Eight years later, remembering the ex who left you, who has become less desirable and even poorer, is this still love or the symptom of despair? The triumphant welcome given by AC Milan to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who returned on Monday January 6 at the San Siro stadium for a new six-month lease – at least – under the legendary red and black jersey, speaks volumes about the depths reached by the seven-time European champion.
Ruined by an expensive and ineffective salary and transfer policy, marked by many failures (let us mention Leonardo Bonucci, André Silva or Hakan Çalhanoglu) and incessant changes of coaches, AC Milan has become an average Serie A club. like a king an attacker certainly brilliant for two seasons on the American lawns of Major League Soccer, but who will find in Italy another opposition. "I'm like a Ferrari in the middle of the Fiat", he compared himself to the United States. A vintage Ferrari, however. Ibrahimovic is 38 and over twenty years old among professionals.
The transfer of another Swede, Dejan Kulusevski, only 19, to Juventus Turin for 35 million euros, speaks volumes about the gap that separates Juve from AC Milan today. When the "Old Lady" prepares for the future, Milan is on the edge.
"Ibra can change our season"
Monday night against Sampdoria, San Siro was done beautiful, almost filled, despite the day and the opponent, for the return of the "Lion", as "Zlatan" likes to call himself. "A new challenge to live together, welcome back Ibra", wrote the Curva Sud on a banner. The Milanists remember his golden passage – Italian champion in 2011, top scorer in Serie A in 2012 – but their memory is not selective: on another banner was written in black felt the score of the last outing of the Rossoneri : "Atalanta-Milan: 5-0".
In Bergamo, on December 22, 2019, AC Milan suffered its worst defeat in over twenty years and plunged another of its former glories, Zvonimir Boban, into abysses of perplexity. "It was embarrassing: Milan can't be that, reacted the Croatian, director of football at the club. We don’t think a year or six months will be enough to revive Milan from (Silvio) Berlusconi, but there must be improvements. "
Can the arrival of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who courted Milan as much as the other way around, be one of them? "We are convinced that Ibra can change our season and give a helping hand to everyone", wants to believe Boban. It’s a lot to ask of a player who, after his departure "In legend" Paris-Saint-Germain, made its age at Manchester United – its passage in England especially enriched the hospitals. "Zlatan" said: the return to Milan is a last chance, and he will only extend his contract next year if he brings something to the club.
Its entry into play on Monday gave some clues: "Ibra" runs less than in Paris, that is to say that it does not move much anymore, but it weighs, a lot, by its stature, its technique and its sense of the game, three things that are missing – among others – in the Milan attack. He served his teammates, created spaces, shot on goal twice. His entry into the game has restored confidence in Milan and, by his gestures and encouragement, he has already shown what he can bring – if the optimism and good will of the beginning survive the bad results. He missed a goal he would have "Loved to mark before the turn and celebrate by making the gesture of God".
Ten years after Berlusconi's appeal
It’s a thrill that San Siro has had little experience this season. AC Milan is 12e A’s and scores less than once per game. The Europa League, from which he was excluded this season for breaching the rules of financial fair play, is a distant goal – the last qualifying place is held by the modest Sardinian club of Cagliari, seven points ahead.
The case has something cruel: ten years ago, it was to win the title that Zlatan Ibrahimovic had landed with the Rossoneri, on the initiative of the owner of the club who was none other than the president of the Italian council , Silvio Berlusconi. Another time.
Monday was in San Siro for the first time in months, his successor, Gordon Singer; the son of the founder of the Elliott Fund, who fell into the hands of the club due to the insolvency of previous Chinese owners. What he saw will prompt him to accelerate the sale to the group of Bernard Arnault, entry "In a decisive phase" according to the daily La Repubblica, citing the "Financial circles" Italian? The Arnault family would then recover two aging giants, one of which, all the same, seems to be doing better than the other.
