39-year-old Ibrahimovic signs new Milan deal
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the 'Benjamin Button' of Serie A, on Thursday extended his contract with AC Milan until 2022 which will take him past his 40th birthday.
The Sweden striker, who turns 40 in October, has been credited with transforming Milan into title contenders again since his return in January this past year.
"AC Milan may be the club that Zlatan has played the most in Italy," the Serie A side said in a statement.
"After scoring 84 goals in 130 appearances with the Rossoneri, the Swedish striker will continue to be wearing the red and black jersey next season."
"The Saga Continues @acmilan," Ibrahimovic posted on social media after penning a deal reported to be worth 6.5 million euros ($7.8 million).
Ibrahimovic, who helped the club with their last Serie A trophy in 2011, could possibly be playing again at the best level as Milan are in the running for a go back to the Champions League for the very first time since 2014.
"I feel happy. I waited for this day and now I've another year, which is what's most important to me," Ibrahimovic told Milan TV.
"I usually said, playing for Milan is like being at home.
"I love what sort of club makes me feel, all of the people who work here, my colleagues, the coach, the fans who I must say i miss in the stadium.
"That is like my home. EASILY can stay here forever I would."
Ibrahimovic started his career in Malmo in 1999, going on to play for Ajax, Juventus, both Milan clubs, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain and Manchester United.
Such longevity is often reserved for goalkeepers or defenders, and is rarer for forwards with the exception of Roma great Francesco Totti.
In Milan, "Ibra" has returned to form and even seems to have turned the clock back, regularly comparing himself to the fictional character who gets younger over time.
His go back to Milan a decade after his first passage have been greeted with some scepticism.
Since leaving PSG and announcing his international retirement in the summer of 2016, he appeared to be in decline, and was injured at Man United from 2016 to 2018 before moving to LA for a season.
But he has proved to be a rock at the former seven-time European champions and a mentor for the club's young players.
"Dealing with (Stefano) Pioli is absolutely easy, he gets the right mentality," said Ibrahimovic.
"Each day he has this energy that transforms the team and he wants the best out of us."
Milan had an incredible 2020. Because the start of 2021, the team have lost some momentum and Ibrahimovic found injuries.
But he has scored 15 goals in 17 league matches played and remains one of the engines of the team.
He has also overtaken the bar of 500 club goals scored and returned to play for Sweden, practically five years after retiring.
Barring injury, he could possibly be one of the stars of the summer's Euro 2020.
Off the pitch, he has become a fashion icon, a model for a clothing brands, and the facial skin of a campaign for mask wearing in coronavirus-hit Lombardy.
One of the star presenters of the twelve-monthly San Remo music festival in Italy he'll also soon make his silver screen debut in the next Asterix film.
But this will not prevent him from remaining faithful to his past trustworthiness of courting controversy.
There is the standoff with Romelu Lukaku during an Italian Cup match where he face accusations of racism for alluding to "voodoo" practices.
And he recently made headlines after being pictured in a Milan restaurant while the city was in lockdown, claiming to be there for a "work meeting".
