Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he would face no moral issues playing in Saudi Arabia, but questioned why players would not want to end their career on the big stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo, Brazil striker Neymar, Karim Benzema and England midfielder Jordan Henderson are among players to have made the switch to the Saudi Pro League, along with former Manchester City forward Riyad Mahrez and Ruben Neves.

Ibrahimovic, who retired from football in June, has played for some of the leading clubs in Europe, including Juventus, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris St Germain and Manchester United, while also having a successful spell in America with LA Galaxy later in his career.

The 42-year-old former Sweden international revealed in an interview with Piers Morgan Uncensored he had received an offer from Saudi Arabia as well as China, but feels the level of competition must always be top of any footballer’s list.

“I had an offer also from China, I had an offer also from Saudi,” he said. “But the situation is, what do you want? What objectives do you have? I said before we started, like certain players need to finish their career on the big stage because that is the high end of your career.

“You have to be remembered for your talent, not for what you earned. Because if you were remembered in the opposite way, what we are training every day for, what we are being recognised for is our talent and that is what you want to be remembered for.

“So I think certain players that reach a certain level, they have to stop at a certain stage and that’s the big stage.

“You cannot go in a lower stage and finish your career in a different way, but some players needed the situations where you can earn a lot of money because they didn’t earn enough.”

When asked about whether he would have a moral problem playing in Saudi Arabia, Ibrahimovic said: “No, absolutely not.

“You have the golf situation now. They came together and they made it one, so I am just sorry for the (golf) players that didn’t go before because they didn’t get the money that the (other) players got.

“Listen, wherever you play football, it’s football. Football connects people. It’s a dream we share, both of us.

“As a professional football player, as long as you play football – and Saudi is growing, MLS is growing. China had a peak and then I don’t know the situation changed there.

“But a moral thing? No. We do things for ourself and our family. Who will judge you in five or 10 years when you have a wealthy, healthy life and have a good life?

“Nothing is for free – you (Morgan) don’t work for free, I don’t work for free. I don’t need money, but I am very expensive.”

Chelsea are reportedly investigating a potential transfer for Sadio Mane after the forward's highly publicised bust-up with Bayern Munich team-mate Leroy Sane.

Mane, 31, won the Premier League and Champions League with Liverpool before joining Bayern in a £27million (€32m) transfer in June.

His first season in Germany has resulted in 10 goals and five assists in his 30 combined appearances in the Bundesliga and Champions League, making 22 starts.

While he has been far from a disappointment, his future at the club is now up in the air after a widely reported incident where he punched his team-mate after a 3-0 Champions League defeat against Manchester City.

 

TOP STORY – CHELSEA TO OFFER MANE A RETURN TO THE PREMIER LEAGUE

According to Football Insider, Sadio Mane "is now believed to be on the radar of Chelsea", and the Stamford Bridge club are now "ready to consider a shock move".

The report states Bayern will only be looking to recoup the majority of the fee they paid for the Senegalese star, and would provide a far cheaper alternative to Napoli's 24-year-old sensation Victor Osimhen.

It also adds that Mane's former club Liverpool have no interest in bringing him back to Anfield.

 

ROUND-UP

– The Telegraph is reporting that West Ham's 24-year-old midfielder Declan Rice is Arsenal's top priority in the next transfer window.

Aston Villa are planning a bid for 27-year-old Brentford striker Ivan Toney, who also has interest from Manchester United, per Football Insider.

– According to Gazzetta dello Sport, Milan would like to secure 30-year-old Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata as a replacement for injury-prone veteran Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

– Former Chelsea boss Thomas Tuchel wants to reunite with 28-year-old midfielder Mateo Kovacic at Bayern Munich, per Sport1.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Antonio Conte is being made to pay by Tottenham for "being himself".

Conte is widely expected to be sacked in the coming days following his outburst after Spurs let a two-goal lead slip in last weekend's 3-3 Premier League draw at Southampton.

The Italian accused his players of being "selfish" and playing with "no heart", with that draw following swiftly on from Tottenham's FA Cup and Champions League exits.

