Former Napoli fitness chief Corrado Saccone has told AC Milan star Zlatan Ibrahimovic to forget all thoughts of retirement.
At 41, Saccone says the Swedish great still has several years ahead of him at the top of the game. This despite Ibrahimovic having only just returned to action for club and country after undergoing knee surgery at the end of last season.
Saccone saw plenty of Ibrahimovic when working in Serie A and has followed the centre-forward's career. To see Ibrahimovic fight back from his knee injury and return as successfully as he has over recent weeks is no surprise given the way he looks after his body, says Saccone.
Indeed, the Italian says World Cup 2026 is not out of reach for Ibra.
“I can tell you about this," he told Tribalfootball.com. "The player who takes care of himself during his time as a player will be in form for longer and will play longer.
"Ibrahimovic is a player who always has been careful regarding his body. He has so much experience, and has also played other sports.
"For me he can be important for his team at his current age and can be playing at the highest level also for 2-3 years. It depends on what you have done and how you have been dealing with your body.
"If you take care of your body or physique you can continue and play at the highest level for a long time."
Saccone says there's no great secret why we're seeing players like Ibrahimovic enjoy such longevity. Citing also Real Madrid midfielder Luka Modric and Cristiano Ronaldo, now with Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia, Saccone says it's all about how they've treated their bodies through their careers.
He added: "Players like Ibrahimovic, Modric and Ronaldo are players who take care of their bodies and their training. So it is no surprise that these players are still playing at the highest level and giving a great contribution to their teams.
"My desire is to see more and more young players take care of their bodies and put more and more importance on the training. They should learn from these legends how to be players or athletes right through their careers."
