“Ibra” will finally not put on his cleats during the Euro-2024 football tournament in Germany. At 41, the Swedish striker announced on Sunday that he was ending a career where he collected titles, goals, rants and, at the end, injuries.
“It’s time to say goodbye to football, not just to you. There are too many emotions now, go Milan and goodbye, “said Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the microphone, on the ground of the San Siro stadium, after the victory of his partners against Hellas Verona (3-1) during the 38th and final day of the Italian Championship. “Thank you all, from tomorrow I am a free man. It has been a long career, of which I am proud. Thank you, ”he said later in a press conference.
The oldest goalscorer in Serie A history
AC Milan, the club to which he returned at the end of 2019 and which he largely contributed to bringing back to the top, with in particular the title of Italian champion in 2022, had announced the day before that he would not extend his contract. Due to repeated injuries, the 40-year-old has hardly been able to play this season. He returned to competition in February after having surgery on his left knee in May 2022.
The Swede has started just one game this season, in March when they won 3-1 at Udinese. He then became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history. But he then suffered another calf injury during a pre-match warm-up in April, and has since completed the season on the sidelines, where he was still for the last game of his career on Sunday evening.
Considered one of the best strikers in history, “Ibra” has won almost everything at club level, with the notable exception of the Champions League which has always been denied to him. His record includes league titles in four different countries: two in the Netherlands with Ajax Amsterdam (2001-04), five in Italy (three with Inter between 2006-09, two with AC Milan between 2010 and 2012 then from 2020 to 2023), one in Spain with FC Barcelona (2009-11) and four in France with PSG (2012-16).
We must also add a Europa League with Manchester United (2016-18). On the other hand, no title under the colors of the Los Angeles Galaxy from March 2018 to November 2019, but a few good words for the American public who loved his outgoing personality and his showman side.