Former AC Milan striker Alexandre Pato says he would end his retirement and return to the club for six months if they asked him to play.
Pato, who retired in 2023, made the comments at the Gazzetta dello Sport festival in Trento while reflecting on his six years at Milan, his relationship with Carlo Ancelotti and the injuries that affected his career.
The Brazilian joined Milan in 2007, aged 18, after turning down other offers.
“I just wanted to go to Milan,” he said. “They had just won the Champions League, and there were many Brazilian players on the team, including Ronaldo. It was also the team I used when playing PlayStation I would choose Milan and win all the league titles.”
Pato said Cafu’s family helped him settle in Italy, while Kaka and Ronaldo were also at the club.
Ancelotti, Milan’s manager at the time, made a lasting impression by introducing the teenager to the squad.
“He was always very close to me, and we still keep in touch,” Pato said. “One of the best things that happened in my life was him taking my hand and introducing me to all the players. The players were sitting, but they all stood up and shook my hand. This shows how much everyone respected Ancelotti. He will always be in my heart.”
Pato said he had seen Ancelotti at the World Cup this summer and hoped he could lead Brazil to “great results in the next four years”.
He remains optimistic about Milan’s prospects and said he had spoken to Cardinale about the club.
“The fans expect the team to win immediately, but things are not that simple,” Pato said. “I believe Cardinale will find a way to make Milan champions again.”
Asked whether he would return, he replied: “If Milan called me to come back and play for six months, I would do it.”
Pato also recalled the influence of several senior players. Cafu taught him how to look after his body, while Paolo Maldini and David Beckham were role models. He said Beckham’s life after football also inspired him, and joked that he once bought the same perfume after visiting the former England captain’s dressing-room locker.
He remembered a less gentle lesson from Gennaro Gattuso after jokingly touching the midfielder’s hair. Gattuso later grabbed Pato by the hair, lifted him up and told him: “You need to learn to show respect.”
Pato said his determination had been shaped by serious childhood difficulties. He had a bone tumour, but his family could not afford the required operation. His father showed a doctor, Roberto Musi, videos of Pato playing football and explained the situation. Musi performed the surgery free of charge, with Pato facing the possibility of losing his arm if it was not carried out within a month.
At the age of 16, after signing his first professional contract, Pato bought his parents an apartment fulfilling a promise he had made after seeing one with them as a child.
“My parents sacrificed a lot for me,” he said. “They gave me the strength to become the person I am today. I will do everything I can to repay them because they gave me everything.”
He also described leaving home as a child and being made by older players to wash their shoes and underwear and fetch food. “I cried,” he said, adding that living and playing in different countries eventually made him stronger.
Injuries remained one of the biggest challenges of his career. Pato said some people told him he would never play again, causing him to doubt himself, and stressed the importance of speaking openly about difficult emotions.
Away from football, Pato has developed an interest in tennis. After discussing his technique with Sinner, he was told: “You can’t play at all.” Pato nevertheless hopes to become a professional and compete around the world.
He also recalled using a racket signed by Federer in a match, only to discover afterwards that the signature had worn away. “I hope to see him again someday and have him sign it again,” he said.
