Bennacer credits vocal Ibrahimovic with inspiring AC Milan's young guns

ROME: Zlatan Ibrahimovic rarely hesitates to harangue his young AC Milan teammates but "it's better than if he said nothing", says Algeria midfielder Ismael Bennacer.

France-born Bennacer joined Milan from Empoli in 2019 and has, over the past two seasons, become one of the key members of the team who are currently leading Serie A.

"Even if sometimes we see that he's screaming on the pitch, it's better than if he didn't say anything, otherwise it would mean that he doesn't care," the 23-year-old told AFP.

"He brings us a lot. With all the experience he has acquired, he tries to take us to the highest level with him, he always seeks perfection. He gives us a lot of advice."

The 39-year-old Swedish star has been a talismanic figure since returning to Milan in January 2020, reviving the fallen European giants.

Ibrahimovic has become a standard bearer among a new generation of young talent, with the average age of the seven-time European champions one of the lowest in Serie A.

Playing alongside Bennacer is 24-year-old Ivory Coast midfielder Franck Kessie, France's Theo Hernandez, 23, Portuguese Rafael Leao and Belgian Alexis Saelemaekers, both 21.

Despite his experience, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma is also only 21.

Milan were top of the league at the halfway point in January for the first time since 2011, the year they went on to win their 18th and last Scudetto.

The catalyst for the revival was possibly their humiliating 5-0 defeat by Atalanta at the end of 2019.

"After this defeat, there was a lot of soul searching," said Bennacer, who was born in Arles, in the south of France, to an Algerian mother and a Moroccan father.

Current Milan coach Stefano Pioli arrived a few weeks before the Atalanta humiliation.

"(Pioli) knows how to manage the group, he's close to us, he always asks us if we are tired, if we are well and so on.

"(He brought) that team spirit that maybe we didn't have enough of before, how to wear this jersey."