For whatever reason, Zlatan Ibrahimovic cannot seem to stay away from AC Milan and he has answered their call in a time of need once again.
This morning’s edition of La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recalls that it was back on June 4th when Ibrahimovic retired from football as a player with tears in his eyes and also the eyes of tens of thousands inside San Siro.
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During a statement yesterday it was confirmed that he is back in the saddle. He has a new challenge ahead of him which is arguably his biggest yet: to make an impact again, but without a ball at his feet, in a moment that is very delicate.
He will have a double role, given RedBird Capital Partners have appointed him as operating partner for their investment portfolio in the sports, media and entertainment sectors while he will be a Senior Advisor to AC Milan’s ownership and senior management.
Ibrahimovic said: My love for the Rossoneri will never end and the opportunity to be part of their future in a significant way is something I could only have dreamed of. I am grateful to Gerry for making this opportunity available to me. It’s not a decision I take lightly.
“I’ve thought long and hard about the first steps of my career outside of playing soccer, and I couldn’t be more excited to begin this journey as a member of RedBird and Milan.”
Cardinale made it clear there is mutual esteem: “I had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Zlatan reflecting on his career options after retirement. Having him with us, in an active role in the future of the club, is indicative of our continued commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch.”
From those chats in a hotel in Milan in September the parties moved on to refining a role, even if the white smoke required a long negotiation, like four seasons ago when he rejoined as a player. On that occasion the marriage was announced after a defeat against Atalanta in December, but that was a 5-0 drubbing where Stefano Pioli seemed to hit rock bottom.
Ibra landed from the USA, took the group on his shoulders and taught them how to win. The 2022 Scudetto was also accrued thanks to his goals and his leadership and while today’s team are not comparable to that team (the one in 2019), they are walking a tightrope.
At Christmas they risk finding themselves out of the Scudetto race and out of Europe. That is why the Rossoneri needed a shock, a ‘boom’, as Zlatan put it, starting from tomorrow’s Champions League do-or-die game in Newcastle. Cardinale will not be at St. James’ Park because he is busy all week in New York, while there are no certainties about Ibra’s presence.
Ibra will be a transversal figure: a bridge between ownership and the team, and an interlocutor for Pioli and for the club’s top management. From president Scaroni to the CEO Giorgio Furlani, acting as a glue between the playing side and the management, helping fill the gaps that needed to be filled.
Zlatan will team up, like other athletes (LeBron James) or world-famous sports brands (the New York Yankees): could this new adventure also become an opportunity for the entrepreneur Ibra? Will Zlatan invest money in RedBird projects? We’ll see, although some form of participation is conceivable.
