This archive report was first published on 28 December 2019.
December 28, 2019, marked a significant moment in the Serie A season as AC Milan announced the return of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a move that could prove to be the final chapter in the storied career of the Swedish goal-scorer.
Despite being the second-most successful club in Italy behind Juventus in terms of league titles, Milan finds itself in an undignified 10th spot in the standings. Fans will be eager to see Ibrahimovic, who scored 42 goals in 61 games and won a league title and an Italian Super Cup before leaving in 2012, back in action.
However, Ibrahimovic is now seven years older and has a lot more miles on the clock. Nevertheless, his impressive performance last season with LA Galaxy in Major League Soccer, where he scored 31 goals in 31 games, suggests that his power and precision are still there, even if his pace is not.
Playing with players earning far less than him in the U.S. may have taught Ibrahimovic to manage his high expectations and take more responsibility for his team's fortunes. The 38-year-old's ability to rile everyone from rival fans to Pep Guardiola, his coach at Barcelona, is legendary, and a recent incident in his home town of Malmo, where a statue of him was defaced after he acquired an ownership stake in Stockholm rivals Hammmarby, is a testament to his enduring impact.
The contract with Milan runs to the end of the current season with an option for another year, but a lucrative move to China or the Middle East cannot be ruled out. With a thin squad that is 21 points behind leaders and bitter city rivals Inter Milan, a Hollywood ending to Milan's season is highly unlikely. Nevertheless, the drama of Ibrahimovic's return will make Serie A required watching as his career enters its final act.
