QS: ‘Deafening silence’ – mystery surrounds Ibrahimovic’s absence at key point in season | OneFootball

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s absence from Milanello continues to make headlines, amid rumours of his role at AC Milan being somewhat downsized.

Quotidiano Sportivo write this morning that yesterday could have been the day of Ibrahimovic’s return to the training complex after battling flu. Instead, it could be today, 48 hours from Napoli-Milan and three weeks after his last appearance.

On Wednesday, Giorgio Furlani showed up at Milanello, accompanied by Geoffrey Moncada. The CEO greeted the players and spoke with Conceiçao, as Zlatan did in the recent past, amplifying the absence of RedBird’s Senior Advisor, at a time when the balance of power seems decidedly tilted toward Elliott.

To summarise recent events: Ibrahimovic and Cardinale were in conversation with the candidates for the sporting director role, especially Fabio Paratici and Igli Tare. Then, Furlani had talks with Cardinale, from which it became clear that the CEO will be the one choosing the new director.

In short, there is the feeling that the balance of power is shifting. Zlatan, up to now, has often put his face on the line: in Fonseca’s summer presentation, in Conceiçao’s winter presentation, in those of almost all the new signings.

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Not only that: he spoke in the dressing room after the Supercoppa Italiana win, he spoke shortly after the farewell to the Champions League. In good times and bad he faced the media, perhaps too much like in the interview with GQ.

There are several issues to be resolved: above all, how much will he count in the choice of the sporting director and what his role will be with the arrival of a new director. “I am the boss”, he blurted out on television. “A joke”, he later specified in reverse.

The Swede never into gear with Milan Futuro, from the Abate-Bonera relay (who was joined by Tassotti, who has now remained with Oddo), to the choice of director Jovan Kirovski (met from his experience in Los Angeles).

Some gems have blossomed, above all Jimenez, but now the team is in last place: another issue to be resolved. Maybe Ibra will start to unravel some of them today, on the day he should return to Milanello. To give a signal of his presence to the team.