At the Festival dello Sport in Trento, there is also Zlatan Ibrahimovic featuring.
The Swede spoke about several topics.
Here are his words:
"Today I represent RedBird, the fund that owns Milan. I try to help everyone do better. I still train and have other projects. After retiring, I need to do something to feel alive, even if the adrenaline of being a player is gone," as relayed via Milan News.
Your rest didn’t last long...
"It lasted only three months. Then I took on this new role. After a year I cut my hair, in another year I’ll be bald," he joked.
How are your days now? Do you spend more time in Italy or Sweden? Ibrahimovic replied:
"Eighty percent of my time is in Italy. Every day I wake up, train, then go to Milanello or Casa Milan. I travel a lot too, I want to explore the world that Cardinale opened for me. I want new experiences to grow."
You don’t have an office at Casa Milan. Why?
"Because I want to be more open. If I have a meeting, I go to the person I need to see."
You asked for three things before saying yes to Milan...
"Cardinale convinced me after five or six meetings. I asked for three things: a long-term project, to win because I always want to win, and to always be myself."
How are you with your kids who play football?
"I don’t interfere with their coaches. I give them advice. It’s not easy for them to have a father like me. They are already judged because of me. The first advice I gave was not to play football, but it didn’t work. Then I told them to use their mother’s surname, but people still recognize them. Whatever they achieve, they must earn it, not because their name is Ibrahimovic."
You’re not married?
"No. I asked my partner, but she said no. She’s the only one who says no to me. We’re happy together, we’ve been together many years, and every day we’re closer."
There’s a picture at home of your feet...
"I put it there so my family remembers that everything we have came thanks to these feet."
What do you say about the current Milan? Ibrahimovic commented:
"We’re doing well. Allegri arrived, he’s a winning coach, he brought his experience, balance, and stability. The club built a competitive squad. Now we move step by step, all united to put Max in the best position to succeed."
Allegri often gets criticized for his style of play...
"Milan must win. As long as we win, the criticism goes away. When you don’t win, it comes closer. Everyone judges by results. This Milan is playing well, it’s a good mix with many talented players. It’s not true that the team plays badly."
Did you ever argue with Massimiliano Allegri?
"Many times. People remember what happened in London against Arsenal after we won 4-0 at home and lost 3-0 away. When I lose, I’m not happy. I don’t remember if he made a joke, but I told him he brought two goalkeepers on the bench, and he replied I had played badly. That’s how it started. Between two winners, these things happen, it’s normal. Some things shouldn’t come out in the papers. People might think it’s not normal, but for us it is. Especially for me."
About Leao, Ibrahimovic said:
"What is Leao missing? Many talk about him. If people didn’t talk about him, he wouldn’t be one of the best. People talk about the best. If we look at the past, when we won the Scudetto, for me he won it by himself. He made the difference. The team followed this phenomenon. Leao won the Scudetto as a phenomenon, on his own. We expect a lot from him because he has this magic, every time he does something special… when he doesn’t, the criticism comes. We wait for him because he is one of the best in the world. That’s all.”
Speaking about Luka Modric, Ibrahimovic clearly repeated his view:
"Modric is a master. He doesn’t play football, he is football. Don’t wait, if you do that they’re ready. You just have to lead.” More or less like I did. He is much more of a leader on the pitch. My way may seem more aggressive and tougher, but for me it’s normal. Still, one player alone doesn’t make the difference, and this team is well balanced."
What do you think of Mourinho and Guardiola?
"They changed football. I worked with both, I grew under both. They made history. Both wanted me in their teams. They are very different, Mourinho was all mental, he got inside your head. One believes in a style of play, the other in a different one. Did I forgive Guardiola? He had problems, not me. I met him in New York and he was happy to see me."
Who was the most important coach for you?
"I always say Capello. He made me step from a great player to a superstar. From there, a new path started for me. Capello was a coach who lifts you up and then puts your feet back on the ground. That was his way with me, not everyone. He got into the head of every player and made them follow. Capello turned me from a normal player into a beast."
After Dembélé won the Ballon d’Or, you posted a video with all your trophies. Was it intentional?
"It had nothing to do with the Ballon d’Or. The video was made four months ago. I’m not someone who lives on social media, I wake up and post what I want. I don’t regret not winning the Ballon d’Or. The strongest doesn’t always win. I didn’t win the Champions League either, but people will remember I didn’t win it more than 90% of players who did. Dembélé won because he won the Champions, but for me the Ballon d’Or is individual, the one who performed best individually is Yamal in my view. This doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve it, just to be clear."
How do you see Francesco Camarda?
"I care a lot about Camarda. I took a photo with him when he was a kid, I didn’t know who he was. I went to Vismare to motivate the boys. It was 2019, but I saw his message only a year ago. Not from arrogance, I’m not very active on social media. Once he tagged me, so I saw it. We played together, I told him he could have told me he sent a message. I waited for his first Serie A goal to post that message. I hoped he’d do it with Milan. Now he’s on loan, next year he’ll return, he must follow his path. I’m happy for him, very happy. Italian football lacks a number 9 like him."
Tonight Italy plays an important World Cup match. What do you tell your friend Gattuso?
"I wish him the best. He motivates and gives adrenaline, he has a strong mentality. I hope he does the best with the national team. Italy suffered in recent years without going to the World Cup. Italy should go to every World Cup and European Championship. Everything starts with youth teams. We created Milan Futuro to produce new players, especially Italians. At Milan, we try to grow talents and make them superstars."
Who is your top three of all time?
"Zlatan, Ibra, and Ibrhimovic (laughs). Okay, I step aside from the podium: I say Ronaldo the Phenomenon, he was football. Then Maradona, a true player, always himself, played with emotion. Third place, Messi for what he won."
Do you have friends in football?
"Mexwell is a friend, we played together, shared the same agent. We grew together. As a player, he was one of the most elegant. We talk often."
How many cars do you have?
"I have a big passion for cars, especially Ferraris. It extended my career because they are expensive (smiles)."
What is the strangest thing you bought?
"I don’t remember. The island? No, for me it’s normal."
How is your ideal footballer?
"Header: Jardel. Chest: Ginola, very elegant. Hands: Buffon. Legs: Zidane, very elegant too. Left foot: Maldini, one of the strongest and most complete defenders ever."
The toughest defender you faced?
"There are tough players who respect you, and then those who are mean to hurt. Maldini and Nesta were respectful, same with Samuel and Chiellini, my favorite. We had great duels. Good duels."
This is your third chapter at Milan…
"My first time at Milan brought happiness because I came from Barcelona where I wasn’t happy. Then I left, not by choice. The return gave me love, I closed my career here and the San Siro farewell I will remember forever. Many players cried. It was a different Milan from the first. We grew and won a Scudetto no one believed in. I said from day one I would bring Milan back to the top. The third chapter is history, we are making history."
