Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back, but not in the way you would expect. The legendary soccer star had a long career, spanning more than three decades. During that period, he played for the biggest clubs, scored a crazy amount of goals, and won a lot of trophies.
A couple of years ago, the Swedish striker made a second return to Italian giants AC Milan, helping them win a historic Serie A title. However, he was eventually forced to retire from the sport as he was struggling with injuries and he was also no longer the same player at the age of 41. However, he is now set to make a return to the club again.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic set for AC Milan comeback
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to make a return to his previous club, AC Milan, but this time not as a player. He already retired from the sport last season and doesn’t seem to retract that decision.
This time, he will come as an advisor to the board, helping the owners achieve their targets. He will work with the owners, RedBird Capital Partners. He will advise both the owners and the management of the club, helping the club reach the expectations of the board.
Financial Times quotes Zlatan as saying, “RedBird has partnered with some of the greatest athletes, teams and business figures in the world to create businesses with meaning and impact. I look forward to contributing to their investing activities across their sports, media and entertainment properties.”
RedBird became the new owners in 2021 after they bought 99% of the club for a price of €1.2 billion. Thanks to their funding and management, the Italian team has managed to win the Seria A title in 2022 after a decade and even reached the semi-finals of the UEFA Champions League last season.
Ibrahimovic’s AC Milan stints
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for a lot of clubs, but he has a different connection with AC Milan. It remains the only club where he has played in two different stints. He has won the Scudetto twice for them, once in 2012 and another in 2022.
He first played for the club between 2010 and 2012, first on loan from Barcelona and then on a permanent basis. He would then play for Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, MLS club LA Galaxy, and then finally return to AC Milan again in 2019. He would eventually retire last season, at the age of 41. He has scored 93 goals in 163 appearances for them, which is the second most goals scored and appearances made for a club in his career, both after Paris Saint-Germain.
The appointment of Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes at a crucial point, as they are only third in the league with 29 points. They are also last in the Champions League group stage and need a win against Newcastle United this Wednesday if they are to qualify.
