Zlatan Ibrahimović has given a long interview to La Gazzetta dello Sport, discussing a lot of things: his short and long term future, his times at Juve, Inter and Milan, Pep Guardiola and more.

In 2012, Milan sold Zlatan Ibrahimović and Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain. Since then, the club has experienced great struggles and is now starting a new path with their 8th coach since Massimiliano Allegri was sacked back in 2014.

After moving to PSG, Ibra had some time at Manchester United and he’s now at Los Angeles Galaxy, taking the MLS by storm. “Do you know what my true strength is…? I’m 38-years-old and with the enthusiasm of a little boy, with the same desire to win. This, for me, is everything,” Zlatan told Saturday’s edition of the Milano-based newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport.

On Monday, Ibrahimović and Galaxy face Minnesota United in the playoffs. In case of a defeat, it can be his last match there: “What will I do…? My contract expires in December, but I’m not thinking about it, I will calmly evaluate with my family. Retirement? Let’s see… To continue playing, as I always said, I must find something special that can keep the fire inside me alive. I exclude finishing my career at Malmö. Italy? You know… it’s my second home.”

It is widely believed that Leonardo wanted to sign Ibrahimović in January last year, but the move was vetoed by CEO Ivan Gazidis. Leo, who signed Ibra at PSG, has since left the club.

Ibra’s interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport’s Francesco Fontana, which was made at Dignity Health Sports Park in Los Angeles, is brought here below:

Ibra, do you want to make an announcement?

“I still have a couple of months to decide, the important thing is to be well. At the age of 30, I began to work on my body in an obsessive way to maintain myself. Note, I stress it’s ‘maintain myself’, I did not say ‘get better’. That’s impossible, better than that! [Laughs].”

Not even a clue?

“I’ve had a great time in Los Angeles. To continue, I need certain motivations: here or elsewhere.”

Maybe in Serie A…

“How many unforgettable moments from it… I will listen to everything. Having said that, regardless of the team, I want to fight for the maximum: if I came back I would aim for the Scudetto, I am looking for those who give trust in me just because I’m Ibrahimović. I’m not a zoo animal that people go to see, I can still make a difference.”

Mihajlović is convinced of this…

“He is a friend, if I chose Bologna then it would be only for him. We’ve talked. Do you know to know what he told me…? ‘Zlatan, the others would run for you here. You stay up front and put the ball in the net’. I thank him, but I think it’s difficult that it’d happen. If I change my mind, I’ll call him right away. Also because in Serie A, even today, I would be able to score 20 goals.”

There’s going to be a team that’ll whet your appetite…

“I appreciated the recent documentary dedicated to Maradona and nobody was like him. Seeing the love that the city had for him, it makes me feel like I’d enjoy an experience at Napoli: it’d be fantastic to replicate what Diego did there.”

Well, it’s ‘almost news’…

“I’m not saying that I will go there, the final decision will depend on various aspects, but that is a fan base that creates enthusiasm: with me the San Paolo would be full every Sunday. And then there’s Ancelotti, a great one.”

And Mourinho?

“He was and he will always be the ‘Special One’. I still talk to him, he’s had an incredible impact on my career. And I wish he were already on the bench, his next adventure will be a winning one, surely.”

If a coffee with Guardiola is pure utopia?

“There was never any face-to-face, because of him. We happened to play against each other: when I got back to the dressing room at the end of the game, he was waiting in his room waiting for me to pass. At the door there was one of his assistants who warned him: ‘Ok, Ibra is gone now: go out’. I never understood the reason. He always plays hard on TV, but when he meets someone real he hides. As a coach he’s a phenomenon, but as a man…”

At Inter there is Conte…

“I don’t know him personally, but everyone says that he gives 500% every day. In this we are the same, we would have found ourselves well together, we both believe in sacrifice, and it’s the only way to success. Inter made a super signing.”

Will it be enough to fill the gap with Juventus?

“Juve remain the favorites, the Nerazzurri are growing. Napoli need something more, the other are behind.”

Icardi out, Lukaku in: what do you think?

“The numbers speak for themselves for Mauro, but I have a weakness for those who work their guts out for their teammates. On Romelu, I say this: don’t expect amazing things on a technical level, his best weapon is strength. Of course, if he’d listened to me…”

What do you mean?