But Ibrahimovic, who has never previously played under Conte, has defended the multi-title-winning coach for speaking his mind in public.

"Every single person works in his own way. Somebody tries to be an actor, pretend. Somebody is being himself, somebody is trying to be perfect," he told Sky Sports.

"I believe in being yourself, and sometimes you pay for it because that's not what the people want to hear. 

"I prefer to be myself and express myself like I think and the way I want. We all work in our own way."

Conte has spent the past week in Italy, and his future is likely to be decided by the middle of next week at the latest when Tottenham's international players return to training.

Milan veteran Ibrahimovic is himself away on international duty with Sweden and was introduced as a second-half substitute in Friday's 3-0 Euro 2024 qualifying loss to Belgium.

Sweden's oldest player at the age of 41 years and five months, Ibrahimovic has no plans to call time on his career just yet.

"I want to continue playing football," said Ibrahimovic, who has played four times for Milan since returning from a long-term injury lay-off last month. 

"If I feel good, this is my priority, and I feel very good at Milan. If they want me to keep me then I'm happy. I'm available."

What Zlatan Ibrahimovic likes most about Qatar is everything.

He made that point in a Sweden press conference on Tuesday, giving 10/10 ratings to all aspects of the World Cup experience and saluting the country's lack of crime and drug problems.

The 41-year-old Milan striker had no part to play in the Qatar 2022 finals, owing to Sweden's failure to qualify, but he was a guest at the final, being pictured at the Argentina versus France showpiece game along with tennis superstar Novak Djokovic.

Asked for his impressions of the tournament and the country as a whole, Ibrahimovic said: "It was fantastic. As awesome as it gets. I was there for two days with the family."

He gave a rundown of his ratings for all aspects he encountered, saying: "The organisation: 10 points. The experience: 10 points. The match: 10 points. Crowd: 10 points. The food: 10 points. The journey: 10 points. Everything was 10 points."

When it was pointed out to Ibrahimovic that Qatar has faced criticism over alleged human rights abuses, Ibrahimovic stuck to his theme and gave a final mark to the country.

"Ten points," he said.

Pressure groups have claimed women and people from LGBTQ+ communities are particularly badly treated in Qatar, along with migrant workers.

Amnesty International said ahead of the World Cup that hundreds of thousands of such workers had been exploited, pointing to thousands dying suddenly or unexpectedly.

The same organisation said last week that "many thousands of workers have been unable to obtain compensation for horrific abuses linked to the World Cup", calling on football's world governing body FIFA to ensure this is rectified.

Qatar has been accused by its critics of attempting to 'sportswash' its reputation by putting on a successful major event that runs smoothly and paints the country in a positive light internationally.

Ibrahimovic will not be levelling such an accusation at Qatar's door, though, because he had a 10/10 time during his stay.

Speaking in a further interview with broadcaster SVT, the former Barcelona, Manchester United and Paris Saint-Germain striker added: "I think they have given opportunities to get a job. Then how they treated them, I haven't been there and seen, so I can't judge and answer those questions."

Ibrahimovic played for PSG during the early years of the Qatar Sports Investments era at the Parc des Princes, and Qatari club chairman Nasser Al-Khelaifi joined him and Djokovic in their World Cup final photo.

The veteran Swede therefore has that close connection, and Ibrahimovic said: "Qatar as a country, I think it is a system that works. Are there drugs? No. Is there crime? No. Is there crime in Sweden? Yes, very much. Drugs? Yes.

"Qatar's system works. The Swedish system? It works, but if it works 100 per cent, I don't know."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic revealed it took three knee operations to rescue his career at the end of last season, as the Milan striker returned to centre stage on Tuesday with Sweden.

The 41-year-old spoke at a national team press conference ahead of Friday's Euro 2024 qualifier against Belgium, having been called up by coach Janne Andersson.

Two years have passed since Andersson recalled Ibrahimovic after a long spell in the international wilderness, and he has endured cruel fortune in that subsequent time, with a knee injury ruling him out of the delayed Euro 2020 finals.

