Zlatan Ibrahimovic retires: Swedish great ends football career at 41
image source, Pier Marco Tacca
Ibrahimovic and many of his team-mates and the crowd cried as he announced his retirement on the pitch
AC Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic has retired from football at the age of 41, ending one of the most illustrious careers of modern times.
“I say goodbye to football, but not to you,” the Swede told the crowd at the San Siro after Sunday’s final game of the season.
Ibrahimovic had already announced that he would leave the Italian club.
He scored 511 goals for clubs including Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, AC and Inter Milan, and won league titles in four countries.
Ibrahimovic began his second spell at AC Milan in early 2020 after winning the Scudetto with them in 2011 and helping them win the title again last season.
But after a series of injuries, he only played and started one game for the Serie A side four times this season – and scored one goal – and his contract expired this month.
“Right now there are too many emotions for me. Forza Milan and goodbye,” said an emotional Ibrahimovic, holding back tears.
“The first time I came here you gave me happiness, the second time you gave me love.
“You welcomed me with open arms, you made me feel at home, I will be a Milanista for the rest of my life.”
image source, Marco Luzzani
The San Siro produced a farewell tifo for club legend Ibrahimovic
Ibrahimovic has won 34 trophies – including 14 league titles – and been nominated for 11 Ballon d’Ors in a career that began in the last century.
The only major club trophy that eluded him was the Champions League. He won his only European title with Manchester United in the Europa League in 2017.
The forward is also Sweden’s all-time top scorer with 62 international goals in 122 games.
He left the national team after Euro 2016 but returned in 2021 for the unsuccessful World Cup qualification.
“I used to be scared when journalists asked about my future, but now I can accept it, I’m ready,” he told reporters after his announcement.
“I’ve been doing this my whole life. Football made me a man. This has enabled me to meet people I would never have met otherwise. I’ve traveled the world thanks to football. It’s all thanks to football.”
image source, Pier Marco Tacca
As he left the pitch, the Swedish star was greeted with honor by his AC Milan team-mates
A career full of gold
Ibrahimovic started his professional career in 1999 with hometown club Malmo FF before joining Ajax for three years in 2001, where he won three league titles.
A move to Italy followed in 2004 to join Juventus, where he won two league titles, which the club later lost due to the Calciopoli scandal.
However, the Swede went on to win three more Serie A titles with his next club, Inter Milan, before moving to Barcelona in 2009.
Ibrahimovic spent just one season at the Catalan club, winning a La Liga title before being loaned to AC Milan, a move that became permanent in 2011.
A year later, however, Ibrahimovic was on the move again and joined Paris St-Germain, where he scored 113 goals in 122 league games and won four Ligue 1 trophies.
In July 2016 he signed for Manchester United for two years, where he won the League Cup and the Europa League.
Ibrahimovic signed for MLS club LA Galaxy in 2018 and spent two seasons in California before returning to AC Milan.