The always exciting Swedish international has announced to the world that he plans to leave professional football for good in the fall of 2014 when his contract with Milan runs out.
Although Ibra has set the date for his retirement, he has also set the bar high for his achievements with AC Milan over next few years as to not let down his supporters too much.
“I want to continue playing for two or three more seasons and want to win every possible trophy while wearing the jersey of Milan,” Ibrahimovic was quoted as saying by Tuttosport.
The 29-year-old attacker, who holds the record for the second highest transfer fee in football history, has won eight consecutive league titles in three different countries and has been one of the most consistent footballers in the world over the last ten years. Not only has he played for some of the most prestigious and successful clubs on earth, his list of achievements includes: Serie A player of the year in 2008 and 2009, Serie A top scorer in 2009, Swedish male athlete of the year 2007 and 2010. The list goes on and on. In fact, there’ve only been three times in his entire professional career (a career that started in 1999) when his club didn’t top its league. The only thing missing from his trophy rack is a Champions league medal which he’s hoping to grab in the next few years with the Rossoneri.
Zlatan has no doubt been in his best form ever in the last three years, so to hear him say he’s already planning his retirement may seem a little hard to believe. Whether or not he will able to hang up his boots and walk away at 33-years-old like Zidane we’ll see, but with all of the claims he’s made in his career this may just be another way to get back into the headlines.