Former AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimović discussed the executive role he holds at the Italian club before their Champions League defeat to Liverpool on Tuesday, saying “the others work for me.”
Milan’s owners, RedBird Capital, announced in December 2023 that Ibrahimović had joined as an operating partner with the remit of being a senior advisor to the club. The Sweden great announced his retirement from football at the end of the 2022-23 season after stints with Milan, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, Barcelona and LA Galaxy.
Asked by Sky Sport to clarify his role, Ibrahimović, 42, said: “I am the boss and I am in charge, all the others work for me.”
Ibrahimović went on to answer a question about criticism of his work from former club director Zvonimir Boban.
“When the lion goes away, the kittens arrive. When the lion comes back, the kittens disappear,” Ibrahimović said. “The level is very low, there is too much talk but I only think about working. I was away for personal reasons, but I have been here since day one.”
Ibrahimović spoke highly of Milan’s transfer business in the summer window.
“It went exactly as we wanted, everything we looked for and was missing we got. The last one was [Tammy] Abraham, to provide an extra reinforcement in attack.”