Friends of MilanNews.it, good morning! There is great anticipation for the Zlatan Ibrahimovic press conference – Rossoneri Senior Advisor – who, in a few minutes and in front of around 70 journalists, will speak directly from Milanello Sports Center to present the next Rossoneri season. An official announcement is expected Paulo Fonseca as the new coach but many other declarations on his role within the club, on the transfer market and the under 23s. Apart from an intervention alongside Cardinale in London at the beginning of the year, it will be the first time that Ibra will speak as a Rossoneri manager. Follow Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s conference with the usual live text from MilanNews.it!
11.41 – Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s press conference begins
On the beginning of his third life at Milan, as a manager off the pitch. What do you want to bring?: “I can start to say that after six months I already got gray hair. After my retirement, after 20-25 years, you have a new freedom in life, to do things. Then I have two children for whom I have been away from the family for a long time, because in football there is this sacrifice: hotels, matches, travel. I had this moment to be closer. In my mind it was important to be active man from Milan, who told me to come to Milanello to say hello (before Newcastle, ed). I didn’t know anything and it was all done with friendship. Then I had my first meeting with Gerry Cardinale and we talked a few hours just me and him. He asked me about my life and my future: he made me a proposal to return to Milan but to be Operating Partner in RedBird. Then I said to Gerry: if I have to join Milan it must be a winning project. Those who know me personally know that I don’t accept losing, I want to win, I have to win and I will win. Gerry replied: Welcome. We are on the same page and with ambition. We started from there and after six months I already have gray hair…”
What struck you most about Cardinale? “We spoke with Gerry a lot before starting this adventure, this third life. I met the person and we speak the same language, we have the same thoughts. Gerry is a winner: with Milan he wants to arrive, do in his own way and with ambition to create a winning project not only for the present but in the long term. I told him that I am the perfect man, with intelligence obviously. I have been here for six months but it is how they have been working for two years… But always with great ambition.”
What is your role within Milan today: “My role is simple. I understand that many people ask. I am Operating Partner of RedBird and my responsibility is Milan, I work very close to Gerry Cardinale and do operations with Moncada and Furlani. I am always between Casa Milan, Milanello and Vismara: but it’s not a one man show, everyone has their role and everyone is important with their responsibility. How the team works on the pitch, there’s another one working above that, right?
What is the next step for Milan? “The next step is to strengthen the team, make it even stronger to be competitive for the objectives we have which are trophies, not only in Italy but also in Europe. There was a period between 2011 and 2023 in which Milan in Europe it wasn’t Milan. The ambitions and objectives are not only for the present but also for the future. Every year we play for trophies: Milan doesn’t win, Milan makes history others. Whoever joins Milan must have the same ambition to win and make history, and whoever within Milan doesn’t have these ambitions will have no space. Then no one said that we are satisfied: we finished second and we didn’t do well in the Europa League good. But after a championship we evaluate what worked and what didn’t, where we can improve there is no limit, we want to be stronger.”
What makes you optimistic about the future? “I am very optimistic and positive. We have a group with managers who are young and hungry, they want to make a difference. We have our strategy that we are following. It’s not that you lose a match, panic and change everything. We are very confident of what we do, everything is under control. Everyone does this job for Milan, there are no personal objectives ‘It’s a little quiet doesn’t mean we don’t work. We’re a podcast or talk show, when there’s a desire to communicate we communicate.”
The announcement about the new coach: “Before starting, I want to say thank you to Stefano Pioli for what he has done for Milan on behalf of the owners, the club and me personally, having had him as a coach: he remains in the history of Milan, he deserves all the compliments he has received The new coach of Milan will be Paulo Fonseca. We have studied well, we have set criteria on what we are looking for and what we want: with a lot of thought we have chosen Fonseca to bring his identity to those players we have, for how we want the team to play with. a dominant and offensive game. We wanted to bring something new to the players: we studied how he coaches, how he plays, how he prepares the matches. Bringing something new to San Siro too, after five years, is what we have as much as possible. Fonseca is the right man, we are very confident and we believe in him a lot”
Where are you at on the Zirkzee deal and is it similar to you? “If we talk about the team, a year ago my colleagues did a great job and a great market in a short time. Today there are the foundations of the team. This market will be more about details, what is missing to improve the team. One of these he is number 9 after Olivier’s great work. There is Jovic but there is room for another. Zirkzee is a strong player, it’s no secret, he has potential and has had a great season and in reality there are two big differences. I don’t like comparing players: he plays very well, he comes from the Dutch school where I grew up. Then I don’t want to say whether he’s another Ibra or not.”
How can Milan become victorious again? Is the minimum goal the second star? “With Cardinale we speak the same language, the same ambitions. I wouldn’t come here if I didn’t see this ambition and a winning project. The team always needs a squad that competes. When we won the last championship we weren’t even top 4 in the league, if you are favorite doesn’t mean you will win. My mentality is not to be in the top 4. Obviously the goal is to win, everything we do is to aim to win trophies, create a competitive team. What we are doing is to achieve the objectives established but always with the way and strategy we have thought of. We want to do things intelligently, we are not here to show off our muscles and that we can spend more than everyone: the reality is not like that.”
