Football news - Zlatan Ibrahimovic exclusive: The door is open for a return to Sweden
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Updated 25/04/2020 at 17:45 GMT
In an exclusive interview with dplay Sweden Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits that he would be open to a return to the Swedish top division.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Image credit: Eurosport
Legendary striker Ibrahimovic, now 38, started at Malmo before embarking on a career that saw him take in stops in Holland, Italy, Spain, France, England and the USA.
He is currently signed to Milan after joining them in January when his contract with LA Galaxy expired.
However he is also a part-owner in Swedish top-flight club Hammarby, and is currently training with them, scoring a fine goal during a session on Friday.
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Speaking on the sidelines at the session Ibrahimovic was asked whether we might one day see him playing in Sweden again.
"I don't know. There are a lot of things going on and I don't know.” Ibrahimovic replied.
“I mean who knew the coronavirus would come into the picture and turn the world upside down in two weeks? We'll see what happens. At the moment it's nothing I think of because I have a contract with Milan,
"I have a contract with Milan at the moment and we have to see how things finish there, if they finish.
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“There are no official decisions yet. I've said all the time I want to play football for as long as possible and then you never know what happens in the future. I'm a guy who wants to deliver and perform,
I want to bring something to the team and I don't want to be a guy who just gets to play because of the one I am, for what I've done or because of my name. If you belong to a team you have to be able to perform,
"We have to see. I want to play as long as I can. Will I play in Allsvenskan? I don't know. I've always said I won't play there but I've said other things as well that have changed so we'll see what happens"
Ibrahimovic, who later admitted in the interview that every door “is open as long as I'm fit,” joked about how he played with the public when he teased a potential national team return ahead of the 2018 World Cup.
The forward had speculated about making a final international swansong but said that was never any chance of him returning, he just wanted to have a bit of fun “when the media has their eyes on you for 24 hours.”
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Ibrahimovic insisted that he had lost none of his love for Malmo by purchasing a stake in Hammarby insisting that he is only focused on exploring new challenges.
The striker saw his statue at Malmo torn down by vandals after the Hammarby news was announced but he says he isn’t bothered, "no, it was just sad, sad for them,
"What has happened happened and it's less important for me now.
Today is more important and there are many things that are a lot more important.
“Today we talk about the coronavirus, about health and things like this, this statue means nothing in this situation that we're in, as I said, I know what I've brought and I know what I've done."
Ibrahimovic is open to the dea of putting in his own funds to help Hammarby depending on the situation but when it’s put to him that the best thing for the club might be him signing he replies "that's what everyone says.
“That responsibility shouldn't be on my shoulders. I just want to be happy and play football. I'm a Milan player,
I mean, who wouldn't want to play for Milan? It's one of the biggest clubs in the world.
“I'm 38 now, I don't know how much I can go on, but I want to play as long as I can"
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