There has been a lot written and said about Zlatan Ibrahimovic over the past few weeks, but he still wants to have his say at AC Milan.
Soccerhuz.com recall his comments to DAZN before the game against Napoli at the Stadio Diego Armando Maradona on Sunday night, in which Ibrahimovic returned to being his usual jokey self in front of the cameras.
“The truth is that I was sick. I even cut my hair, my body was in shock. Seriously speaking, I caught a virus that made me lose 3kg. But now I’m better and I’m here to help everyone on and off the pitch, like before,” he said.
After three weeks of silence and absence, the Swede returned to take centre stage by responding to the media accusations of an absence due to friction with CEO Giorgio Furlani, stating: “Falsehood, we talk every day.”
Ibrahimovic’s words in the pre-match did not give a jolt to the team as they were beaten by Napoli, but they have an important symbolic value. In the most delicate moment, Zlatan put his face on the line again, he did not shy away from questions.
He even answered the uncomfortable – but also journalistically correct – questions from DAZN. It is a sign of how he does not want to give up at Milan despite there being a small revolution underway at the management level, which sees Furlani increasingly at the helm.
Not only that, but there will be the entry of a sporting director of international standing and experience such as Fabio Paratici, in a fairly solitary pole position compared to the competition. Thus, Ibra risks being marginalised.
During this season Ibrahimovic has gone above and beyond: sometimes playing the role of sporting director, other times team manager, sometimes ambassador but always advisor to the club. He has overseen the supervision of all the components, from the commercial area to the sporting one.
Now it’s a matter of understanding what the new structure will be with the consequent role of Ibrahimovic, who will hardly accept being only an advisor. It is precisely the mistakes made this season that have certified the need for Milan to streamline the management structure.
The current four-headed system has sometimes generated confusion, because working in a team is a must for American ownership, but then in football – especially Italian football – everything works in a very different way.
