RedBird Capital Partners have officially announced the appointment of Zlatan Ibrahimović as an Operating Partner across its Sports and Media & Entertainment investment portfolio.
In a statement published through GlobeNewsWire, RedBird confirm that Ibrahimovic is back for a third spell at the club – even if he is their employee officially – and also that he will also serve as a Senior Advisor to AC Milan Ownership and Senior Management.
Zlatan is one of the most iconic football players to have ever played the game having won 34 trophies across his spells with Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and the Los Angeles Galaxy, with over 500 club goals to his name.
It was back on June 4 of this year that the 41-year-old announced his retirement from football following Milan’s final game of the Serie A season, and there had been speculation about what would be next.
The answer is a return to Milan as an Operating Partner at RedBird. As per the statement, Ibra will ‘collaborate with RedBird’s global investment team in supporting the firm’s existing investment portfolio across sports, media and entertainment’.
He will also ‘help source and evaluate new investment opportunities for the firm, and will advise RedBird portfolio companies on commercial projects, digital content strategies and strategic brand building initiatives to extend their presence on a global basis’.
At AC Milan, Ibra will serve as a Senior Advisor to Ownership, which is led by RedBird and includes the New York Yankees.
Gerry Cardinale commented on the return: “We have all been fortunate to witness Zlatan’s greatness as a player and his contributions in leading AC Milan to the top of Serie A. What makes a winner of Zlatan’s caliber is not just physical talent, but also high intellect and an entrepreneurial spirit.
“At RedBird, we have developed partnerships with a very select group of high-performing world class athletes and artists who are able to thrive in the RedBird ecosystem across our sports, media and entertainment portfolio.
“I have had the opportunity to spend a lot of time with Zlatan in thinking through his post-playing career options. To have him play an active role in the future of the Club is indicative of our continued commitment to excellence both on and off the pitch, and I’m looking forward to working with him as a partner and colleague at both RedBird and AC Milan.
“The respect Zlatan commanded as a player, his global presence among fans of the sport, and his diverse skillset as an entrepreneur is a powerful combination for both AC Milan and RedBird.
“I’m thrilled for our fans, our players and coaching staff, and the rest of the Rossoneri community that we can formally welcome him back to the team once again.”
Paolo Scaroni, president of Milan: “Ibra embodies the meaning of a champion. During his time with the Club, we all saw his work ethic, determination and relentless pursuit of success.
“Having him as an Advisor for both Ownership and Senior Management is a win by all measures as we continue our relentless pursuit to return AC Milan to the top of European Football.”
AC Milan CEO Giorgio Furlani: “Bringing a leader like Ibra as an Advisor to AC Milan’s leadership team underscores our commitment to the future success of our Club for the benefit of our players and our fans. We’re fortunate to have access to Ibra’s creativity and expansive network of relationships across European Football to continue elevating the Club on a global stage.”
Discussing his new roles, Ibrahimovic added: “I am extremely grateful to be joining both RedBird and AC Milan in these important and influential roles. RedBird has partnered with some of the greatest athletes, teams and business figures in the world to create businesses with meaning and impact.
“I look forward to contributing to their investing activities across their sports, media and entertainment properties. My love for the Rossoneri will never die, and the opportunity to be a part of its future in a meaningful way is something I could only have dreamed of.
“I am grateful to Gerry for making this opportunity available to me. I have greatly admired the commitment, passion and hard work RedBird and Senior Management have demonstrated since acquiring the Club.
“This is not a decision that I take lightly – it is one which is very important and personal to me and my family. I’ve thought long and hard about the first steps in my post-playing career, and I couldn’t be more thrilled to start that journey as a member of RedBird and AC Milan.
“For me and my family, this is truly a homecoming with the cherished Club where I ended my playing career and am now starting my next chapter.”
Hope he brought his boots with him
It appears more likely that he’ll wear suit and tie. Looks like Furlani will enjoy Zlatan’s “expansive network of relationships across European Football”. Does it imply that we’re going to sign players from Raiola only? Dollarumma back in 3, 2, 1…
How many times that Zlatan have to save us?
Well at least this clarifies the role somewhat. He won’t be there as an AC Milan director but more up the chain….a more general portfolio under BrokeBird. On the one hand, seems like a an odd decision to put Ibra in a role where he lacks past experience (footballing, to be clear) but I figure they’ll be grooming him into the role rather than just throw him in the deep end. It also seems a mutually beneficial arrangement as BrokeBird gets the following and increased brand awareness from Ibra while Ibra gets something meaningful to do and gains from BrokeBird’s networks. Win-win for both I’d say.
But don’t bet on seeing him near the team anytime soon (which to me is good as it would complicate things even more and undermines Pioli’s work). Curious to see what “advice” he give though lol.
Meh, seems like an empty role 2 me. Like Baresi and his vice presidency.
Media & Entertainment. They better start doing them documentaries that nutflix has been making. I need Milan history in mini series. Just watching Beckham, its great
“I am grateful to Gerry for making this opportunity available to me. I have greatly admired the commitment, passion, and hard work RedBird and Senior Management have demonstrated since acquiring the Club. ” – Zlatan Ibrahimovic
🤣.
Publicy stand. All love and respect to a great player, but what possible impact can he have if he’s not in the dugouts with the boys? It’s just a PR gimmick to make it look like some leadership is inserted into the team that currently seems completely spineless.
My feelings exactly. It’s sad that we have turned to this one player (now retired) for a third time to bring some kind of spirit or mentality to the club. I have nothing against Ibra. It’s more of a comment on the club not having the right personalities, not having the leadership it needs. There are no real champions in the squad.
This also brings us to the fact that we almost have no Italians on the team. It’s a related issue. All of our past successful squads had a core group of players who were both champions and Italian, with a couple of them being club grown. For example, Ancelotti’s sides had Abbiati, Maldini and Ambrosini as clubgrown Italians, while also having Nesta, Pirlo, Gattuso and Inzaghi. All top players and all starters too (maybe not always Abbiati and Ambro). Currently there is only Calabria and Pobega as the current club-grown players (plus Gabbia and Colombo if they come back) and then Sportiello, only one of them starts and none of them are top players. Italians have a special understanding of the football culture of the league, tactics and style of play in Serie A, and the stature and significance of the clubs they play for. An Italian is going to more understand the importance of representing the Italian club they play for. This is all reflected on the pitch. It is no coincidence that Inter and especially Juventus seem to have an extra grinta that we don’t have. I think our identity has become a bit lost, and we need to rediscover it somehow.
I think Maignan and Giroud are real champions and I would add Kjær as well even though he doesn’t play much any longer.
Fully agree with the last part of your comment.
Martin, in retrospect I think it would be fair to label Maignan and Giroud as “champions”, although it’s clear the latter is fading.
Fair enough
Zero impact on the team or on the football project itself…
media and entertainment, bla bla bla. I wish him best of luck in his new career, though.