What Zlatan Ibrahimović Told José Mourinho Before He Left Manchester United

Manchester United fans were devastated when Zlatan Ibrahimović left Old Trafford for a move to LA Galaxy.

The 37-year-old Swedish striker made an instant impact in his debut season for the club, helping the Red Devils win the Europa League, Community Shield and the League Cup.

His time was cut short after he suffered ligament damage in his right knee towards the end of the season, reducing the impact that he could have had in his second year at the club.

Ibrahimović also had the opportunity to work alongside United manager José Mourinho, following on from their time together at Inter Milan.

Before he left the club, the former Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain star spoke to the 55-year-old Portuguese manager and revealed his reason for leaving.

"This was a new challenge for me [the injury] and I said I would come back when I was ready and I would play exactly as I did before," he told BBC Sport.

"When I cannot do that I will not continue in football because I'm not here for charity.

"After my injury, when I was selected, I said to José Mourinho, 'I do not want to disappoint you or my teammates. You had a Zlatan before the injury and you had one after the injury and I cannot give you the Zlatan that you are used to, that's why I will not give you this Zlatan because I'm not ready.'

"My second year at United, I was not feeling ready, I was feeling different, it was like I was starting at zero and I had to teach my knee how to play football again.

"After a while my confidence grew, I needed a new environment to feel that I was comfortable."

AC Milan are looking to bring Ibrahimović back to the San Siro in January, as well as targeting Chelsea's Cesc Fàbregas.

Earlier this week, it was reported that the LA Galaxy star had accepted terms in the club's proposal. Following on from those reports, the Italian side have offered Ibrahimović a €2.2m contract in a six-month deal.

Should Ibrahimović move to AC Milan in January?

Let us know in the comments.

Featured Image Credit: PA

Topics: Football News, Jose Mourinho, Football, Manchester United, Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Adnan Riaz

Adnan Riaz is a journalist for SPORTbible. He studied for a B.A. in History at the University of York and followed it up with an M.A. in Multimedia Journalism at MMU. Before he started writing about sports, he spent over four years in the gaming press. He has worked for several publications, including Hardcore Gamer, LADbible and the Manchester Evening News. Follow him on Twitter to find out what he is working on next. Got a story tip for Adnan? Email him: [email protected]

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