Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 41, announced his retirement from football this Sunday after the last game of the Milan in the Italian Championship, at the San Siro, which ended with the home team’s 3-2 victory over Hellas Verona.
“It’s time to say goodbye to football, not just to you. It’s very difficult, I feel a lot of emotions inside me. Forza Milan and goodbye”, said the player.
On Saturday, Milan had already announced that it would hold a ceremony to “thank Zlatan” and the “wonderful moments” that the striker lived with the club. The Milan team helped him reposition himself at the top of Italian football with the Serie A title in 2022.
Due to his repeated injuries, the Swede practically did not play this season. He returned to the field in February after undergoing surgery on his left knee in May 2022. Ibrahimovic has started just one game since then: in March, in Milan’s 3-1 victory over Udinese.
At the time, he became the oldest player in history to score a goal in Serie A and still had hopes of playing for Sweden’s Euro 2024 national team. However, a month later, he suffered a thigh injury and ended the season on the bench, where he watched the last game of his career this Sunday.
“We can only thank him for everything he has done for us. It is sad that a champion like him never plays football again”, said coach Stefano Pioli in an interview with Milan TV.
In his first Milan adventure, Ibrahimovic was also Italian champion in 2011.
With passages through major European clubs throughout his career, such as Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, the Swede has a vast collection of titles: twice Dutch champion, five times Italian champion (three with Inter and two with Milan), a Spanish Championship and four times French champion.
Between his spell at Manchester United and his return to Milan, Ibra played for Los Angeles Galaxy in the United States from March 2018 to November 2019.
You bow to no one, King 👑🥹@Ibra_official #AlwaysMilan pic.twitter.com/R90EnbEoTp
— AC Milan (@acmilan) June 4, 2023
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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