The Sweden forward has drawn comparisons to two greats of the San Siro club’s past
AC Milan legend Franco Baresi has likened the impact Zlatan Ibrahimovic is having at the club to what Ruud Gullit and Marco van Basten had in the 1980s and 1990s.
Gullit and Van Basten joined the club in the late 1980s and, alongside Baresi, helped the Rossoneri dominate domestically and in Europe.
Three Serie A crowns and two European Cups were plundered while the Dutch greats were at the San Siro.
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Gullit missed out on a third European Cup and fourth Serie A title as he was on loan at Sampdoria in the 1993-94 campaign.
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Two Serie A titles and the same number of European Cups have been secured this century, but Milan have lagged behind the likes of Juventus for the best part of a decade.
However, they are an emerging force again and with Ibrahimovic leading the line, they top the Serie A table after seven games.
It is early in the season, but Ibrahimovic – despite being 39 years of age – has been a force of nature. The Swede, who joined Milan for a second time in December of 2019, has eight goals from five Serie A appearances this term and Baresi feels there are no limits to what the powerhouse forward can achieve.
“It’s amazing what he can do, what he can pass on to his team-mates,” Baresi told Sky Sport. “Mentally he is still a 20-year-old. He is incredible.
“In my day I had team-mates who were as strong as him. [Marco] Van Basten and [Ruud] Gullit had this quality, this physical strength, this personality. Ibra is making a difference as they did.
“Physically he is fit, mentally he wants to amaze. Only he can say when the right time comes to say enough and to stop playing.”
In October, Ibrahimovic scored twice to secure Milan derby glory over Inter and he made it clear he has no intention of slowing down
“I feel more complete, I have more experience. When you are young you are still growing,” he said. “You spend a moment where you are learning things, playing games, you have moments and situations that repeat themselves.
“Now I feel complete. If I had the condition of 20-30 years, nobody would stop me. But anyway, they don’t stop me even now.”
Milan will hope Ibrahimovic can carry on the momentum following the international break, as they travel to Napoli in Serie A on Sunday.