“At United we made a bet: ‘I will give you 50 pounds for every correct stop [controlling the ball perfectly with a first touch]’. He said: ‘And if I get them all right, what do you give me?’. ‘Nothing, I will simply make you a better player!’. For the record, he never accepted. Maybe he was afraid of losing. Seriously, Lukaku is like that: he has a mad desire to take on the world. He will do well also for Inter.”

Can it be the Juventus year in the Champions League?

“There’s particular competition. You can win or not regardless of your potential, which does not always lead to results. Take PSG for example: a very strong team, superior to many, that is struggling in Eruope.”

Milan?

“A disaster: so many words, few actions. This is not the club that everyone has fallen in love with in Italy and around the world. Perhaps today there are too many wrong people who should be elsewhere.”

Maldini is not enough?

“I don’t have the material to speak about the director, while the player is one of my favorites. His task is complicated and delicate: doing well with limited resources is not easy.”

Is Italian football gaining appeal?

“The big sides are investing and I am not changing my mind: Serie A, especially for a striker, is still the most difficult league.”

“Messi and Ronaldo are at the top, Ibra in LA”, critics say…

“We’ll see when they get to my age. At 35 I was at Manchester United, in the Premier League. It was not easy, but in the first season we won three trophies, disproving all predictions. You can’t even imagine how many haters got on Ibra’s bandwagon… I hold deep respect for Cristiano, he works hard and he’s played everywhere, even if in Italy it’s different. It doesn’t surprise me that he’s scoring less than in the past. On Leo, I’d add: he has a unique talent and he is at home. For me, he will never change teams.”

You’ve done it sever times: in which team did you give your best?

“In Turin, it was all ‘wow’, I was a young man who arrived to a Juventus of PlayStation, in which he dreamed of consecrating myself. At Inter there was a step forward, they told me: ‘this is the contract: go and let us win’. It went great, but I never felt strong like at Milan: there was a group of Champions at the very last stage of their careers, I did the maximum to drag them. Perhaps this is why these were special years, which restored my happiness after the problems at Barcelona.”

If he [the young Ibra] could go back, would he still leave Inter?

“I know he wants to get the Triplete… everyone wants to win the Champions League, I’d be a fool if I thought the opposite: I’m missing it and it would have been a prestigious award to add to the cabinet, but at that moment I needed more. And I thought that Barça was the best choice: the mistake was to change to try to become like them. I have no regrets, only this.”

Moratti?

“It’s impossible that anyone could speak ill of the President. I love him so far, he has a huge heart. For him, the person is everything and the player comes later.”

The strongest teammates?

“I’m not talking about technical value, I prefer to answer based on what they represented for my way of paying: without a doubt Vieira and Gattuso. Rino never gave up, he was all over you. He’s not Messi, but he fires you up monstrously.”

Today, who is the number one?

“Mbappé, to whom I would like to give advice. Success came immediately, from a very young age, so he will always have to sweat and have more hunger than others.”

A few meters from us, there is the statue dedicated to Beckham: after the statue in Malmö, do you think of having another one?

“Only one? I expect three more: one in the center of the stadium and two outside! [Laughs].”

Who is Ibra in everyday life?

“A quiet person, a father who lives in Beverly Hills with Helena, my wife, Maximilian and Vincent, our children. They go to school, I try to be a guide who can make them grow according to certain principles such as education and respect. And I will never force them: they can become successful players or doctors. The important thing is that they are happy.”

Who does the food at home?

“At most I could offer you a plate of Pasta in Bianco, perhaps with a little oil and a bit of grated cheese. On the rest, I raise my hands!”

Racism?

“I don’t find a definition other than ‘shit’. Unfortunately, it’s not only in Italy, many other countries are staining themselves with this evil. Football is the most beautiful sport: an infinite religion that should unite, not divide. Everyone must be welcome.”

Zlatan after quitting?

“I will play an important role, I want to have responsibility and decision-making power. I could even become a coach, but the stress is big: in just one season you age 10 years. And then, in case of need, it would be forbidden to enter the pitch and make a difference…”

What would you like to be remembered for in 50 years?

“For what I have shown in my career: Ibrahimović is this and there will never be another one.”