Milan’s Ibrahimovic announces the end of his career – 06/04/2023 – Sport

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who defended Milan, announced his retirement from football this Sunday (4), after the team’s last match in the Championship.

“It’s time to say goodbye to football, not you,” the 41-year-old said at the San Siro stadium after Milan’s 3-1 win over Hellas Verona. Injured, he did not play in the game.

“It’s very difficult, I feel a lot of emotions inside me. Forza Milan, and goodbye!”

AC Milan, the club to which he returned at the end of 2019 and which he helped return to the top of Italian football, winning, in particular, the “Scudetto” of 2022, had announced a ceremony to “thank Zlatan for the wonderful moments”.

Due to repeated injuries, the Swede was practically unable to play this season. He returned to competition in February following surgery on his left knee in May 2022.

Ibrahimovic started just one game this season, in March, in a 3-1 win over Udinese. In that match, he became the oldest player to score in Serie A history. At the end of March, he still had hopes of playing in Euro 2024, which will be held in Germany.

But the forward suffered a calf injury while warming up before a game in April and ended the season without playing.

“We can only thank him for everything he has done for us. It is sad that a champion like him will never play football again,” said coach Stefano Pioli.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had also won the title of Italian champion in 2011.

In a career in which he played for several major European teams, such as Ajax, Juventus, Internazionale, Barcelona, ​​Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United, Ibrahimovic accumulates national titles: two in Holland, five in Italy (three times with Inter and twice with Milan), one in Spain and four in France.

Between his departure from Manchester United and his return to Milan, he played for the Los Angeles Galaxy from March 2018 to November 2019.