On 16 July 2026, RedBird Senior Advisor Zlatan Ibrahimović, whose investment fund owns AC Milan, spoke at the WSJ Sports Event organised by The Wall Street Journal in the United States. Sharing the stage with the Swede was American businessman Gerry Cardinale. Together, they discussed AC Milan's projects, the state of Italian football, and Ibrahimović also reflected on his role and what he is learning.
Here are the statements, as relayed via Milan News
On the different mentality towards sport in the United States and Italy:
"I come from Europe, where football is like a religion. But if you can combine the two things – the business side and that 'religious' passion – I truly believe you create the perfect match. Cardinale owns AC Milan, but the fans think it's their club because it means something incredibly important to them, and they were often born into the culture of the team they support."
On how his career behind the scenes is going:
"It's going well. I'm in good hands. Cardinale promised me he'll make me a billionaire," he joked. "This is a new chapter in my career. I have the opportunity to work for RedBird and I'm surrounded by great people. I feel humble in this situation. It was something I wanted to explore, to take another step instead of just being a former professional athlete who spends his time training to stay fit. I wanted to take a new step in my career into the business world. Every day I see numbers upon numbers. I feel very humble, I want to learn, I want to grow in this world, and I'm grateful for this opportunity."
On what Gerry Cardinale asks of him:
"As Gerry said, he wants me to be the same Zlatan I was on the pitch, but in business, without changing. The thing I noticed when I retired and started working in an office is that it works just like a dressing room. There's a leader whom everyone follows, someone who sets the standard and establishes the mentality. That's what I'd like to bring: to be myself, but to be the leader and have people follow me."
On the biggest lesson he has taught Gerry Cardinale, Ibrahimovic answered:
"To stay calm and not let emotions take over because when you make decisions based on emotion, you make mistakes. Gerry is learning the hard way because a lot has happened since he arrived at Milan. Every country has its own way of doing things, and Italy is very unique. He's gaining experience through the toughest path because he still isn't enjoying Milan. You can enjoy it when you win. Step by step, he'll enjoy it more and more, and victory will come. European football is different from American sports because in Europe everyone thinks they have the answers until the weight of responsibility falls on them. When that happens, they panic. He has to be strong and patient."
Further on the advice he gives Gerry Cardinale as an advisor:
"I always tell him that he has to build Milan's identity according to who he is, so he can face challenges by representing himself and not pretending to be someone else. Right now, he's building his own culture at Milan, and from there he can grow, knowing that failure is part of success. If everything had been perfect from the start, he wouldn't have learned anything. You wouldn't see the problems or the mistakes. He owns a club that is enormous, truly enormous. I've played for three of the five biggest clubs in the world, and one of them is Milan. We have 650 million fans around the world. I don't choose the team on a Saturday, but there are 650 million fans around the world who do. But Gerry will get there, I'm 100% sure of it. He has the determination and the character to succeed. If he managed to bring me to RedBird, then he can achieve anything, so don't worry..."
His assessment of the current state of Italian football, Ibrahimovic said:
"I don't think the product is good enough. Today, Italian football isn't close to English or Spanish football. I believe the infrastructure in Italy has to change. Just look at Premier League stadiums compared to the Italian ones. They have to change if they want to keep up with the modern game. Otherwise, the gap will become too large and increasingly difficult to close. If they don't change the way they think and work, it's a ship that will sink. I say this because I care about Italian football. I represented it for 10 years, including during the years when it was the best football in the world. Today, that's no longer the case. There are problems competing with even lower-table English clubs for players because footballers would rather go there than join a top Italian team."
