AC Milan's star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic granted an interview to those at SportMediaset. Here are his words as he talks about his return to the field:
"I'm still God, I'm still number 1: now I'm back to change the music. I really want, I want to do many things, what I have lost in these 7/8 months. I wasted time. Team in crisis? I'm not worried, these are normal moments within a championship. Now we need to talk little and demonstrate on the pitch our value."
On his physical level:
"I'm fine, I'm very fine. I've returned to the group and I feel free on and off the pitch. It means I'm fine."
On coming back after 8 months of recovery:
"I was out for too long and it wasn't easy. I had a long recovery and we knew it but the important thing is the physical feedback which is positive and is improving every day. This is the first objective, the second is to get back on track."
Ibrahimovic added:
"I don't want to go back on the field for charity, if I go on the field I do it to bring results and to do what I've always done. Otherwise it wouldn't be a challenge for me, I'd be at home playing with my children."
What have you missed the most in these last months?
"Everything, when you're out and you see the team on the pitch it's something else. You can do something from the outside but from the pitch it's a completely different thing, for the atmosphere, the tension and the fans: when I'm on the pitch I totally transform myself."
On Milan's difficult moment:
"As in all things, small details make the difference. It's not a good time but it doesn't take much to change. If I can do something, I do it because I'm here to help. Now let's change the music when I get back... In recent months I have done everything possible to help the coach, the staff and everyone. You need to be patient to get back in the best possible way and not to constantly go inside-out. But everything went as we planned."
What do you feel when you enter the locker room?
"I'm always myself, then the closer the match gets, the more adrenaline and concentration rise. You focus on goals, you start doing the things you've always done to do well. Then start the game and go. But you don't always have to talk a lot, just a few words to make people understand what to do."
Thoughts on Charles De Ketelaere?
"In recent months, I wasn't with the team every day, to get to know him well I have to be in the locker room every day. It has great pressures even for the price paid, everyone has expectations. He is a talent, he has great potential, he just has to find the right path to grow. Also, he is in another city, away from home and has to get used to it. But when you arrive at Milan everyone helps you, they welcome you in the best possible way, when you enter our dressing room you feel at home. He just has to unlock, then once it unlocks everything starts."
Ibrahimovic on his goals at this age:
"At 41, I still have many pages to write also because the quality doesn't disappear, the physique changes, the physical preparation is different but the quality doesn't go away, it's something that remains. In my case, it doesn't change. To those who don't believe in God, I'll show it on the pitch, not in words. Every day with great desire, but not only individually, I want to transfer my credibility to others because if you can make a difference with the team, it's different. It shouldn't all depend on me, I want to transfer everything I have inside to others: if my teammates are fine, I'm fine too. If we win as a collective, I'm motivated. In this situation, I don't have to get, I just have to give. This is also my challenge, the goal is not my ego. I'm 41, I play for Milan and I'm at the top. I want to transfer my eyes to others, I'm here for them not for me. If it were up to me I'd be on an island with a cigar. If I can be an example and a leader then I will."
What kind of workouts have you done in these months?
"They are very mental workouts because they don't give you a lot of adrenaline. I already had this injury 5-6 years ago and I already knew what awaited me. Then three weeks ago the adrenaline returned, before it only took a lot of patience. Now I have a great desire to let off steam on the pitch."
On the criticism received...
"They're normal, if they don't criticize you it means you're not at the top. I'm used to it, they've been criticizing me for 25 years because I'm number 1. But I eat the criticism, it's like adding fuel to the fire and when you play with fire you get burned. I am God, nothing has changed. I'm motivated."
Was last season's Scudetto an isolated case for Milan?
"If we won it is because everyone did their part, everyone sacrificed themselves and took their responsibilities when needed. There was no one man show, we are not addicted to one or two phenomena, we won thanks to everyone's collective. And also thanks to the fans who have given a great boost to the group."
What advice do you want to give to Leao?
"He had a fantastic year, he won the award for the best player in the league. Then, there is the contract with other clubs looking for him, the World Cup and all the rest. But he has to stay focused and only think about playing football. Everything else is resolved, he just has to think about playing. He has become stronger than a year ago, only this year everyone knows who Leao is, last year they were less focused on him. Now, however, they know that he is the strongest of all and they are more careful of him."
