Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1196490
31 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 29 DECEMBER 2019 SPORTS FOOTBALL FORMER Sweden and Man- chester United striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has rejoined AC Milan on a six-month deal, with the option for another season. The 38-year-old was a free agent after leaving LA Galaxy at the end of the Major League Soccer season. The Serie A side said Ibrahi- movic "will be in Milan on 2 January, 2020 to take his med- ical" and join his team-mates. "I'm coming back to a club I hugely respect and to the city of Milan I love," Ibrahimovic said. Ibrahimovic was at Serie A side Milan from 2010 to 2012, scoring 42 goals in 61 league games for the club. He joined LA Galaxy in March 2018 and scored 53 goals during his time in the United States as well as be- ing named in the MLS best XI teams of 2018 and 2019. Milan are without a major trophy since their 18th Italian title in 2011. The seven-time European champions are enduring a miserable season, sitting 11th in Serie A, with 21 points from 17 games. They sacked coach Marco Giampaolo in October but re- sults have not improved under his replacement Stefano Pioli and they lost their last match 5-0 at Atlanta on 22 Decem- ber, their biggest defeat for 21 years. "I'll fight together with my team-mates to change the course of this season. I will do everything to make it hap- pen," added Ibrahimovic. Ibrahimovic rejoins AC Milan at 38 Zlatan Ibrahimovic has scored 53 goals during his time in the Unites States In Sweden, vandals cut off the nose of a statue of Zlatan Ibrahimovic outside Malmo's stadium in the latest act of vandalism directed at the statue since it was announced that Ibrahimovic had invested in a rival club last month. Vandals had already tried to saw off the statue's feet. Ibrahimovic, 38, made his professional debut for Malmo 20 years ago. The former Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris St-Germain and Manchester United player signed with AC Milan on Saturday after leaving LA Galaxy at the end of the MLS season. On 27 November it was announced he had bought 25% of the shares in Hammarby, who finished third in this year's Swedish championship