Sports
AC Milan Unveil Zlatan Ibrahimovic After Completing Free Transfer
STR/Getty ImagesAC Milan unveiled new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Thursday, with the veteran striker agreeing a deal until the end of the season:AC Milan @acmilan🗣️ @Ibra_official is ready, are you? #IZBACK #SempreMilan https://t.co/T9VgfE1vErIbrahimovic’s arrival had been confirmed by the Rossoneri in December. The player and club have the option to extend his deal by a year…
STR/Getty Images
AC Milan unveiled new signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Thursday, with the veteran striker agreeing a deal until the end of the season:
AC Milan @acmilan
🗣️ @Ibra_official is ready, are you?
#IZBACK #SempreMilan https://t.co/T9VgfE1vEr
Ibrahimovic's arrival had been confirmed by the Rossoneri in December. The player and club have the option to extend his deal by a year should they wish.
The Rossoneri have confirmed Ibrahimovic will take the No. 21 shirt at the San Siro:
AC Milan @acmilan
🔴⚫ And @Ibra_official's jersey number is… 🥁
🔴⚫ Ibra ha scelto il numero… 🥁
#IZBACK #SempreMilan https://t.co/FIPz2IGB0F
The 38-year-old spoke to Milan TV (h/t Football Italia) about his happiness at returning to his former club.
“I have always said that this is my home, and finally I am back. I've been through other clubs in the meantime, but I have returned, and that's the important thing. Finally I am here, wait for me at San Siro and we'll get it jumping again.”
Ibrahimovic returns to the San Siro for his second spell with the seven-time European champions, having previously spent two years at the club between 2010 and 2012. In his first year as a Milan player, the striker helped the team to the Serie A title.
While Milan didn't win the competition in the season after, Ibrahimovic enjoyed an extraordinary individual campaign, per Squawka Football:
Squawka Football @Squawka
@WilliamHill Zlatan Ibrahimović scored 28 Serie A goals in the 2011/12 season for AC Milan, Gunnar Nordahl is the only player in the club's history to score more in a single campaign.
Two Sweden legends. 🇸🇪🔴⚫️ https://t.co/rUBEpW1YKG
The Swede returns to Milan with the team in a different place to his first spell, as they are nowhere near competing for major honours.
So far, the 2019-20 season has been one to forget for the club. Before the winter break, they were beaten 5-0 by Atalanta—their worst result for 21 years—and they sit down in 11th in the Italian top flight.
Goals have been desperately difficult to come by for Milan, too, with just 16 scored in their 17 league games. With that in mind, the acquisition of Ibrahimovic feels crucial for manager Stefano Pioli.
Per Premier Sports, Ibrahimovic was prolific in his final Major League Soccer season with Los Angeles Galaxy:
Premier Sports 📺 @PremierSportsTV
Watch Zlatan’s 30 @MLS goals in 2019 🔥
In his own words..
🛬 He came
👀 He saw
💪 He conquered#MLZ
🎥 – @MLS
https://t.co/6ypx2tDbeR
It will be intriguing to see how the striker fares back in Serie A. The last time Ibrahimovic played in European football was for Manchester United between 2016 and 2018. After an impressive first season with the Red Devils, the forward struggled in his second campaign following a serious knee injury.
Milan are crying out for strong leadership and incision in the final third. Ibrahimovic should be able to help them out in both areas and give the struggling giants of Italian and European football a timely boost.
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