De Ketelaere: No Milan Regrets, but Growth at Atalanta and Belgium

Charles De Ketelaere asserts that he holds no regrets about his 2022 move to Milan, emphasizing his development as a player since joining Atalanta and with the Belgian national team.

This season, the Belgian international has frequently been deployed as a false nine for his club and is now fulfilling a similar role for his national team, particularly due to Romelu Lukaku's recurring injury issues.

De Ketelaere explained to Nieuwsblad, "This is the role my coach prefers for me, and I feel comfortable in it. I believe I've performed well, especially given our team's abundance of attacking and midfield talent who enjoy playing possession-based football."

"Romelu (Lukaku) is undeniably our primary striker. His importance to the national team is immense, evident in his impressive goal-scoring record. I also have deep respect for him personally," he added.

"While he remains the first choice, I feel I've capitalized on my chances when he's been unavailable. Scoring twice against Liechtenstein shows progress," he concluded.

Improved Performance and Recovery

De Ketelaere confirmed his ahead-of-schedule recovery from a month-long absence due to meniscus damage in his knee.

Although not initially expected to participate in the recent friendly matches, he was fit enough to accept the call-up to the Belgian squad.

This season, he has contributed five goals and five assists for Atalanta, yet he insists that statistics alone do not fully capture his impact.

"Even though my goal tally might be slightly lower than last season, I genuinely feel I'm performing at a much higher level. It may sound contradictory, but I believe I'm contributing more significantly to the team now," he stated.

He noted, "While Gasperini frequently substitutes his forwards around the 60-minute mark, I'm now getting more playing time, and I feel I've developed significantly as a player."

De Ketelaere's initial move to Italy was in 2022, when he joined Milan from Club Brugge for €37.5 million plus bonuses. After a challenging year at Milan, he subsequently moved to Atalanta.

The Belgian player affirmed, "I still don't regret my transfer from Club Brugge to Milan. Perhaps I lacked self-confidence then, but that's a quality I've since developed."

"Atalanta's playing style has been instrumental in my growth," he stated. "I believe my strengths are best utilized in a 3-4-3 or 3-5-2 formation."

He expressed his contentment: "I truly enjoy my time at Atalanta. I'm very happy here and still have a significant period left on my contract. Sometimes, it's important to appreciate what you have."

Atalanta was the sole Italian team to reach the Champions League Round of 16, despite suffering a heavy 10-2 aggregate defeat to Bayern Munich.

"Bayern made us perform poorly," he recounted. "I've played against many top European clubs with Atalanta, including Real Madrid, and always believed we had a chance to score and win."

He continued, "I never had that feeling against Bayern Munich. Their standard was exceptionally high; our attempts to press them actually worked in their favor. 'Total football' accurately describes their play, and in my opinion, they are the favorites to win the Champions League."