Zlatan Ibrahimovic is becoming increasingly detached from AC Milan's day-to-day operations. This is reflected in his increasingly rare public appearances alongside business partner Gerry Cardinale, as well as his limited presence at the Milanello training ground, where he was spotted on 14 September (the eve of Milan's Europa League opener against Benfica) after an absence of six months. The latest report from Sky Sport adds further weight to the rumours surrounding his position.
While it remains unclear whether this shift is the result of a decision made by Ibrahimovic himself or by Gerry Cardinale, Sky reports that the former Rossoneri striker should no longer be considered an internal, quasi-executive figure at Milan.
His continued involvement in the Rossoneri set-up would instead be limited to his role as Senior Advisor to RedBird, although his responsibilities would still relate to football matters.
Having invested alongside Cardinale, Ibrahimovic will remain far more in the background than he was in the past. This was not the case when he formally took up the role in December 2023, nor in the months that followed, particularly in the summer of 2024, when he took part in a lengthy press conference at Milanello to outline the sporting project entrusted to Paulo Fonseca.
Milan's overhaul:
Ibrahimovic had effectively disappeared from the radar by the end of the 2024-25 season, following a few brief visits to the training ground in Carnago. His name returned to the spotlight last spring, however, as reports of tensions with former head coach Massimiliano Allegri gradually came to light. Further details also emerged about his contacts with members of the Rossoneri squad who were reportedly not fully aligned with the coaching staff.
It cannot be ruled out that Ibrahimovic's position was also affected by the summer restructuring initiated by Cardinale, which led to the departure of the entire previous sporting department, including Allegri, Igli Tare and Geoffrey Moncada, as well as chief executive Giorgio Furlani from the management side.
In recent months, Italian newspaper 'La Verità' reported significant details about the remuneration Zlatan Ibrahimovic is said to receive as an adviser to Gerry Cardinale. According to the report, his five-year contract includes a basic salary of $1 million, along with a series of convertible warrants that would allow him to acquire additional shares in AC Milan in the future.
