Attacking icon Zlatan Ibrahimovic says goodbye to football

MILAN – Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the curtain down on a long, trophy-laden career on Sunday, when the 41-year-old unexpectedly announced his retirement from football.

The veteran striker revealed his decision to quit the game during an on-pitch ceremony following AC Milan’s 3-1 win over Hellas Verona which ended their Serie A campaign in fifth place.

“It’s the moment to say goodbye to football, not just to you,” said Ibrahimovic on the San Siro pitch.

“There are too many emotions for me right now. Forza Milan and goodbye.”

Sweden’s all-time top scorer with 62 goals in 122 matches had been expected to simply bid farewell to Milan fans, after his departure from the seven-time European champions was announced on Saturday. He returned to Milan in late 2019 for a second spell after a previous two-year period in which he won the Serie A title in 2011.

“The first time I came here you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love,” said Ibrahimovic.

“You welcomed me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for the rest of my life.”

He was a key figure in Milan’s resurgence to the top of Italian football after his return to the club, helping to bring them back from the doldrums and eventually win the Scudetto in the 2021-22 season.

“I used to be scared when journalists asked about my future, but now I can accept it, I’m ready,” Ibrahimovic told reporters after his announcement.

“I’ve been doing this all my life, football made me a man. It allowed me to know people I otherwise would never have known, I’ve travelled the world thanks to football. It’s all thanks to football.

“I thank the journalists for your patience, now you’ll have less work to do without me... From tomorrow, I am a free man from this world of football.

“It was a long career, really long, thank you to everyone who gave me the strength, the adrenaline and the emotion to continue.”

He deflected questions regarding his plans for retirement, opting not to divulge any details.

“For the moment, I just want to take some time and enjoy what I’ve done. It’s not right to make decisions in a hurry, there’s too much emotion right now. I want to take the summer off, reflect and then we’ll see.”

When asked about who could replace Ibrahimovic, his answer was true to his nature.

“Impossible, there is only one Zlatan! As a child, they compared me to (Dutch legend) Marco van Basten, but he is who he is and I am who I am.

“There might be similarities, but I don’t think comparisons are right. I doubt we’d find another Zlatan with my ego...”

Over the course of his career, Ibrahimovic won 34 trophies including 14 league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France, although his only major European trophy was the 2017 Europa League with English Premier League side Manchester United.

Making his announcement at the San Siro was appropriate as he also won three straight league titles with Inter Milan between 2006 and 2009 before a turbulent spell at Barcelona.

His retirement comes after a season in which he has hardly featured for Stefano Pioli’s side after being plagued with injuries, returning in February following surgery on his left knee in May.

In July, he signed a deal which netted him around €1 million (S$1.45 million) in fixed salary, with large bonuses linked to appearances and achievements.

But after agreeing that deal, he started only one match and netted once for Milan, a 3-1 win at Udinese in March in which he became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history.

He then picked up a calf injury in a pre-match warm up in April and ended his career sidelined, scotching rumours that he was set to move to Monza and targeting Euro 2024 with Sweden.

AFP, REUTERS