With almost everyone else cleaned out, there remains one figure who will guide a lot of the key decisions at AC Milan: Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
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La Gazzetta dello Sport begin a report by stating that Ibrahimovic shouldn’t be considered a Milan director, but a shareholder and partner of RedBird Capital. Gerry Cardinale chose him when the Swede ended his playing career, involving him in the project and offering him shares in the fund.
So, Ibrahimovic isn’t formally a part of management team, but is a senior advisor to the club. With Elliott out of the picture, this is RedBird’s true ‘year zero’. Zlatan is and will be crucial, especially in immediate sporting decisions.
Put simply, Ibra has a say in the choice of the new coach and the coaching staff, and he even discussed the matter last night at dinner with Cardinale. This is also because he’s currently the only RedBird figure with a background in football.
However, that’s not the only reason Cardinale has such complete faith in Zlatan. Gerry particularly appreciates the eagerness to learn of his partner, a former top-flight striker but new to the managerial scene.
Zlatan takes the reins
Ibrahimovic is not a director at Milan. What that means is he isn’t required to directly involve himself in the club’s day-to-day affairs. He did so in the past, such as in 2024-25 when he personally involved himself in the mercato and daily affairs at Milanello, but that was more to fill a void.
This situation, however, shouldn’t happen again. Milan are intent on finding a CEO (keep an eye on Liverpool’s Michael Edwards), a technical director and a sporting director. This means Ibrahimovic will also be able to focus on other related activities, such as his commitment to Fox Sports for the World Cup.
Before leaving for the States, however, Ibrahimovic will help Cardinale and Massimo Calvelli – another important figure – shape the future of Milan. Then, we will see who he leaves the keys to before his 40-day commitments in the USA, with a number of sporting director candidates.