Former AC Milan striker, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, has rejoined the club as an advisor, RedBird Capital Partners, owners of the Serie A outfit announced on Monday.
In a statement published through GlobeNewsWire, RedBird confirmed that Ibrahimovic is back for a third spell at the club – even if he is their employee officially – and also that he will also serve as a Senior Advisor to AC Milan Ownership and Senior Management.
Zlatan is one of the most iconic football players to have ever played the game having won 34 trophies across his spells with Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter, Barcelona, Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and the Los Angeles Galaxy, with over 500 club goals to his name.
It was back on June 4 of this year that the 41-year-old announced his retirement from football following Milan’s final game of the Serie A season, and there had been speculation about what would be next.
The answer is a return to Milan as an Operating Partner at RedBird. As per the statement, Ibra will ‘collaborate with RedBird’s global investment team in supporting the firm’s existing investment portfolio across sports, media and entertainment’.
He will also ‘help source and evaluate new investment opportunities for the firm, and will advise RedBird portfolio companies on commercial projects, digital content strategies and strategic brand building initiatives to extend their presence on a global basis’.
At AC Milan, Ibra will serve as a Senior Advisor to Ownership, which is led by RedBird and includes the New York Yankees.
Gerry Cardinale commented on the return: “We have all been fortunate to witness Zlatan’s greatness as a player and his contributions in leading AC Milan to the top of Serie A. What makes a winner of Zlatan’s caliber is not just physical talent, but also high intellect and an entrepreneurial spirit.
“At RedBird, we have developed partnerships with a very select group of high-performing world class athletes and artists who are able to thrive in the RedBird ecosystem across our sports, media and entertainment portfolio.