In June 2023, Zlatan Ibrahimovic ended his career, and the event was a real moment for emotions. 70,000 Milan fans sang songs at the match against Verona (which in this context is not so important).
There was a red carpet, declarations of love, and tears. Holidays, retirement, new projects outside of football? No, Zlatan quickly returned to AC Milan and now plays a much more significant role in the team than many can imagine.
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What position does Ibrahimovic occupy at Milan?
Ibrahimovic left intrigue. He will definitely stay in football, but he did not specify exactly what role he will fulfil: coach, functionary, or something else. Clarity came only six months after the end of his career. At the end of 2023, AC Milan invited the Swede to join their management team.
Officially, Zlatan holds the position of operating partner of RedBird in the field of sports, media, and entertainment, as well as a senior adviser to the owners and management of Milan. Ibrahimovic himself did not go into details of his new role, only labelling himself as a management man.
Milan have specified that he will be involved in player development and game preparation, as well as popularising the club’s international brand. However, this information seemed rather vague. Back in 2020, after returning from the US, Zlatan raised the need to rebuild both club and team.
In February, Cardinale confirmed Zlatan’s role at the club. Ibrahimovic will act as a link between him and the team. Marco Pasotto of La Gazzetta dello Sport noted that Milan has chosen Zlatan to be the spokesperson to speak to the media on topical issues.
This is noticeable as his comments cover various organisational and personnel issues. Moreover, Ibrahimovic has been influential in the club’s transfer policy last season and this summer, and some of his suggestions have already been realised.
Significant personnel changes
Clouds gathered over Stefano Pioli in the spring. He was formally sacked in May, but talk of a change of coach at Milan started back in March. Zlatan took it upon himself to find a new specialist.
As a replacement coach was necessary, Ibrahimovic, as responsible for the sporting direction, began selecting candidates. The main option was Paulo Fonseca, the choice of Zlatan and his allies from the management, even if some stories have suggested otherwise.
It can be said that AC Milan managed to beat Marseille in the fight for Fonseca, who had been on the French side’s radar before De Zerbi’s appointment.
It was Ibrahimovic who introduced the new coach. Fonseca was chosen on several criteria:
- The ability to work with the 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 tactical schemes. These schemes are suitable for AC Milan.
- Experience in Italian football. Fonseca spent two years at Roma.
- Willingness to compete in both the league and the Champions League. There are questions here, as Fonseca has not played in the Champions League since the 2018/19 season when he coached Shakhtar.
- The Portuguese’s style of play at Lille and his ability to work with youngsters. This is especially important given Milan’s emphasis on developing their academy graduates.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been actively involved around Milan this summer. He has been involved in transfer deals, talking to the press, commenting on important events, and being active. At first glance, the transfer window for Milan with his direct involvement ended successfully as the club strengthened key positions.
At the end of the 2023/24 season, Milan had only one centre forward left, Luka Jovic. Therefore, acquiring a new forward has become a priority for the summer transfer window. At the beginning of the summer, Milan targeted Joshua Zirkzee from Bologna, who became the main sensation of the previous Serie A season.
However, the deal fell through, probably due to the high commission for the agent (rumoured to be up to 15 million) or the intervention of Manchester United. As a result, Zirkzee went to the Premier League, and Zlatan switched to Alvaro Morata. According to some sources, Ibrahimovic personally contacted Morata when he made the decision to leave Atletico.
Zlatan is active not only in private conversations but also in public. When the departure of Theo Hernandez from the club was discussed, Ibrahimovic emphasised the importance of the defender for the overall project.
It’s worth noting that Zlatan is involved in the negotiations but does not touch on key aspects such as contract terms and salary. These issues are decided by Milan chairman Giorgio Furlani along with technical director Jeffery Moncada.
Ibrahimovic is involved in preliminary talks and making contact with players of interest to the club. Morata also indirectly confirmed this, noting that his decision to move to AC Milan was due to conversations with Zlatan.