AC Milan latest: Ibrahimovic has returned, at training today, in the stands on Wednesday for Benfica

The Swede had been absent from Milanello for six months

Zlatan Ibrahimovic returned to Milanello this morning for the first time in more than six months, since the argument with Massimiliano Allegri that had such an impact on the end of last season for AC Milan. Despite being away from the team’s day-to-day routine, the collaboration between Ibra, Gerry Cardinale and RedBird has never been interrupted. Ibrahimovic's return to Milanello as RedBird's Senior Advisor now marks a new step in the relationship between the Swede and AC Milan. Ibrahimovic was in fact Cardinale's first adviser in the corporate revolution that has involved Milan since the end of last season.

According to Sky, Ibrahimovic watched Ruben Amorim's team train from the touchline today and will be at San Siro on Wednesday for AC Milan-Benfica, the opening matchday of the Europa League league phase.

Either way, the Swede will not return to a hands-on role in running the club: the club is entirely under Cardinale's control, with chief executive Calvelli alongside him. That is why the Swede has stepped back from the joint management with Elliott and one of its key figures, Furlani. Ibra does not and has never had the final say in the choice of the chief executive, the sporting director or the manager. Still, if you hold such a central, all-encompassing role at the same club for so long, your opinion carries weight. Given Zlatan's stature, it carries even more.