The Swedish striker announced his retirement from the sport on Sunday at the age of 41 after a successful career.
Milan sent him the last “Godbye” (a play on God, God and “Goodbye, Goodbye”) through the giant Tifo. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, after 20 years of terrorizing opposing defenses, announced on Sunday 4 June that he would be ending his professional career with a few tears. The Swede, who has betrayed his body over the past few seasons, will define his generation with his on-field style and cocky looks.
Ibra is more than just a slick orator, he believes in flamboyant declarations between wit and selfishness. Lean, technical and powerful, yet incredibly agile for his size, the 41-year-old has scored nearly 500 goals in his prolific career. To sum up one of the centre-forwards of the time, from his early days to his instinctive love for AC Milan and throughout his time at PSG, he had seven shots.
Ibrahimovic, with his understated aesthetic but wearing a legendary shirt, was still in the football world when, at the age of 20, he scored his first two goals in the Champions League against Olympique Lyonnais for Ajax Amsterdam on 17 September 2002. He was nothing more than an expected player. The Dutch club will be known as ‘Ibra’ in the eyes of Europe.
After three years in Holland, Ibrahimovic becomes a threat to Calcio. He first signed for Juventus in 2004, before the Piedmontese club was relegated after a match-fixing scandal. He wasted no time recovering at Inter Milan in 2006. He quickly became undisputedly respected, winning five consecutive Italian league titles (his first two with Juve were subsequently dropped from the club’s roster). The 2008-2009 season was a huge success and he was named Serie A’s top scorer and player of the season.
Zlatan , who was on top, defeated FC Barcelona in 2009 for the biggest transfer fee in the club’s history at the time. But his adventure in Catalonia doesn’t go as planned. He won La Liga, but was eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals against former club Inter, ultimately winning the tournament alongside former Barcelona star Samuel Eto’o, who went the opposite way. The Champions League will stay away for the rest of his career. The Swede has only been at the
Catalan for a year and has not enjoyed the full trust of manager Pep Guardiola.
Ibrahimovic returns to Italy, albeit at Inter’s nemesis AC Milan. It’s not just a new start, it’s the beginning of a passionate love between the Rossoneri and their striker. A San Siro favourite, he has continued to score, especially in the 2011/2012 season (35 goals in 44 games). Milan returned to the top of Serie A in 2011, seven years after their last title.
AC Milan are in financial trouble and need to sell Ibrahimovic. With their newfound wealth on the European stage, Paris Saint-Germain will have the opportunity to host their first major international star in the summer of 2012. In the capital, ‘Zlatan’ is like a prince on the lawn, a personality that makes him a star beyond the sport. During his four years at PSG, he won 12 trophies, including four league titles (three top scorers). However, Paris failed to reach the quarter-finals and are still out of the Champions League.
One night in November 2012, Zlatan transformed into “Ibrakadabra.” In the match against Sweden, he scored a spectacular goal against England with an acrobatic return from 30 meters in front of goal, lifting the opposing goalkeeper. He is a maniacal and instinctive gesture with great precision, especially requiring skills inherited by his attackers through martial arts practice. ‘So Zlatan”s goal has been remembered for generations and is one of the many jewels he gave football. But despite Ibrahimovic scoring 62 goals in 122 appearances, he will not be able to make Sweden a major player in Europe.
After Paris, Zlatan Ibrahimovic found a new championship in the Premier League with Manchester United in 2016. But he suffered his first serious injury, a torn cruciate ligament in his knee, leaving the Red Devils without his first championship in just two seasons. He then took on the new challenge of becoming the absolute superstar of the emerging league, the North American MLS, with the Los Angeles Galaxy. He plans to stay there for two years between marketing phenomenon and mixed sports experience.
Uncertainty about retirement hangs in the air as he decides to return to AC Milan, his ‘second city’ and ‘second home’, in early 2020. Ibrahimovic has found a new position as a veteran tasked with helping resurrect the fallen giant. In a rejuvenated group, the Swede has played the role of leader brilliantly. Milan will be crowned Italian champions again in 2022, the last major success of his centre-forward career.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic will give his all for football, especially his health, until the end. Gritting his teeth, he ends the 2021-2022 season with a torn cruciate ligament. Ibrahimovic, who has had surgery on his knee again, knows his body is pushing the 41-year-old to the finish line. A few more lines are essential to his story, including the title of the oldest Serie A match scorer, but on 4 June 2023, at the end of his 25th season, he finally said goodbye to football. rice field.
