It seems that ‘Lion King’ Zlatan Ibrahimovic will finally loosen his soccer shoelaces at the age of 41.
Born in 1981, Ibrahimovic is a living legend of the Swedish national team. After going through Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan and Barcelona, Ibrahimovic first wore the AC Milan uniform as a loan student in 2010. Afterwards, after going through Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), Manchester United, and LA Galaxy, he returned to AC Milan in 2020.
Despite being in his late 30s at the time, he still showed a performance. Although he was plagued by injuries, he was unable to play in many matches. It was the aftermath of Achilles tendon and knee injuries. Nonetheless, he seemed to bring vitality to the team like a veteran. Thanks to Ibrahimovic’s presence, AC Milan was able to win the Serie A championship trophy in the 2021-22 season. 스포츠토토
Last summer, he even signed a new contract. Despite suffering a cruciate ligament injury at a late age beyond his 40s, AC Milan trusted Ibrahimovic. At the time, he said, “I am not afraid. I am healthy. I am working hard every day to return. I need patience. That is the key. I will not retire, and I will not give up.”
It has been several months since he completed his cruciate ligament surgery and started rehabilitation. He is still difficult to play. He aims to return to the first leg of the round of 16 of the European Football Association (UFEA) Champions League (UCL) against Tottenham Hotspur in mid-February, but it is uncertain whether he will return to the second leg of the round of 16 held in early March.
Ibrahimovic, who called himself the ‘Lion King’, also had a lot of worries in the face of time and injury. News broke that Ibrahimović, who was unlikely to retire, would eventually untie his boots. Italy’s Gazzetta dello Sport reported on the 23rd (Korean time) that “Ibrahimovic will retire this summer.”
After his retirement, he will perform administrative duties for the team. The media added, “After that, he will take on the role of ambassador at AC Milan.”