Inter and AC Milan will decide the first Champions League finalist today.
In March, 41-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimović became the oldest goalscorer in the history of the Italian league. PDO
The San Siro will host the most important Derby della Madonnina of the decade today.
Milan’s big clubs Inter and AC Milan will collide as a bet for a place in the final match of the Champions League. The blue-and-black-striped Inter starts its “home match” with a 2–0 lead, but in recent years, the “away team” has been easy on the neck in the football giants’ common stadium.
The sport’s superstars will be seen on the field: the winner of the world championship in Qatar Lautaro Martínez leading Inter’s attack along with winning the Premier League Edin Džeko with.
However, the biggest name sits firmly on the side of the stands.
41 years old Zlatan Ibrahimović will be without a Champions League medal this time as well. The Swede will have to watch from the sidelines, even if AC Milan rises from the bridge today and conquers the eighth European Cup in its history in the Istanbul final.
The Swedish veteran has not been named to the Reds’ Euro strength, so he wouldn’t be able to get on the field even if he was fit.
– Of course everyone wants to play in the Champions League. But I wasn’t in shape when the club had to give the player list, the striker admitted in March.
– I respect that choice and now I can help my teammates prepare in the best possible way.
Dodge the championships
The situation is a good reflection of Ibrahimović’s relationship with the Champions League trophy the size of a wash basin.
After Jari Litmanen trained him into a world-class striker at Ajax, Ibrahimović has toured Europe’s big clubs as if avoiding Champions League success.
The story continues after the picture
Ibrahimović will watch tonight’s semi-final from the San Siro benches. ZumaWire / MVPHOTOS
The statistic is staggering.
Zlatan left José Mourinho’s As Inter’s reigning Italian league champions in 2009, the Nerazzurri took refuge the following season Diego Milito and Samuel Eto’on goals in their European conquest.
Ibrahimović’s dream was to succeed Pep Guardiola’s in Barcelona, but he inexplicably hit Camp Nou just when the title didn’t come.
Barcelona won the Champions League in both 2009 and 2011. For the latter, Ibrahimović had already burned his bridge with Guardiola and moved back to Italy.
The striker’s greatest European success will remain the Europa League won at Manchester United in the spring of 2017. However, in the final played in Solna in his home country, Ibrahimović performed with the help of crutches due to a knee problem that threatened the continuation of his career.
The attacker’s will to win was not to be doubted even then. At the age of 35, he fought himself back to playing condition after more than six months of rehabilitation.
No one would have thought that Ibrahimović would still be involved in elite football six years later.
Scored United’s 2–0 goal in the final Henrikh Mkhitaryan instead is on the field today. The Armenian, who went through many twists and turns to Inter, will do everything to knock Ibrahimović out of the final in Milan.
The Swede’s task is to curl up in the stadium’s bucket seats and shout his advice to the Rossoneri group.
The Champions League semi-final between Inter and AC Milan can be watched on the CMore Max channel starting at 21:00.