‘If I retire, football dies’

With Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s 41st birthday around the corner later this year it’s no surprise to see that the legend was questioned on retirement by a fan, but his response showed that he’s still the same man that football fans have come to know over the last 20 years.

According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Zlatan responded with “When do I retire? Never. If I retire, football dies” when a fan asked whether the icon was contemplating hanging up his boots.

Remarkably, Ibrahimovic is still making an impact at the highest level with the Swedish superstar retuning to AC Milan in January 2020.

The centre-forward helped them take a step back towards their former glory and standing within world football as the Rossoneri triumphed in Serie A last season.

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Ibrahimovic was limited to 23 outings in Italy’s top-flight last term but still came up with the goods as he contributed eight goals and three assists on Milan’s journey to a long-awaited title.

The legend’s ‘football will die with me’ quip couldn’t actually be any further from the truth, yes that sense of entertaining showmanship will be lost when Zlatan calls it a day, but the moments he’s created with Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, PSG, LA Galaxy, Manchester United and of course the Swedish national team are etched into football’s history books and will never be forgotten.

Zlatan is currently recovering from a knee injury and there’s no doubt that Milan fans are raring to see the enigmatic star back in action, just like the rest of the football world.