Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires at AC Milan after sprawling football career
Swedish soccer star Zlatan Ibrahimovic is retiring at 41, wrapping up his sprawling career with an emotional farewell and more than 500 goals.
Ibrahimovic, often hailed as one of the world’s greatest players, is the Swedish national team’s top goal scorer of all time, with 62 in 122 games. In March, he became the oldest ever goal scorer in Italy’s premier league, Serie A.
He also bears a striking resemblance to the newest character on Apple TV Plus’s “Ted Lasso,” Zava, a superstar diva who has boosted teams around the world. Maximilian Osinski, the actor who plays him, cited Ibrahimovic as a prime inspiration in an interview with USA Today. “I read his book ‘I Am Football,’ watched documentaries, and I just admire Zlatan so much more now, how he was raised, what people said about him, how he carries himself,” he told the outlet.
Advertisement
“I say goodbye to football but not to you,” the AC Milan striker told fans Sunday at San Siro stadium, which was packed for the last game of the season. “The first time I arrived here, you gave me happiness. The second time, love,” he said.
Footage from inside the stadium showed fans and teammates bidding the star goodbye, some wiping away tears and others cheering and applauding.
Ibrahimovic has played for a string of top professional clubs over more than two decades, including Juventus, Inter Milan and AC Milan in Italy; Ajax in the Netherlands; Barcelona in Spain’s La Liga; Paris Saint-Germain in France’s Ligue 1; and Manchester United in England’s Premier League. His senior career began in 1999, playing for his hometown club, Malmo. He also spent two seasons in the United States, playing for the LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer in 2018 and 2019.
“Last but not least, from my heart, I want to thank you, fans. You welcomed me with open arms, and I will be a Milanista my entire life,” Ibrahimovic said during his farewell.
Manchester United paid tribute to its former striker Monday, describing him on social media as “one of a kind.” In a tweet, the club congratulated the star for his “distinguished career” and shared a compilation of his highlights.
Advertisement
On social media Sunday, fans recalled some of the player’s greatest moments on the pitch — including the “wonder kick” against the English national team in 2012, a backflipping smash that sent the ball into the net from about 30 yards out. Steven Gerrard, who was England’s captain at the time, said the goal was “probably the best” he had ever witnessed live.
Ibrahimovic injured his left knee and underwent surgery last year, and the star said he was able to train only a handful of times afterward. In an Instagram post, he said he was in pain “every day” for six months and barely slept because of the discomfort.
Ibrahimovic, renowned not just for his talent but also for his confident (many would say brash) personality, couldn’t resist one last joke Sunday.
“I woke up this morning, and it was raining, and I thought, ‘Even God is crying,’” he told the crowd. “I’ll see you around if you are lucky.”
“He is a superstar. He is a villain. He is a showman,” The Washington Post wrote in 2019 of the 6-foot-4 striker, who has defended his reputation over the years.
“I read all the time that people think I’m arrogant,” he told the BBC in 2013. “But I only feel satisfied if my team-mates, the fans, everyone is happy. I have a big heart.”
correction
A previous version of this article incorrectly referred to "Ted Lasso" as an HBO program. It is an Apple TV show. The article has been corrected.
ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7uK3SoaCnn6Sku7G70q1lnKedZMCxu9GtqmhqYGeAcHyVaGduZ6qhrrWtzWagm6qRnbauu9Wimmaqlam2s7HSZp2op6SXrq24jg%3D%3D