That blow in 2021 was followed by Ibrahimovic requiring anterior cruciate knee ligament surgery at the end of last season, which was necessary to extend his playing days.

Milan announced in late May that Ibrahimovic, who played through the pain barrier to help them win the Serie A title, had undergone an operation on the problematic left knee.

Ibrahimovic said on Tuesday: "The truth is I had three surgeries, not one."

He explained the process of getting the knee back in working order was then a struggle, and he had to stubbornly persist while initially seeing no improvement.

"The problem was that the feedback was not positive," he said. "They tried to move forward, but it was then two steps backwards.

"I never saw any light that gave me energy, that gave me answers that what I was doing was good. But then something happened and I came out of a dark room and everything became bright and positive. It was hard, but I had a lot of patience."

He is set to be a substitute against Belgium and Azerbaijan during this international camp, and to score for his country again, for the first time since netting against Denmark in November 2015, would cap his comeback.

"That would mean everything," Ibrahimovic said. "I want to be compared to everyone else. But it's always fun to score goals in the national team of course and here at home in front of the Swedish people. If the opportunity comes, I will score, 100 per cent."

As the old man of the team, Ibrahimovic knows he is particularly conspicuous in the company of far younger colleagues.

He scored a penalty in Milan's weekend defeat to Udinese, becoming the oldest scorer in Serie A history, and is determined to wring every last drop from his career.

"I was sitting yesterday when we had dinner," he said, quoted in Aftonbladet. "I told [my team-mates]: 'You're probably wondering what I'm doing here. That you think I'm stupid in the head. That I am here, 41 years old and playing in the national team.'

"But then I said: 'Wait until you're near the end. Then you will understand everything I am doing now, that it will be like a panic. You don't want to stop, you want to continue.'"

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was "proud" to become Serie A's oldest goalscorer, but it was little consolation after Milan were beaten 3-1 at Udinese.

Aged 41 years and 166 days, Ibrahimovic's penalty in first-half stoppage time at Stadio Friuli saw him overtake former Milan defender Alessandro Costacurta (41 years and 25 days – May 2007).

Ibrahimovic – who captained Milan – slammed his spot-kick down the middle of the goal after being fortunately allowed to retake it, having seen his initial effort saved by Marco Silvestri before the VAR ordered it to be taken again after Udinese's Beto had encroached.

That equalised Roberto Pereyra's ninth-minute strike, but Beto restored Udinese's lead just two minutes after Milan levelled, before Kingsley Ehizibue wrapped things up in the second half.

"It would have been much better if Costacurta had kept this record," Ibrahimovic said to Sky Sport Italia after the game. "I am proud to enter the history of this club which is a great club where many great players have passed and that means a lot to me.

"This goal didn't bring three points in my first as captain and unfortunately the game didn't go as we wanted. I felt very well, I haven't played in the starting line-up for 14 months, the important thing is to feel good and if I'm as good as today, I can play, I have no doubts about that."

The Rossoneri have suffered seven defeats in the league, five of which have come in their last nine games, having lost just four on their way to winning the Scudetto last season.

Ibrahimovic suggested that teams have been putting a bit more effort in against Milan this season as the defending champions.

"Playing as the Italian champions means that each team faces you as if it were a final, it's different from last year," he said. "This year we have more pressure in all matches, it's normal but you have to be ready because everyone wants to beat you.

"This team doesn't have the experience of playing as champions of Italy, we can't have the same high performance in all the games, but that's not an excuse, it's just an explanation to understand the situation."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic's landmark Serie A goal was the only highlight of a poor display for Milan as they were beaten 3-1 at Udinese on Saturday.

On his first start since January 2022 following his recovery from a knee injury, Ibrahimovic became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history, overtaking Milan legend Alessandro Costacurta.

The 41-year-old converted a penalty at the second attempt in first-half stoppage time, cancelling out Roberto Pereyra's opener at Stadio Friuli, yet Udinese nevertheless went into the break with the lead thanks to Beto's effort two minutes later.

