Stefano Pioli has been full of praise for AC Milan’s decision to bring Zlatan Ibrahimovic back to the club last winter, reports say.
A 5-0 dismantling at Atalanta in December 2019 triggered Ibrahimovic’s return to the San Siro. Despite his age, the 39-year-old has been relentless in proving the doubters wrong and restoring Milan to the Serie A royalty. The towering Swede has proved to be a catalyst to reinvigorate the fallen giants, defying his age once again.
The Rossoneri, who last lifted the championship title with Ibra on their side, are alone at the summit as the only team in Europe’s top-five leagues yet to taste defeat this season. The former Los Angeles Galaxy marksman tallied an impressive 20 goals and six assists in 24 Serie A appearances in 2020. This season alone, he has notched up ten top-flight goals to become the oldest player to register at least ten goals in the first eight Serie A matchdays.
Ibrahimovic’s influence on this Milan side has not only been showcased through his mouth-watering numbers but also in the way he has managed to inject a winning mentality into the entire team. A lack of self-confidence and a genuine absence of the winning mindset were tormenting the Serie A heavyweights for almost a decade. However, the Swede’s return to Lombardy has turned things upside down, firing Stefano Pioli’s side back to the very top of Italian football.
Indeed, Milan have been able to win six of their eight league matches without Ibrahimovic in the matchday squad, drawing the other two. Their win-ratio of 75% without the prolific striker in the team actually betters their success-rate of 66.7% across the six fixtures he has started.
Ibrahimovic is currently on the sidelines after sustaining a calf injury during Milan’s 3-1 away victory over Napoli. However, despite seeing his team continuing to impress without their headline performer in the mix, Pioli is desperate to see the Swedish superstar back on the pitch. The 55-year-old manager has even taken a step further to label Ibra’s arrival as a ‘godsend.’
“When he arrived, we knew it was a delicate moment, it was a godsend, it gave a shock and energy that the team did not have at that moment,” Pioli said, as relayed by Goal.
“The January transfer market has given us a hand in the past. But let’s think about the match against Benevento.
“He can’t wait to get back, but we need caution,” he added. “I hope he can come back as soon as possible.”
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