Even before kick-off in Milan’s final Serie A round against Hellas Verona, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was hailed by the supporters with both tifo and songs.
After the final whistle, Ibrahimovic gave a speech in which he thanked the supporters and the club for everything. And then came the already famous words:
“The time has come to say goodbye to football, but not to you,” he said.
He later announced that his career was over, at a press conference after the ceremony.
— Today is my last day as a professional footballer.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic thanked all the teams he played with during his career, not least the Swedish national team.
— I am really happy with what I have achieved. I am happy and proud that my career lasted this long. I want to thank everyone around me who gave me the strength, the adrenaline and the passion to continue.
— As for the future, we’ll see. The next chapter in my life? We’ll see, continued Ibrahimovic.
When asked if he could imagine continuing in a leadership role in the Swedish national team, he answered first and foremost that he should take it easy, enjoy and look back on everything he has done.
— We’ll see when the time comes, when I feel ready for proposals from all sides, at all.