Kingsley Ehizibue added a third in the 70th minute, sealing eighth-placed Udinese's first home league win since they defeated Inter in September.

Udinese took the lead after just nine minutes when Ismael Bennacer's pass was intercepted after Fikayo Tomori was caught napping - Lazar Samardzic teeing up Pereyra, who rolled the ball into the far corner.

Milan were given a golden chance to equalise just before half-time though when Jaka Bijol was judged to have handled the ball in as he tried to dispossess Rafael Leao in Udinese's area.

Marco Silvestri initially saved well from Ibrahimovic's penalty down to his left, but Beto's encroachment handed the Sweden forward another chance, and he duly smashed straight down the middle.

Beto swiftly made amends, though, benefiting from Isaac Success' fine work to restore the hosts' lead.

Milan's comeback hopes were dented further when Ehizibue turned the ball in from Destiny Udogie's mishit shot.

Rade Krunic lashed over from Milan's best subsequent chance, as their rough form continued.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic became the oldest goalscorer in Serie A history amid scenes of high drama as the 41-year-old netted a twice-taken penalty in Saturday's clash with Udinese.

At the age of 41 years and 166 days, the veteran Sweden international beat a record previously held by Alessandro Costacurta, the former Milan defender, who was 41 years and 25 days old when he scored, also against Udinese, in May 2007.

Ibrahimovic was making his first start in the Italian top flight since January 23, 2022, having undergone career-extending knee surgery at the end of last season's Scudetto campaign.

His goal was an equaliser for Stefano Pioli's team shortly before half-time at Stadio Friuli, with Jaka Bijol ruled to have handled the ball in the penalty area as he tried to tackle Rafael Leao.

Marco Silvestri saved well from Ibrahimovic's spot-kick, going down to his left, but encroachment from Udinese striker Beto meant the spot-kick had to be re-taken.

Udinese were furious, with head coach Andrea Sottil sent off for his protestations, but this time Ibrahimovic was clinical, smashing his kick straight down the centre.

Two minutes later, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Milan slipped 2-1 behind when Beto made up for his encroachment offence by finishing past Mike Maignan from an Isaac Success cross.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is in contention to start for Milan against Udinese on Saturday as the 41-year-old looks to lift Stefano Pioli's' struggling champions.

The striker, recalled by Sweden this week, has recovered from major knee surgery and come through three substitute appearances.

Now the veteran is a prime contender to line up from the first whistle as Milan are forced to cope without the suspended Olivier Giroud in their last game before the international break.

Ibrahimovic is already the oldest player to feature for Milan in a Serie A game during the three-points-for-a-win era (since 1994-95), and Pioli would have no doubts about his readiness.

"Zlatan is calm; he wants to play and win every game," Pioli said on Friday. "He's feeling good, but I don't think he's got 90 minutes in him. He could start, as could Divock [Origi] and Ante [Rebic]."

Ibrahimovic has been involved in five goals in his last four games against Udinese in Serie A (3 goals, 2 assists) and is looking to start a game in Serie A for the first time since January 23, 2022, when he faced Juventus.

Winger Rafael Leao should keep his place despite what Pioli described as a "strange situation" on Monday, when the Portugal international put in a flat performance in the 1-1 draw with Salernitana, a result that followed defeat to Fiorentina in Milan's previous league game.

Coach Pioli is surprised by how little impact Leao is having at times, but he expects him to come good.

"Rafa is training really well. He's very motivated and determined, and he remains an important figure in our attack because, even if he's not scoring, he keeps opposition defences occupied," Pioli said.

"My advice to him would be to stay close to those who care deeply for him and want to help him grow. Goals and decisive pieces of play are expected from him, but, as previously mentioned, he's dangerous even when he doesn't score."

Ibrahimovic was left off Milan's Champions League squad list, so Pioli must plan without him for the quarter-final against runaway Serie A leaders Napoli.

That was the match-up that came out of Friday's draw, and it is not one that intimidates the Rossoneri, who have won Europe's premier club competition seven times.

