FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Italian Super Cup - Final - Inter Milan v AC Milan - Al Awwal Park, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia - January 6, 2025 AC Milan senior advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic is seen before the match REUTERS/Jennifer Lorenzini/File Photo
MILAN (Reuters) - Former AC Milan striker and current club advisor Zlatan Ibrahimovic took over post-match media duties after they secured a narrow 1-0 win over Hellas Verona on Saturday, claiming they had dominated the game despite only scoring once.
"This is a very important win. It's true that we only scored one goal, but we dominated," he said.
Ibrahimovic stood in for coach Sergio Conceicao, who was mourning the loss of Porto president Jorge Nuno Pinto da Costa, who died at the age of 87 on Saturday.
Former Porto player and coach Conceicao had a close relationship with Pinto da Costa, having won numerous titles together.
"I am here because the coach is in the dressing room and he is very upset by the death of the Porto president, who was like a father to him. That is why I am here," Ibrahimovic told Sky Sport Italia.
Despite struggling to break down the Verona defence, Milan secured the victory when Santiago Gimenez headed home in the 75th minute.
Mexico international Gimenez, who joined Milan earlier this month, has marked his arrival in Serie A by scoring in his first two league appearances.
"I expected things to go well because Gimenez is someone who likes to score goals and this is a team that gets the ball into the box. You just have to be ready to meet it and put it in the net," added Ibrahimovic.
"It's not easy coming to Italian football as a foreigner, but we are helping him settle in and get stronger step by step."
Milan now turn their attention to their Champions League playoff against Feyenoord, where they must overturn a 1-0 deficit when the teams play the second leg at the San Siro on Tuesday, and Ibrahimovic stressed the need for squad rotation.
"We're Milan, so if we only have one player to rely on, we're in trouble! The more players you have, the more alternatives you have," Ibrahimovic added.
"Every coach has to rotate his squad when you're playing every three days, otherwise we'll burn them out and risk injuries. It is also important to keep everyone involved and confident," he added.
(Reporting by Angelica Medina in Mexico City; Editing by Toby Davis)
