Zlatan Ibrahimovic arrived at Milanello on Monday morning and did the one thing he almost never used to do at this club: stand quietly on the touchline. It was the Swede’s first visit to Milan’s training base in more than six months, and the setting was almost the opposite of the one he left behind.

The last time he had been there was in March, before a bust-up with then-coach Massimiliano Allegri that Sky Sport Italia described as a strong confrontation. He was, according to reporting in Italy, effectively told to stop showing up at the training base afterwards. Milan finished fifth in Serie A that season, missed out on Champions League football, and Allegri was sacked the day after the campaign ended.

The row that shut the door

Six months later, the man who once cast himself as the club’s dominant sporting voice returned as a spectator. He watched Amorim’s session from the edge of the pitch and was expected back at San Siro on Wednesday for Milan’s Europa League opener against Benfica.

His collaboration with RedBird owner Gerry Cardinale never actually stopped during the absence, both Sky and Milan Reports wrote, describing him as remaining a senior advisor to the American investment firm. What has changed is the shape of the role.

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Cardinale drives, Ibrahimovic advises

SempreMilan reported earlier this month that Ibrahimovic has been quietly moved back from the front-seat position Cardinale once envisaged for him. Cardinale now sits in the driving seat on football operations, while Ibrahimovic’s brief has tilted toward the commercial side, with a focus on global brand work and projects aimed largely at the United States.

“The initial idea from Cardinale was to have a charismatic figure at Milan in Italy,” SempreMilan wrote, “however, it now seems that this idea is over.”

Ibrahimovic has no final say on chief executive, sporting director or head coach appointments, Goal reported, even if his opinion still carries weight within RedBird given his stature at the club.

Amorim inherits a quieter Milanello

Amorim, who had been out of work since leaving Manchester United earlier this year, was appointed on 16 June 2026 as Allegri’s successor. Cardinale, announcing the deal, said the Portuguese coach’s style reflected “the style of play that we are looking for.”

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The early Serie A returns have been mixed. Ibrahimovic is expected in the stands at San Siro on Wednesday evening for the Benfica match, before Milan host Lecce in Serie A on Sunday.

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