Zlatan Ibrahimovic has retired from professional football

Forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic of AC Milan and the Swedish national team has announced his retirement from professional football.

"It's hard for me to breathe, but everything will be fine. So many memories are connected to San Siro... It first gave me love and then happiness. I want to express my gratitude to my family for their patience. Thank you to my second family - the players' union, coach, staff, and managers. I sincerely want to thank you, the fans, from the bottom of my heart. The time has come to say goodbye to football, but not to you," - Ibrahimovic's words are quoted by journalist Gianluca Di Marzio's website.

The 41-year-old Ibrahimovic also played for Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, and Los Angeles Galaxy during his career. He played 122 matches for the Swedish national team and scored 62 goals. He is a 5-time champion of Italy, a 4-time champion of France, a 2-time champion of the Netherlands, and a champion of Spain.