Quoted on Milan's official website, Pioli said: "Napoli are enjoying a great league campaign, but the Champions League is the Champions League and AC Milan are AC Milan. It's exciting and fascinating and our opponents are very strong, but we're deservedly part of it and have plenty of motivation and ambition.

"We'll play with the aim of making it through. We'll have time to talk about the Champions League, which is certainly an objective of ours, but, right now, doing well in our next three league games is crucial."

Milan sit fourth in Serie A, a point ahead of Roma who have a derby against third-placed Lazio coming up on Sunday.

Dropping points to mid-table Udinese would be a jarring way to enter the international break for the San Siro giants.

"It's not the break itself that will be important but how we head into it," said Pioli, "meaning tomorrow's result will be vital."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is set to return to international duty with Sweden after he was selected for their Euro 2024 qualifiers against Belgium and Azerbaijan.

The Milan forward has spent most of the season on the sidelines after undergoing a knee operation at the end of the 2021-22 campaign, following a Serie A title triumph.

Despite having only played just over an hour across three games since his return this year, the 41-year-old has been included in Janne Andersson's latest squad.

Speaking on his decision to bring the veteran in despite questions over his fitness, the coach praised the forward's influence off the pitch while stressing he will have a role to play on it.

"Zlatan and I have been in contact throughout the period up to and including his injury," he said.

"Now he feels good enough that he can come into the squad.

"His personality and leadership qualities are good off the pitch, but the idea is for him to come and contribute on it. Otherwise, I wouldn't have picked him."

Ibrahimovic's last appearance for Sweden came almost a year ago, when the country were eliminated by Poland in the World Cup play-offs for Qatar 2022.

Then, he was a substitute, and Andersson acknowledges he is likely to play a role from the bench again when called upon for their upcoming fixtures.

"I don't see him as a starting player," he added. "It will be more like what it has been for him in Milan, that there are opportunities for him to jump in."

Andersson further underlined that Ibrahimovic's selection would not be the final time he was called up despite his advanced age, and says the ball is in the player's court over his international future.

"If you are at the level where you can play for Milan, you are relevant," he added.

"It is about his own attitude too in terms of whether he wants to continue or not. Zlatan is very eager and wants to contribute."

With 121 games under his belt, Ibrahimovic is the sixth-most-capped player in Sweden history, though he still has some way to go if he wants to take the all-time record of 148 caps from former midfielder Anders Svensson.

Stefano Pioli wants Rafael Leao to lead a Milan resurgence as he warned his team their Champions League run must not come at the expense of a top-four finish.

The Milan head coach said Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not yet ready to start games after making two substitute appearances since returning from major knee surgery.

They cannot therefore look to the inspirational Swedish veteran, but in 23-year-old Portuguese winger Leao they have a proven match-winner and last season's Serie A MVP.

Beaten by Fiorentina in the last round of games, Milan host Salernitana on Monday, and victory would vault them back into the top four.

The Rossoneri were on a high after booking a Champions League quarter-final spot on Wednesday, edging through at Tottenham's expense.

Now Pioli wants them to book another adventure in that competition with a strong finish to their domestic campaign.

"We are aware that we have to focus on the league with attention and determination," Pioli said. "To repeat the feelings we are experiencing in the Champions League, we need to finish in the top four in Serie A, and we are focused on achieving this.

"We need to find the consistency that we have lacked so far. The team is doing well physically, mentally and also tactically. We can still improve a lot and performances like the one in London help us to grow."

Milan drew 0-0 with Tottenham to win through 1-0 on aggregate, and they will learn their next Champions League opponents in Friday's draw.

"Tomorrow we have to be the best Milan possible because it's an important match," Pioli said. "As a team, we must and can improve in our choices.

"Ibra will not start against Salernitana. He is improving his fitness and will be ready to help us.

"Leao is giving us a lot, and he played well in the last few games. We have to serve him better. Rafa is the player with the most freedom of movement, and he has to look for spaces to harm the opponent's defence."

