Zlatan Ibrahimovic was happy to be back for AC Milan in victory over Atalanta.
He had not been on the pitch since the Scudetto-winning 3-0 victory away to Sassuolo in May 2022, undergoing knee surgery just days later.
I missed the fans so much, I thank them for giving me strength, adrenaline and the motivation to continue. Without the support of the fans, it is difficult," Ibra told DAZN.
I feel good, if we look back, I haven't felt this good for a year and two months. I feel able to do what I can do. I felt free today to do what I love, which is to play football.
I said that I'd make San Siro jump, well today it was jumping."
At 41, the Swede is the oldest player to make a Serie A pitch and also stated: "If I have to tell the whole story, I'll be here for hours. I suffered a lot, so much. The last six months of last season I wanted in every way to help the team, even when I couldn't really play. I could've had the surgery six months earlier, but I could tell this was the season we could win the Scudetto," continued the Swede.
I promised to the coach that I would hold off on the surgery because I wanted to be there for the team and help them. I tell you, I never suffered so much as I did last season for a trophy.
It was also a year when the tragedy of losing Mino (Raiola), so mentally it was a lot of suffering too, not just physically. Thankfully, I have people around me who help give me the strength to keep going. When I'm in good shape, though, I am stronger than anyone.
I feel like someone who can help more than I did today. I had two or three training sessions and played 15 minutes, imagine what I can do with training sessions. That is what I am missing, the training. It's been a year and two months since I really got to work with the ball at my feet, but today it felt like no time had passed at all."
