Zlatan Ibrahimovic joined RedBird Capital Partners as an Operating Partner and Senior Advisor to the AC Milan Ownership in December. Since then, he has been working closely with the Rossoneri CEO Giorgio Furlani, who now has clarified the working dynamics.
Ibrahimovic was a very important player for Milan, both on and off the pitch, and Gerry Cardinale is convinced that his presence is essential for the club. The CEO Furlani shares those feelings, having praised the Swede a lot in the past.
In his interview with Gazzetta dello Sport, which was published this morning, Furlani was asked about the working relationship with Ibrahimovic. He clarified that the Swede has no formal powers at the club, but that his opinion weighs heavily in their way of working.
There is a new man in the club and it is Zlatan Ibrahimovic: has he really taken command?
“On a formal level, Zlatan has no powers to decide anything, but our approach is not ‘formalistic’. There is a group that operates and decides in full collegiality. My relationship with Ibra is fantastic and I’m lucky to have him close to me. We are complementary, he is a man of the pitch, I’m a director. I cannot speak to Maignan in his language, Ibra can.”
Will Ibra choose the players on the market and will you define the contractual aspect?
“Let’s not forget Moncada: Geoffrey is number one. Ibra himself is the first to turn to Geoff to exchange opinions on the players’ profiles. I don’t decide on the technical choice, but on the aspects connected and related to the investment: if you have €100m, you don’t pay €80m for a single player,” he stated.
It remains to be seen what will happen in the summer, but the feeling is that Ibrahimovic will have a decent say on the mercato. Geoffrey Moncada and Antonio D’Ottavio are tasked with identifying the right players, but Ibrahimovic can take on a Maldini-esque role by convincing these players.
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