I didn't appreciate," he revealed. 

The friction between the young defender and the club’s management reached a breaking point over symbolic gestures of status. Jimenez felt a distinct lack of trust, which ultimately led to a breakdown in his professional discipline. "At the beginning of the season, I asked for the number 2 shirt," he confessed. "I wanted it for the tradition of great full-backs. They said no, they said I wasn't ready, that I was too immature. They were wrong. From there, it's true, I lost concentration and was late a few times."

This internal tension boiled over into a public scandal involving a leaked private message after he remained an unused substitute under Max Allegri. Hitting out at his manager, he said: "I didn't even play… this sh*tty coach." Looking back, Jimenez is repentant. "It was a stupid thing. I don't think Allegri is a 'sh*tty coach' and his history proves it," he clarified. "I hadn't played and I was angry. I had the wrong person to send the message to. From day one I apologised to Allegri: I don't believe what I wrote. And he accepted my apology . But all these situations have taken away my peace of mind and I was also the one who told the club to find solutions: Milan is a club I love and I didn't want to feel bad or negatively influence the team with a bad moment of mine."

Before his abrupt departure, Jimenez experienced a highly turbulent period at the San Siro under various managers, including Paulo Fonseca and Sergio Conceicao. When questioned about that difficult season, which ended with an underwhelming eighth-place finish for the historic club, the defender surprisingly rushed to defend the Portuguese duo against the heavy criticism they faced.

"I don't think it was ever a coaching problem," Jimenez noted, shifting the blame away from the dugout and onto the players. "It was a team problem: we needed to have more confidence in ourselves. Football is like that: one year you do poorly and the next you do well, look at this." 

Having swapped the intense pressure of Milan for the seaside breeze of Bournemouth in a €20 million move, Jimenez is now a man reborn. The Spanish defender has quickly become a pivotal figure in Andoni Iraola’s high-intensity system, thriving with 25 appearances under his belt. "For me, it’s a dream to play in the Premier League," Jimenez stated, praising the calmer environment on the south coast.

As he continues to dazzle for the Cherries, Jimenez refuses to rule out a future return to the club that gave him his professional breakthrough. While maintaining his focus is firmly on English football, the emotional connection remains deep. "I loved Milan and I will never close the doors to a club that gave me everything," he concluded. "If I'm here playing in the Premier League today, it's also thanks to Milan."