Zlatan Ibrahimovic has announced his retirement from football.
The 41-year-old striker returned to AC Milan for a second spell in 2019 but has only played four times in 2022-23 because of injury.
He was moved to tears while saying farewell to the Milan fans before kick-off of their 3-1 win against Verona, and after the game he announced that he was not just leaving the club but also ending his playing career.
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He said: ““I’ve got a lot of memories and emotions inside. The first time I came here you gave me so much happiness. I’ll be a Milan fan all my life. The time has come to say ciao to calcio. But not to you. We’ll see each other around. You’re lucky. Forza Milan and arrivederci (see you soon).”
The former Sweden striker enjoyed a superb career, winning 13 league titles in four different countries and scoring 62 goals in 122 games for his country.
Ibrahimovic started his career in Sweden with Malmo before moving to Ajax in 2001. He enjoyed successful spells with all the clubs he played for during his career, scoring regularly for Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy.
GO DEEPER
Ibrahimovic set to leave AC Milan when contract expires
(Photo: Getty Images)
