"The (calciopoli) scandals slowed everything down, I waited for months - in vain - to renew my contract.
"In the end, (sports director Alessio) Secco told me over the phone: 'If there is another team, do not hesitate'."
Ibrahimovic also revealed how coach Roberto Mancini changed the way he thought about his ability.
"One day, Mancini called me into his office. I sat down and he put on a video of Marco van Basten. He told me 'sit and watch, study his movements'. It was a sign, he was showing me what I could achieve. That gesture will always stay with me."
