Ismaël Bennacer, a talented Algerian midfielder hindered by injuries over the past two seasons, is beginning a new chapter in his career with a loan to Dinamo Zagreb. After a difficult period at AC Milan and a mixed stint at Olympique de Marseille, the 27-year-old player is counting on an unprecedented physical support program to regain his top form ahead of CAN 2025, where he remains an important leader for the Algerian national team.
For this revival gamble, Bennacer has enlisted Jean-Baptiste Duault, a renowned physical trainer who transformed Ousmane Dembélé, the recent Ballon d’Or winner. Duault, who previously worked with the elite of French athletics before joining PSG’s staff, helped Dembélé transform his physical condition by durably addressing his muscular weaknesses through specific and intensive work on endurance and body stabilizers. This collaboration significantly contributed to the longevity and high-level performance of the French player.
Ismaël Bennacer hopes to follow a similar path of physical and sporting regeneration thanks to this expertise. Vladimir Petkovic, Algeria’s coach, highlights Bennacer’s importance to the squad while acknowledging his current physical challenges: « He has prepared himself without adequate preparation, but we hope he will regain his level because he remains essential to our team. » His move to Dinamo Zagreb symbolically marks this new start, where optimal physical preparation is at the core of the project.
At 27, Bennacer still possesses significant untapped potential despite repeated injuries. Relying on Jean-Baptiste Duault’s innovative and rigorous approach, he aims not only to establish himself permanently at the Croatian club but above all to return as a major figure for Algeria at the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations. This alliance between an experienced player seeking redemption and an expert physical trainer strongly illustrates how modern athletic preparation can turn around a professional career.