Juventus target Hancko did what Milan’s Gimenez ‘doesn’t like’ | OneFootball

Feyenoord’s David Hancko wasn’t distracted by weeks of endless speculation about his future, as he delivered a focused performance in the first leg of the play-off round against Milan, also nullifying his former teammate Santiago Gimenez.

The Mexico international swapped the Rotterdam outfit with the Rossoneri in the closing days of the winter transfer market, but the Slovakian centre-back revealed he did exactly what the striker ‘doesn’t like’ in order to limit his level of threat.

epa11891748 Antoni Milambo of Feyenoord (L) guards Santiago Gimenez of AC Milan (C-R) during the UEFA Champions League playoff first leg soccer match between Feyenoord and AC Milan, in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 12 February 2025. EPA-EFE/OLAF KRAAK

Hancko’s strategy clearly paid off, as the Rossoneri new signing mustered barely 0.03 expected goals during his 83 minutes on the pitch, winning one out of eight attempted ground duels and being dispossessed nine times, with as few as 24 touches overall.

Hancko: I marked Gimenez closely because he doesn’t like it

“We played a fantastic match. We prepared well, were good in attack and defence,” Hancko told UEFA after the match, as quoted by TMW.

“We pressed well and did what we had prepared. The fans were fantastic too. Now we need consistency, we’ll need to do the same next week.

David Hancko of Feyenoord celebrates scoring his team’s third goal during the UEFA Champions League 2024/25 League Phase MD5 match between Manchester City and Feyenoord at City of Manchester Stadium on November 26, 2024 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

“I marked him [Gimenez] closely because I know he doesn’t like it. I worked well with the other center-back, and we managed to block everything.”

Hancko has been heavily linked with a move to Juventus in January, but Feyenoord were reluctant to let him go, while keeping a door open for a potential departure next summer.