Ibrahimovic discusses Milan's academy system, their ambitions and Allegri's importance

"In the culture of Italy, everyone is focused on the result, even the youth coaches want to win. So if they want to win, they also want to field players who are ready, but then the players with potential won't get any playing time. We have taken this out of Milan, changing the philosophy completely. First of all, we want to give our youngsters game time because when you are young, game time is so important."

"Marco Van Basten. It's funny because when I joined Ajax, since he also used to play for them, the fans compared me with him. That was too much pressure for me then, I wasn't ready to handle that pressure on that level. Obviously, Van Basten is an icon, he's a legend, and at this club he's part of the famous trio from the Netherlands that made history with the club."

"If you are not playing for the Futuro, you will play for the Primavera, 100%. So everyone gets game time. Then from there, you balance things between the Primavera and the Futuro. However, when you come into the first team, it's all based on results. Then we need results."

Zlatan Ibrahimovic toured Milanello with CBS Sports, discussing Milan's academy transformation and club ambitions. He identified Marco Van Basten as his childhood Milan icon, noting the pressure of comparisons when joining Ajax. Ibrahimovic explained Milan's new youth development strategy, which contrasts with traditional Italian football culture's results-obsession. The club changed its philosophy to guarantee playing time for young talents across Futuro and Primavera teams, ensuring development opportunities. However, once players reach the first team, performance and results become the primary focus. Ibrahimovic also highlighted Max Allegri's importance to the season's success.

Read at SempreMilan