Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not expected to make any public statements in the coming hours, but he must remain close to the AC Milan squad during what is a difficult time.
As La Gazzetta dello Sport write, Ibrahimovic will become fundamental in the next two weeks for the words he will say behind the scenes at Milanello rather than what he tells the media, both journalists and his followers on social media.
Zlatan is Gerry Cardinale’s right-hand man at Milan and he takes care of everything, from the pitch to marketing. However, his role is particularly important in managing the dynamics of the dressing room because has experienced situations like these first-hand.
He has praised some coaches and argued with others, and he knows that environments that breed success. Giorgio Furlani and Geoffrey Moncada do not have a successful past as players, nor any at all really. They have never argued with Pep Guardiola nor grown under the wing of Fabio Capello.
It is up to Zlatan, more than the others, to understand what is happening at Milan, which includes the methods Paulo Fonseca is trying to get across, the Theo Hernandez and Rafael Leao cooling break saga, the defensive disasters seen so far, Rafael Leao’s social media quarrel with Paolo Di Canio and what is lacking in the mentality of the group.
Ibrahimovic’s absence at Lazio made the news, even if Cardinale was in the stands with Furlani and Moncada. Fonseca’s choice to leave Theo and Leao on the bench was well known and perhaps Zlatan’s presence in front of the cameras could have helped diffuse things.
Ibra is increasingly important at Milan. He makes decisions, he talks to everyone at all levels, he wants to be at the centre of the processes. He doesn’t call agents on the market and he doesn’t deal in person – for that, there is Furlani and Moncada – but he talks to the players and those calls often end up being important.
Alvaro Morata, when he spoke for the first time as a Milan player, even mentioned him as being fundamental: “Zlatan’s trust, the team, the coach convinced me. I can’t wait to get started. Ibrahimovic has given me positive things.” Strahinja Pavlovic added: “Ibra played a fundamental role for me. The more I spoke to him, the more I was convinced to accept.”
Zlatan said on his return to the club: “My love for the Rossoneri will never end and the opportunity to be part of their future in a meaningful way is something I could only have dreamed of. I am grateful to Gerry Cardinale (L) for making this opportunity available to me.
“This is not a decision I take lightly. I have thought long and hard about the first steps in my post-football career, and I couldn’t be more excited to begin this journey as a member of RedBird and AC Milan. For me and my family, this truly is a homecoming.”
In short, Ibra is a point of reference for many and has already intervened to send a signal to the team by speaking to them in the dressing room after the defeat against Parma. Yet, even Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no strange to bad starts.
When he started playing football in Sweden, the parents of the other children wrote a petition to kick him out of the team. His first date with a girl was – as he admitted – a disaster. Starting with two points in three games won’t scare him, but it’s up to him to take control of the situation.
