Zlatan Ibrahimovic is all set to return to struggling former club AC Milan, which is at abysmal low at Serie A table. The club desperately need Zlatan at his best to improve first and then find a place in European championship next season.
Milan is currently at 11th place in Serie A, 21 points behind league leaders Inter and Juventus. None of AC Milan players has more than four league goals this season.
Situation at Milan, reached to the lowest point last Sunday, when Italy’s most successful club in the European Championships suffered its heaviest league defeat in 21 years, a 5-0 defeat at Atalanta.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Career and Announcement
Zlatan’s extraordinary career began with Malmö Fotbollförening. He then moved to play with AFC Ajax, Juventus FC, FC Internazionale, FC Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, Manchester United, and Los Angeles Galaxy, recording a total of 788 appearances and 473 goals. Among the various individual awards, Ibrahimovic has been top scorer five times (twice in Serie A) and has won 11 editions of the “Guldbollen”, the prize given to the best Swedish footballer. In Serie A, he has been named the League’s best player three times and the best foreign player five times.
As AC Milan announced, the deal is subject to medical and regulatory processes. Ibrahimovic will be in Milan on January 2, 2020, to take his medical and he will then join his teammates for his first training session. As soon as the deal is official, a press conference will be set and aired live both on “Milan TV” and the Club’s Official App.
Zlatan’s first words as a Rossonero player were: “I’m coming back to a Club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love. I’ll fight together with my teammates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it happen”.
Ibrahimovic’s arrival resembles something of a rescue mission for a seven-time European champion fallen on tough times.
Zlatan announced the news with a social media post that sums him up.
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Tax Incentive for an extended contract in Italy
Zlatan Ibrahimovic could end up staying at AC Milan in 2021-22 as well due to a critical tax rule in Italy, according to a report.
Milan announced Ibrahimovic’s return via a statement on their official website on Friday, with the Swede having put pen to paper on a deal which will run until the end of the current campaign. Still, there is the option for a 12-month extension.
According to MilanNews.it though – who cite La Gazzetta dello Sport – one of the fundamental aspects behind the economic agreement is linked to the ‘Growth Decree’ scheme brought in by the government of current prime minister Giuseppe Conte.
The basis of this is that it provides significant tax relief for workers (therefore also football players) who return to Italy after having left.
Milan have forecast a gross expenditure of €12m for the next 18 months on Ibrahimovic’s contract, which will see €7.5m go back to the Swede and not €6m as it would be for ‘normal’ Italian workers.
However, to ensure that these ‘tax bonuses’ are activated, the worker in question must remain in Italy for at least two years.
It is precisely for this reason Milan could renew his contract for 2021-22 as well, perhaps not as a player but in some coaching, ambassadorial, or even media role.
