It took some convincing, but Zlatan Ibrahimovic completed his return to AC Milan in January after eight years away. It’s one of the best mercato decisions that the Rossoneri have made in quite some time, considering his impact.
Since the start of the year, Stefano Pioli’s men have only lost one game. Although a formation change is also behind the recent success, it’s undeniable that Ibrahimovic has been a key figure in materializing the turnaround.
In a long interview with Gazzetta Dello Sport (via MilanNews.it), the Rossoneri’s Chief Football Officer, Zvone Boban, spoke about the negotiations to land the 38-year-old. As you would expect when Ibrahimovic is involved, the director had a funny anecdote to tell.
“Paolo [Maldini] called him first and then I took it from there, also because of the language and the Balkan character we have.
“It was fun when he called me around 10 pm on Christmas eve saying ‘Boban, congratulations to AC Milan, you got Ibrahimovic. Merry Christmas and see you soon’,” he stated.
It remains to be seen if the striker will renew his contract for one more year, though we can be sure that Milan will try to lock him down at all cost. The ball is in the player’s court, in other words.
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