Ibrahimovic tearfully announces retirement from football

Rome: When Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced retirement at the San Siro, there was an outpouring of emotions from the stands where his fans chanted his name.

Also known as Ibra, the veteran player decided to call it a day after AC Milan's final match of the 2022-2023 season.

Ibrahimovic, set to turn 42 in October, decided to depart Milan as his contract drew to a close.

Before the kick-off of Sunday's game, the fans energetically chanted his name and displayed a banner reading "Godbye," a sight that brought Ibra to tears, reports Xinhua.

The Swedish veteran player, whose previous teams include Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy, began his second spell at Milanello in January 2020, making substantial impacts both on and off the pitch.

However, injuries beset the striker and limited him to just four appearances this season, during which he mostly made cameo appearances and scored only one goal.

Ibra announced his decision during the post-game ceremony, stating: "It's time to say goodbye to football, but not to you. There are too many emotions for me, Forza Milan and goodbye."

Known as a consistent trophy collector, Ibra amassed more than 30 trophies over his 24-year professional career. He made over 900 appearances at both the national and club levels and scored more than 500 goals.

IANS with superficial edits