Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be present at today’s game against Empoli at the Stadio Carlo Castellani as he looks to give the team an added motivation ahead of a crucial fixture.
La Gazzetta dello Sport (seen below) recall that Ibrahimovic’s firsts at Milan have rarely been straightforward. There was the 2-0 defeat at Cesena on his debut in September 2010, then a 0-0 against Sampdoria in the first game of his second spell.
Now that Ibrahimovic’s third life with the Rossoneri has begun in a similar way – a 2-2 draw against Salernitana which Zlatan witnessed in the stands next to the CEO Giorgio Furlani – all that remains is the usual response.
Of course, the difficulty level has gone up several notches. On Thursday, having just landed in Malpensa from Miami where he spent the Christmas holidays, Ibrahimovic rushed to Milanello and followed training.
Yesterday he travelled with the team, after having witnessed the final session together with technical director Geoffrey Moncada and the sporting director Antonio D’Ottavio.
His presence is felt, the fans get excited, but the question is legitimate: without a ball at his feet anymore, caged between the seats of a grandstand, how will Zlatan be able to help the his Milan to turn again?
He can do it, because someone like him still has a lot to give to this group, even without playing. If today’s players take inspiration from him they will find themselves hungrier, more concrete, more solid and will be able to give continuity to the wins against Sassuolo and Cagliari.
Four years ago, when Zlatan had just landed at Milanello, Milan were not in a good place and Pioli brought him aboard to try and help the team psychologically above all. It has been three months since Milan won in the league away from home (7 October against Genoa), which must change.
The disappointing performance away from home is one of the weak points, as Pioli admitted in his press conference: “When success was within reach we made mistakes that paid dearly for.” Ibra would never have allowed letting the guard down.
Against the teams in the bottom half of the table, Milan dropped points along the way, from the defeat against Udinese to the draws with Lecce and Salernitana. In matches like this, Ibra was a leader, he scored and led the way: failing to make an approach with him on the pitch was practically impossible.
The game against Empoli will need attention for 90 minutes, plus experience in managing moments of the match. Goals from Giroud will be needed, the man who almost always scores away from San Siro this season.
Zlatan, in Pioli’s Milan, was an undisputed leader. Skills like this cannot be taught, but those who have observed him closely in recent years have learned something and it’s time to put it into practice. Two names above all: Leao and Hernandez, who grew up alongside him.
Away from Ibra they lost themselves but their 2024 opened with the right pace: Rafa got a goal again against Cagliari, like on that afternoon four years ago, when the Swede also netted against the Sardinians.
Theo has moved from full-back to centre-back and ‘with this move he will be able to extend his career’ according to Pioli.
