Football Legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires at 41
Ibrahimovic had a 24-year career and played for nine different teams, netting 561 goals for both club and country.
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Zlatan Ibrahimovic gestures to his fans during a football match. (AFP)
41-year-old Swedish football legend Zlatan Ibrahimovic has announced his retirement from an extraordinary career, making him the oldest player to leave Italy’s Serie A.
The famous striker made the announcement following his side AC Milan's 3-1 victory against Hellas Verona in the season finale on Sunday,
In an emotional speech, Ibrahimovic addressed the Rossoneri fans at the San Siro stadium, “It’s time to say goodbye to football, but not to you.”
Zlatan Ibrahimović:
— Lega Serie A (@SerieA_EN) June 4, 2023
"The time has arrived to say goodbye".
We will miss you, forever and 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐈𝐙❤️🖤
Good luck in retirement 👏 pic.twitter.com/vF0w3kCKU9
The club announced previously that it would hold a modest ceremony to celebrate Ibrahimovic's phenomenal career and bid him farewell.
“The first time I arrived you gave me happiness, the second time, you gave me love,” Ibrahimovic said. “You welcomed me with open arms, you made me feel at home and I will be a Milanista my entire life.”
According to the International Federation of Football History and Statistics, Ibrahimovic had a 24-year career and played for nine different teams while netting 561 goals for both club and country.
“For the moment, I just want to take some time and enjoy what I’ve done,” he said. “It’s not right to make decisions in a hurry, there’s too much emotion right now. I want to take the summer off, reflect, and then we’ll see.”
Living legend wrap-up
In 1999, the Swede made his professional debut with Malmo FF in his home country. Two years later, he moved to the Netherlands to play with Ajax. In 2002, Ibrahimovic won the KNVB Cup and the Eredivisie twice.
Later, he played for some of the top teams in Europe, including Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United. He also played for some of the top teams in Europe, including Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester United.
The Swede won two Serie A championships with Juventus during his initial stay in Italy, but they were later vacated as a result of the Calciopoli match-fixing incident. After moving to Inter Milan in 2016, Ibrahimovic won three league championships.
Ibrahimovic left Italy in 2009 to join Barcelona, where he spent just one season before winning the La Liga championship. His time in Spain was brief since in 2010, he was loaned to AC Milan, and the arrangement became permanent in 2011.
Ibrahimovic joined Paris Saint-Germain in 2012, where he scored 113 goals and collected 12 titles, including twice the domestic quadruple. Despite never having won the illusive Champions League championship, the striker assisted Manchester United of the English Premier League in winning the Europa League in 2017.
The dynamic striker returned for a second stint with AC Milan in early 2020 after joining MLS team LA Galaxy in 2018, where he scored two incredible goals on his debut. This second spell helped the Italian team win the Scudetto the previous season.
Ibrahimovic, who played in just four games this past season due to injury, scored his 41st and 166th goal in Serie A against AC Milan's 3-1 loss to Udinese in March.
