Zlatan Ibrahimovic has revealed more about how he left AC Milan in 2012, insisting that his intention was always to stay with the club.
The Rossoneri continue to be linked with a move to bring the striker back to the club in the January transfer window, with his decision set to arrive in the coming days.
The latest report from La Gazzetta dello Sport suggested that there are positive feelings from the Milan leadership regarding his return, with an offer of a six-month deal on the table that could become 18 months.
The Swede’s first spell at the club began in 2010 when he fired the Rossoneri to their 18th league title before joining permanently, however in 2012 he left for PSG.
Both Silva and Ibrahimovic departed for the French capital for a combined €65m (as per Wikipedia), while the likes of Clarence Seedorf, Antonio Cassano and Alexandre Pato all also left that summer.
Ibrahimovic did an interview with magazine GQ about his departure, and his words were transcribed by MilanNews.it.
“The old Milan management was great. For me, Galliani was very good, a fantastic director. He did everything for the team, but he also had discipline,” he said,
“When he didn’t like something he said it in the face of everyone and when everything went well he gave credit.
“After two years I told him: ‘Galliani, I don’t want to leave, I’m fine at Milan’. Until, I was at the sea, I saw five missed calls in a row in 30 seconds, and I understood that something is wrong. I called Raiola & he told me that they were sending me to PSG.
“Living and playing in Italy made me what I am today. I was a striker even before, but not so good. Capello he taught me a lot. He used to say to me: ‘You work to make goals. And you have to help the team make goals. The other things don’t count, I just need you to show signs.’
“And he pushed me. Every day, after training, he put me in front of the goal with 5 or 6 defenders and for an hour we went ahead with crosses and headers, and then I became what I am, and from Juventus I went to Inter where I had a great responsibility, because they wanted to win and they needed my help. I played with great team-mates who helped me do it. The team was very strong.”
Ibrahimovic also lifted the lid on his feud with Marco Materazzi during his time at Juventus and after he joined Milan.
“When I was at Juventus and I was playing against Inter, Materazzi makes a murderous tackle and hurt me. As a footballer he was malicious,” he said.
“In the first derby after joining Milan, the Inter fans were all against me. Okay, this charged me, but if you don’t have control it’s not good, because you could lose your head and do something stupid.
“I won a penalty, who made the foul? Materazzi. 1-0 for Milan. In the 2nd half, Matrix provoked me & I made the taekwondo move. I sent him to hospital. Stankovic asked me ‘Why you did that, Ibra?’ I told him ‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for four years, that’s why.'”
