Zlatan Ibrahimovic said an emotional goodbye in front of the over 70,000 fans present at San Siro after tonight’s game against Hellas Verona.
After the full-time whistle there was a ceremony in which the fans and his team-mates could show appreciation for the remarkable career that Ibrahimovic has had not just at Milan but as a player in general, because he also announced his retirement.
He walked out to a guard of honour and was presented with a shirt by the management, before grabbing the microphone and saying a few words after some tears were shed.
“I can’t breathe but it’s fine. So many memories and so many emotions here. The first time I arrived at Milan you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love,” he said.
“I want to thank the family and all those who support me I want to thank my second family: the players. I want to thank the coach and staff for their responsibility. I want to thank the directors for the opportunity given. Last, but not least, I want to thank the fans.
“You received me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for life. The time has come to say goodbye to football, not to you. See you around if you’re lucky, forza Milan and goodbye.”
Yes. One of many Ac legends !!!
Ibrakadabra
What a great player, always gave his heart, soul and body for the club. True legend for us and for football in general
What a sad day. We won the last Scudetto, we became a team again, it’s thank to him. And props for the current Milan management, this is the good bye he truly deserves. Milan is always beyond a football club. Milan is family. And maybe that’s why I’ve been supporting this club for 26 years now. And will wholeheartedly continue to do so.
Real and touchy words you said, I totally agree with you in every word
You are a true milanista bro. Cool words, Milan is an institution and a family for us. God bless AC Milan, and may the future of our legendary Zlatan Ibrahimovic be bright.
FORZA IBRA ♥️🖤♥️
FORZA MILAN 💪💪💪
Thank you Zlatan. Hope we see you again at the club in some capacity.
Forza Milan
What a footballer, what a mentality, what a character.
Not many like him around, ever.
He was a total package as a player. Physical, technical, mental, left foot, right foot, header, inside the box outside tye box, can score and create. If you were building a footballer in a lab it would have been Zlatan.
I never thought I’d ever see Zlatan get emotional even shed a tear.
Nothing but gratitude for what he did in both stints at Milan especially the 2nd one. I believe that his winning mentality spread through the rest of the squad and was one of the main reasons Milan won the title last season. We didn’t have the best squad but we were mentally tougher than inter who crumbled without Conte.
Watched him since he was at Ajax and almost knocked Milan out of the UCL in ’03. Then watched him torture us at Juve and especially at Inter. Inter Zlatan was the prime Zlatan, unfortunately.
Great career but looking back at it and his connection with Milan there is a lot of WHAT IFs.
What if he and Raiola waited for 24 more hours in ’06. His transfer from Juventus to Milan was basically agreed but Galliani asked him to wait for Milan to officially qualify for the UCL, and on the eve of the 2nd leg vs Red Star Belgrade Moratti struck a deal with Raiola and stole Zlatan from under Milan nose.
Imagine prime Zlatan with prime Kaka and still in their prime Pirlo, Seedorf, Gattuso, Nesta, Pippo etc.
What if Berlusconi never got in financial problems and had to sell him and T. Silva in 2012.
What if he came back from PSG instead of signing for ManUtd as a free agent.
What if he never went to MLS and came to Milan after leaving manutd.
We would have had close to 30 scudetto’s, inter would have still been stuck on 13,+ the one they received as a gift, and Juventus would have never had a dynasty.
Oh well.
Salute to one of the best to ever do it and definitely a Milan legend. Hopefully he is still part of the club in some kind of role.
You said it all man. He was the reason I became a Milanista. Everyone thought when he left for the MLS he will never return but man what a return he had. H e revived a dying Milan back to where it belonged. His chapter as a player has ended but maybe he will be our Manager in the future as his son is still playing for our academy.
You’ll only got 1 chance in your life to see Ibra shed a tear like that. And that what Milan means for him. He never wanted to go back to his former clubs, but he did that only for Milan.
Indeed. Our lives would have been sooooo much easier during the last 10 years if Galliani hadn’t sold him. Juve would have never won the 8 scudettos and we’d had a handful more. Too bad Galliani didn’t understand his true value.
@bb i dont think its Galliani fault especially when Milan had a a financial problem back then even the man himself said it that if we somehow won the scudetto back then then they didnt have to sell Ibra and T.Silva, Muntari dissalowed goal still haunt most of us till now.
“@bb i dont think its Galliani fault especially when Milan had a a financial problem back then”
Galliani was the only one in charge! He had f’cked up the financials all by himself.
“What if Berlusconi never got in financial problems and had to sell him and T. Silva in 2012.” -This is an important statement. People will criticize the current ownership mercilessly for only spending 50m per year and having a wage cap. The point of that is fiscal responsibility so that we are never again forced to sell our stars, or at least sell them under our terms since it’s impossible to compete with the PL regardless.
Too many “what ifs”, but I do wonder if we had to sell both Ibra and Silva. I wonder if they could have managed selling Silva only, that Ibra might have played for us this entire time and helped us not be as bad as 11th and 10th place finished. We might have managed to continue qualifying for Europe at least while we sorted ownership out. The banter era might have been less banterish. Either way, onwards and upwards. Per aspera ad astra.
Grazie Zlatan 🔴⚫
I’m pretty sure the farewell from the curva made him change his mind as its better to retires now with class as a MIlan player than at another club, Grande and Grazie Ibra!!
Sad he had to retire because milan dident offer a new contract… very poor from milan i think… so they made him retire basically
Ibracadabra – a true Milanisti and legend. Hope to see you lead us to victory again some day – this time from the bench.
I can’t believe that he retired, it was so unexpected, I’m still in tears after the ceremony, it was so emotional and up to the standards of a player of his importance.
For me one of the best player that I saw playing this sport.
Respect forever ZI
ibraaaa, thank you!!
Zlatan and #11.
20#11 lifted the scudetto #11 years later in 2022 lifted scudetto for second times
Last time I saw so much tears in San Siro was Milan vs Novara in 2012, where most legends were retired.
#11 years later in 2023, San Siro drown in tears again after Zlatan announced retirement.
I have no word for you man. You are just our legend, and you’ve done the most impossible task for this club.
Ibracadabra. Legend. Warrior. Character. Love.
Grazie, GODBYE.
shush
Deserves all of our love and respect. A real Red & Black legend.
Legend
Thank you King Zlatan 😢
Thank you Zlatan, a true legend!
Forza Zlatan! Forza Milan!
Once a Rossoneri, always a Rossoneri! Grande Ibra..❤️🖤
Ibrahimovic
Might not be our best 11 of all time
but he will be remembered as the one that brings Milan back to glory
now its up to the boys to show how much they grow up.
damn it no more Ibrahimovic jersey next year im sad
Will one be justified to say Milan’s renaissance on the pitch was complete only when Zlatan came ? That the scudetto was 80% down to him.?
Onion ninjas everywhere.
Sad i thought he would play 1 more season forsure… he was just getting back maybe to 100% and then milan dont offer a new deal so he has to retire basically very bad from milan i feel to not offer anything low salary
What a legend. Everywhere he went he made the team so much better and competed for titles regardless of the quality. Can’t say the same for Messi and CR7 (less so). Happy retirement Ibra, my personal goat