Yahoo Sports Ibrahimovic believes in RedBird’s ‘extraordinary’ Milan project: “They want to make history”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has insisted that he has full faith in AC Milan’s current project and the ownership RedBird Capital, who wish to deliver success.
Many see Ibrahimovic as a guarantor of the Milan project given that during his two spells as a player he was able to drive the level up and bring home two Scudetti. He retired at the end of the 2022-23 season but couldn’t stay away for long.
The Swede took on a role as the Senior Advisor to RedBird Capital – the group who own Milan – and the Rossoneri management. He has been in that position around a year, and while there is still some uncertainty about his daily role, he has certainly resumed being the face of the club.
Ibrahimovic was interviewed exclusively by the UEFA Champions League Magazine before the game against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu, and we have translated his interview via MilanNews.
This is a special year for the club: the 125th anniversary. How are you finding it? What do you notice that is different?
“You can see it within the club: everyone is excited. We will do great things for the 125th anniversary and we have some surprises planned. Milan is part of the history of football. We are just a new generation in this history. And we go back in time, we bring the past to the present, and we mix it.
“This is what Milan represents. We do it from the inside and, of course, everyone has their opinion from the outside, but we have to remind ourselves of how it was before to move towards the future. And while I am here, I want to thank Berlusconi and Galliani, because we are all here thanks to them.”
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Why did you decide to come back here after playing? Why this club?
“What made me make this decision? I believe in the project, I believe in what Milan represents, and I think I share the same vision as the people who work there and the owners because they want to do extraordinary things.
“They want to make history, win, and when it comes to winning, that’s when I feel alive, because I want to win, I’ll do anything to win and I won’t give up until I win. Now I work for the club from a different perspective.
“I can’t influence or contribute on the pitch, I’m working from the outside, I have a lot to learn. I’m entering this new situation with humility, step by step, and I’m learning a lot. I feel connected to Milan in a special way even after my career, and I want to do great things with Milan.”
Can you describe the bond? What does this club represent for you on an emotional level?
“I have played in many clubs, extraordinary clubs, great teams, but the club that has given me the most in my career is Milan. I have been here twice, and I really appreciate what Milan represents.
“The first time I was here, I felt happiness in playing, and the second time they gave me love, and I feel like I just want to give something back. I am proud, happy and very ambitious in helping and giving back. I am not in a situation where I want to receive; on the contrary, I want to give something back.
“Obviously, I do not feel frustrated, even if sometimes I would like to be on the pitch and directly help Milan, but now I play a different role and I accept that I have retired, so I contribute from another angle.”
It’s a huge change to go from everything you’ve accomplished on the pitch to not playing anymore. How are you finding this transition?
“I say, since I agreed to stop playing, I’m fine. I’m at peace with this decision, so I don’t miss playing football. When I say that sometimes I feel frustrated not being on the pitch, it’s more because of my experience and what I can do. But it’s not that I miss playing per se.
“Since I decided to retire, I’m at peace with that. I’m happy, I feel good, and I work hard in this new role. I have great colleagues and I work with good people who help me, so we are a great team.
“We are young, hungry, with great ambitions and a great vision, and no one is satisfied until we achieve what we want, which is to win. It’s really extraordinary, so I follow them.”
Now that you’re no longer on the pitch, what’s your relationship with the players like?
“We talk a lot with the players. I personally talk a lot with them, I have daily contact. It’s part of my role to be close to them, to help them, to advise them. There are different dynamics in different situations and it’s part of my path.”
You mentioned it before, but just to clarify: what is your ambition for this club and for yourself? What do you want to achieve in this role?
“The ambition is to make history. Making history means winning trophies, and Milan has historically won many trophies, so it is something that is ongoing. Obviously we aim for this, but it is a work in progress.
“Many things have to fall into place and you have to trust the process, because you work differently and under different conditions. For example, we give a lot of attention to young people now because we believe in them.
“We want to offer them a platform where they can grow and become top-level players in Serie A. Only this season we created Milan Futuro, a part of our academy. We created it this season because we strongly believe in it.
“We give a lot of attention to young people to develop the future, and with Milan Futuro, we give them the chance to also play professional football in Serie C, which is a great challenge. But the heart of our work is the first team; therefore, all the resources and efforts are dedicated to it.
“We work hard and we have great ambitions, as I said. The results have to come because, if you don’t win, you don’t get something in return. This year there are some results missing, but there are many new things in the club.
“Milan Futuro is a new thing, we are changing the academy, we have a new coach, new players. There are many new things that need to integrate and, when they do, we will start to fly.”
If we talk about what Milan represents, in the past they were probably the biggest club in Italy and in Europe, but now football has become so global. Is this one of the challenges you’re most looking forward to?
“Yes. Milan is already global. Looking at history, Milan is global. It is known all over the world; wherever we go, it is known. And looking at historical results, Milan is at the top.
“Now Milan has not suffered, but has had less success in Europe, and one of our goals is to return to the top of European football, because Milan belongs to the top of European football. But there are no shortcuts to get there.
“If you look at Italian football, you cannot compare it to the Premier League. We have to work in different conditions, be smarter and make different moves, and that is what we are doing. The goal is to stay who we are and get to the global stage, because Milan is global.”
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Today we spoke with Christian Pulisic and Tijjani Reijnders. What do you think about both players? First of all, Christian is showing great form…
“I think Christian is our ‘Captain America’. He is doing extraordinary things, you can see that he is happy; being at Milan makes every player happy. This is not just my opinion; every player would tell you the same thing.
“They have an optimal environment to focus only on football and performance on the pitch. As for Pulisic, we have revitalised him and now you can see that he is really happy on the pitch, and for this reason he is performing at a high level. Off the pitch he is also essential for us.
“As for Reijnders, I think he is the player who has grown the most in a short time. He arrived from Holland, from the great work he did at AZ, and he is doing an exceptional job.
“He has become an important player for the team, for the club and for his national team, proving to be a high-level profile. I am very satisfied with both of them, and they are essential for us.”
Reijnders is also the latest in a long line of great Dutch players who have played an important role for this club…
“If we go back, there is the historic trio with Van Basten, Frank Rijkaard and Ruud Gullit, who were icons and symbols of the club. The Dutch players have a good CV at the club, and Reijnders feels a bit of pressure to be Dutch and have to prove his worth. But he is doing a great job.
“We are very happy with him, and he must continue like this. Like every Milan player, however, he will be remembered for what he wins. If you don’t win, you are not remembered.”