Leao had 11 goals and eight assists in Serie A last term, and he has eight goals and six assists this time around, with ample time to top his 2021-22 totals.

Pioli, quoted on Milan's website, said his Serie A champions of last season need to collectively find some of that Scudetto-winning spark again.

"Compared to last season, we are doing better in Europe, not so much in the league," he said. "The goal is to finish in the Champions League places, and every game will be crucial from now on, because there are fewer and fewer to go.

"Before the quarter-finals, we have four matches – difficult and important ones – to play in Serie A; we cannot look beyond that."

Stefano Pioli credited Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his influence on Milan's squad as he suggested the fit-again striker will soon be able to make his first start of the season.

Having undergone anterior cruciate ligament surgery shortly after helping Milan end an 11-year wait to win the Scudetto last May, Ibrahimovic made his first appearance of the campaign last week.

Ibrahimovic entered the fray as a substitute as Milan beat fellow top-four contenders Atalanta 2-0 at San Siro, recording their fourth consecutive victory without conceding across all competitions.

Asked what kind of involvement Ibrahimovic may have when Milan visit Fiorentina on Saturday, Pioli said: "Not full playing time, but he will soon be able to start. 

"Zlatan is Zlatan, it's his strength, his return is important. In training with him or without him, there's definitely a difference."

 

Milan are looking to win five successive games without conceding for just the fifth time in their history on Saturday, having last done so in 2018 under Gennaro Gattuso.

The Rossoneri's run represents a remarkable turnaround after they went seven matches without winning shortly after the World Cup, a downturn which saw them drop out of Serie A's top four and exit the Coppa Italia.

The more positive mood emerging at San Siro has been helped by the returns of Ibrahimovic and goalkeeper Mike Maignan, but Pioli puts their recent improvement down to others stepping up.

"There's more to it [than the returns of Ibrahimovic and Maignan]" Pioli said. "There's the work and the quality of the players. Then we're talking about players who raise the level of the team.

"It's time to give continuity. We are the ones who can influence our performances to achieve positive results, we must play with great attention and great determination. 

"With more players we are stronger, tomorrow [Ismael] Bennacer, [Davide] Calabria and [Alessandro] Florenzi will return."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to basketball star Nikola Jokic after returning from a nine-month injury lay-off in Milan's victory over Atalanta.

The evergreen striker came on in the second half of Sunday's 2-0 win at San Siro, having previously been an unused substitute in three matches this month.

He made history by overtaking Alessandro Costacurta (41y and 25d) as Milan's oldest Serie A player in the three-points-per-win era (since 1993-94) at 41 years and 146 days.

While the Sweden international may turn 42 later this year, he still feels he has a big part to play, just like two-time NBA MVP Jokic for the Denver Nuggets.

"I want to help the team in every way by doing what I have to do to be there on the field," he told Sky Sport. "I want to be there when the coach and the team need me.

"It's obvious things change between the age of 30 and 41, but I feel like Jokic in the NBA."

Ibrahimovic's previous appearance for Milan came in a 3-0 win over Sassuolo on May 25 last year, with the former Barcelona striker injuring his knee and undergoing surgery.

Given his age at the time of the operation and the length of the lay-off, many expected Ibrahimovic to call time on his legendary career.

"I've lived this year with great suffering," he said when asked what it means to be back playing again at the highest level. "I've been out for a year. 

"I didn't feel well and I couldn't do what I wanted to do. I went on with suffering to help the team but in reality I wasn't well. 

"Today I can say that I'm fine and that I can give what I can to the team. Then obviously the more you play, the more you train and the more you improve."

 

Juan Musso's own goal – after Theo Hernandez's volley hit the post and went in off the goalkeeper's back – and Junior Messias' late strike earned Milan a fourth win in a row.

That includes three Serie A wins on the spin without conceding for the first time in a year, helping to lift the Rossoneri level on points with second-place rivals Inter.

It has been a largely disappointing campaign on the whole for Milan as they are 18 points adrift of leaders Napoli, something Ibrahimovic suggested may be down to his absence.

