RedBird Advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic insists his role at Milan ‘has not changed’, but he doesn’t have ‘all the answers’ and defends Rafael Leao: ‘He’s magic.’
Ibrahimovic was appointed as an advisor to Milan owner Gerry Cardinale in 2023 and took on a central role in the previous campaign, being involved in transfer decisions and hiring of new coaches.
Milan, however, made some significant changes on and off the pitch last summer, bringing in a new sporting director, Igli Tare, and Ibrahimovic’s former coach, Massimiliano Allegri.
“I asked for three things before accepting,” Ibrahimovic told Gazzetta.
“One: Be myself, as nobody can change me. Two: If I come, it’s for a long-term project. Three: I’m coming back to win. He said: ‘That’s exactly why we’re here.’
Ibrahimovic: My role at Milan has not changed
“My role has not changed; it’s still the same. I represent the ownership. Last year, I did more than I was supposed to. Nobody asked me. I just felt I needed to. But I didn’t like it because if I can’t be myself, I’m not comfortable. I don’t want to be boxed in. That’s why I didn’t want an office. I go to people I need to talk to.
“The club added what was missing. Now there’s someone who is always in touch with the players and the coach, Igli Tare, and he’s doing a good job,” continued the former striker.
“I come here to Casa Milan, sometimes I go to Milanello, and I talk every day to Furlani and Gerry, who’s very involved. We study what’s needed to make Milan better. We build strategies, and in the end, Gerry makes the decisions, but he really trusts the people inside the club.
“I’m also involved in the corporate side and in RedBird’s entertainment area. I’m the kind of person who, if I don’t know something, stays quiet, observes and learns. Of course, in other areas where I have more experience, I speak more, a lot more.”
Ibrahimovic must be ‘softer’ with players
Under Allegri, the Rossoneri have earned 13 points in the opening six Serie A games of the season and are just one point below the leading pair Napoli and Roma.
“There’s a coach. If I can help without disturbing him, I’ll do it. But you don’t go over the coach’s head. That only puts him in difficulty,” said Ibra.
“I can be a friend to the players more than him, but I’m still Ibra, with Ibra’s experience. Before, I only had one mode: strong. Over time, I’ve learned that to get into the players’ heads, you have to be softer and you have to insist.”
La Gazzetta dello Sport reported earlier this week that Allegri had been quite tough on Leao after a 0-0 draw against Juventus on Sunday, reproaching the Portuguese in front of the team.
“I was in the dressing room in Turin. Everyone was angry, everyone. Allegri, too, because we could have won. Leao as well, because he missed two goals,” Ibrahimovic said.
“Let’s remember that during the preseason, he [Leao] was the best, then he was out for two months, and now he has to get back in shape. Of course, we expect magic. Leao is magic! And of course, we’ll always talk about him because he’s one of the strongest players in the world, and I don’t say that for marketing. I say it because I’ve played football. I saw him when he was a kid; now he has two children. It’s a journey. They say he’s already 26, but I became mature at 28. Anyway, when we won the Scudetto, I can say he almost won it by himself.
“The team is very competitive and can achieve good results. It already was last season, but it was a strange one,” continued the former striker.
“Every time we recovered, we immediately fell again. But we’ve learned a lot. We still won a trophy and reached the Coppa Italia Final. But we are Milan, we know who we are. The club did very well selling players who weren’t part of the project, or for other reasons, and chose an experienced coach who brings balance and stability. The club added what was missing: a bit of experience.”
Ibrahimovic played for two seasons under Allegri at Milan, scoring 56 goals in 85 matches between 2010 and 2012, before the ex-Sweden international joined PSG.
“I made him [Allegri] win the first trophy,” Ibra argued.
“That Milan side was full of champions; the hardest part was putting them on the bench. On the field, they were on autopilot. He was very good at managing that. Now it’s different, fewer superstars, egos, and a very cooperative team. And Allegri himself has grown; he’s already won a lot and knows how it’s done.
“Milan’s DNA is to win, especially in Europe. And that’s where we want to return. No one wants to change Milan, its culture or tradition. Because let me tell you something, nobody changes Milan, Milan changes you. At Milanello, you smell victory. After being there, you’re not the same player. At Milanello, from the book to the gardener, everyone works so that Allegri and the team can express themselves at their best.”
Milan’s declared target is to qualify for the Champions League, but Ibra believes the Rossoneri can also fight for the Scudetto.
“Yes, we all have to believe. But it’s a process, a team effort.”
Does this mean the “God” Ibra is now focusing on the collective?
“Wait a minute, Ibra is still God. When I was on the pitch, I had all the answers. In the stands, I still suffer because I can’t help the team,” he concluded.
“I don’t have personal goals anymore. Everything I do is for Milan and to win again.”
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