Zlatan and Milan, it’s (still) over. The 41-year-old Swedish striker will leave the Lombard club at the end of the season, and of his contract. Those are the Rossoneri who announced it in a press release, on the eve of the final Serie A match of the 2022-23 financial year at San Siro against Hellas Verona (9 p.m.).
“Tomorrow (Sunday) evening, after the last match of the season, AC Milan will say goodbye to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after a brief ceremony,” the Rossoneri wrote in a statement, adding that the club “wishes to thank Zlatan for the wonderful years we spent together”. In all in his career, the Swede will have spent five seasons with the Rouge et Noir: two between 2010 and 2012, before joining PSG, and three between 2020 and 2023, to mark his return to Europe after two seasons in MLS, at LA Galaxy.
His name mentioned in Monza
A start that is anything but surprising when you take a look at the results of the “Z” season. Unavailable for many months following a major knee operation at the end of last season, then undermined by various injuries (ischio, calf …), the former Parisian has only played … 4 games this season , for a purpose. He will not have, in particular, experienced anything from the very good course of his people in the Champions League, which stopped in the semi-final against Inter in an electric double-confrontation.
Who will therefore have the pleasure of welcoming Zlatan from now on? On Friday, he had just mentioned his future in The Sports Gazette. “I only care about getting back on the pitch, otherwise the joy wanes. I still want it but you need balance. “His name was notably mentioned on the side of Monza, the club owned and managed by former Milanese Silvio Berlusconi and Adriano Galliani.
“Galliani has called me every day for three years and he always tells me that Monza is beautiful, that there is beautiful nature and that the contract is already on the table (laughs). But we are not there: I am a Milan player and I am proud of it. At a certain age, there is no more ego, you don’t have to show it. I’m here to help Milan, not like now. I want to be on the pitch, there I can help a lot more. Now that he’s no longer a Milan player, no doubt other teams would be happy to get his help.