"I've done everything I can to recover, but in the last few weeks I've seen the team do well," he said. "We must continue doing more if we are to do well.

"I feel important and have a great responsibility here. I started an adventure with this team and helped to bring it where we are today. 

"When I'm not available I suffer, and perhaps the teams lacks a bit of my pressure as well as a result."

Stefano Pioli hailed the return of "leaders" Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Mike Maignan after both players made their comeback in Milan's 2-0 win over Atalanta on Sunday.

Ibrahimovic was brought on in the second half for his first appearance since May 2022 when undergoing surgery on his knee that many thought would end his career.

Goalkeeper Maignan was back between the sticks for the first time since sustaining an injury of his own in September, meanwhile, and marked his return with a clean sheet.

The pair coming back into the fold coincides with Milan's best run of form this season, having now won four games in a row in all competitions, and Pioli is delighted to be back to full strength.

"Mike and Zlatan are not only two excellent players, but also two leaders of the team," Pioli, who was taking charge of his 800th career game as a coach, told DAZN. 

"Having them on the pitch helps us a lot. Now we must think about the next match. We will have players absent for that game but will still put in a good performance."

At 41 years and 146 days, Ibrahimovic overtook Alessandro Costacurta (41y, 25d) as Milan's oldest player in Serie A in the three-points-per-win era (1993-94 season).

The veteran striker only had 14 touches of the ball in his 16 minutes in action and did not manage a shot, but Milan's second goal arrived with him on the field.

Junior Messias clipped the ball over Juan Musso, who had earlier scored an unfortunate own goal when Theo Hernandez's 25-yard volley hit the post and went in off his body.

It was a brilliant strike from Hernandez after Olivier Giroud had nodded the ball into his path, and the wing-back believes he should be credited with the goal himself.

"I consider it my goal," he said. "I'm going to count it as mine. Thanks also to Oli for knocking it down for me. It was a good goal.

"It's true that we went through a difficult time, but with this victory we are getting back to being the Milan we were before."

 

Milan have now won four games without conceding in all competitions for the first time since February 2018, with their latest victory moving them level with second-place Inter.

The Rossoneri wasted a number of good chances with the game at 1-0, but Atalanta failed to offer any sort of attacking threat.

Indeed, they had only three attempts all match – their lowest tally since April 2013 – and did not test the returning Maignan on a single occasion.

"We gave our all and tried everything, but Milan were superior on the night and we must learn from these games to focus on the next one," Gian Piero Gasperini said. 

"What we saw tonight was that despite our best efforts, it is evident Milan simply had more than we did."

The only blemish for Milan is that Rafael Leao – who set up Messias' goal – and Rade Krunic will miss next week's trip to Fiorentina after being booked for the fifth time this term.

Milan defeated Atalanta 2-0 at San Siro to move level on points with second-place Inter in a match that saw Zlatan Ibrahimovic make his first appearance in nine months.

Inter's surprise 1-0 loss to Bologna earlier on Sunday opened the door for Milan to pounce and they took full advantage on home soil with a fourth win in a row in all competitions.

Juan Musso's 25th-minute own goal – after Theo Hernandez's long-range volley hit the frame of goal and went in off the goalkeeper's back – put Stefano Pioli's side on their way.

The hosts, who also had fit-again keeper Mike Maignan back in their side for the first time since September, added a deserved second through Junior Messias late on following the long-awaited return of Ibrahimovic.

There was a slice of fortune involved in Milan's opener as Hernandez's sublime strike from 25 yards was helped over the line by Musso after the ball had hit the post.

Rafael Leao clipped the side-netting, fired over from a glorious position and was then denied by a fine Musso save as Milan struggled to make their superiority truly show.

Messias was the next Milan player to fire off target with plenty of the goal to aim for, with that proving to be the moment Pioli turned to Ibrahimovic.

The home side finally killed off the contest through Messias' clipped finish over Musso four minutes from time after being played through on goal by Leao.

Page 1 of 14
© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.