When Zlatan Ibrahimovic converted a penalty for AC Milan in their 3-1 loss to Udinese on Saturday night, he set a record for the oldest goal scorer in Serie A history.
The Swedish striker, who is 141 days older than the previous record-holder Alessandro Costacurta and 41 years and 166 days old, refused to accept the honor when it was announced to him after the game.
'He can keep the record, I don't want this record!' joked Ibrahimovic in his post-match interview with Sky Sport Italia.
As Ibrahimovic went up to the spot to retake a penalty awarded for handball after his first effort was disallowed for encroachment, the record was shattered.
Ibrahimovic scored for the first time after returning from a serious injury after adopting a new strategy.
He added: 'This goal did not bring points, which is what I wanted. I was also proud to be captain, but the game didn't go the way we wanted,' Ibrahimovic added.
'I felt very good on the field, I hadn't started a match in 14 months and the important thing is to be in good shape. If I feel as good as I did today, I can still play, I have no doubts about myself.
At teams like Malmo, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain, and LA Galaxy in addition to Milan, the Swede has scored one every four decades.
The striker, who is known for making statements in the third person, has more than shown his ability to play in any of the 11 positions since "a good player can play everywhere" by scoring over 570 goals in his career, more than 500 of which have been scored at the club level.
Ibrahimovic, who is now on his third stint with the Milanese club, has had trouble staying in shape ever since helping his team win the Scudetto at the end of the 2021–2022 season.
Ibrahimovic had anterior cruciate ligament surgery in the summer, and he didn't rejoin the team until February.
Ibrahimovic was the oldest captain for Milan going into the match on Saturday night, but he was more concerned with the match's outcome than with his one-off accomplishment.
Before turning 42 in October, Ibrahimovic was questioned about how much longer he would like to play for Milan. Ibrahimovic remained evasive.
'If I am in good shape, I want to continue,' the striker said.
'Those who retire and felt fit tend to have regrets. I suffered so much in those 14 months, this is my chance to make up for that and get back into the sport.'
Milan, who is now fourth in Serie A, was paired with league-leading Napoli in the Champions League quarterfinals.
Ibrahimovic continued: 'I am happy at Milan, it depends on them and what they want, but I have no problems here.'
Ibrahimovic claimed that he will assist his teammates prepare for the match even if he cannot be registered for the game due to his tardy return to the club.
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