The French international Theo Hernandez, who joined the Saudi club Al-Hilal, took a swing to the leadership of AC Milan while he said goodbye to the club and his fans on social media.
Milan finished eighth in the Serie A last season in the midst of noisy protests from supporters against the American owners of the club, Redbird.
In a farewell post on Instagram, Hernandez, a left back that can play in midfield, repeated that criticism.
“Milan has always been my priority,” he wrote. “But unfortunately not everything depends on one person.
“The direction that the club has set and some recent decisions do not reflect the values ​​or ambition that brought me here.”
Hernandez, 27, came to Milan from Real Madrid in 2019. He made 262 performances for the club and scored 34 goals.
“I leave after experiencing unforgettable moments, such as winning series A and the Italian Super Cup, and especially after sharing the dressing room with extraordinary people,” he wrote.
The club went through three coaches last season and has just appointed a fourth Massimiliano Allegri.
Hernandez thanked “every coach who believed in me” and bought out Paolo Maldini, the technical director of the club until June 2023, “for his proximity, vision and leadership”.
He also thanked the fans.
“The feeling that your support was a privilege that I will never forget and wear in my heart forever,” he said.
“I leave my head high,” he wrote.
“I leave with a full heart, and in the hope that Milan will soon return to the place it deserves. Milan will always be a part of me.”