Zlatan Ibrahimovic brought the curtain down on his illustrious career after he unexpectedly announced his retirement from professional football.
Ibrahimovic, a veteran striker, said he was leaving the game during a ceremony on the field after AC Milan beat Verona 3-1 to end their Serie A season.
“It’s the moment to say goodbye to football, not just to you,” said Ibrahimovic on the San Siro pitch.
“There are too many emotions for me right now. Forza Milan and goodbye.”
When his departure from the seven-time European champions Milan was announced on Saturday, fans thought the 41-year-old would just say goodbye to them.
He came back to Milan for a second time at the end of 2019. He had been there for two years before, during which time he won the Serie A title in 2011.
“The first time I came here you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love,” said Ibrahimovic.
“You welcomed me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for the rest of my life.”
Ibrahimovic was a big part of Milan’s rise to the top of Italian football after he came back to the team. He helped them get out of a slump and win the Scudetto last season.
“I used to be scared when journalists asked by about my future, but now I can accept it, I’m ready,” Ibrahimovic told reporters after his announcement.
“I’ve been doing this all my life, football made me a man. It allowed me to know people I otherwise would never have known, I’ve travelled the world thanks to football. It’s all thanks to football.”
During his career, Ibrahimovic won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, and France. However, the 2017 Europa League with Manchester United was the only major European title he won.
The San Siro was a good place for him to make his announcement because he won three straight league titles with Inter Milan between 2006 and 2009, before a rough time at Barcelona.
His retirement comes after a season in which he barely played for Stefano Pioli’s team because he was hurt so much. He had surgery on his left knee in May and didn’t play again until February.
In July, he signed a contract that gave him a fixed salary of about one million euros ($1.02 million) and large bonuses for appearances and achievements.
But after signing that deal, the 41-year-old player only started one game and scored one goal for Milan. That goal came in a 3-1 win over Udinese in March, making him the oldest player in Serie A history to score a goal.
Then, in April, he hurt his calf during a pre-game warm-up. This ended his career, putting an end to rumours that he was going to move to Monza and aim for the Euro 2024 with Sweden.
Photo by EPA/MATTEO BAZZI
