AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic more influential in Italian football than Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Alberto Zaccheroni

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been a more influential figure in Serie A than Cristiano Ronaldo, according to former AC Milan and Juventus manager Alberto Zaccheroni.

Ibrahimovic has been in fine form for AC Milan this season, leading the line and scoring goals at a consistent rate at the age of 39.

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is "eternal", states Zaccheroni

Cristiano Ronaldo in Juventus colours

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is enjoying his second spell at AC Milan. The Sweden international has enjoyed a phenomenal career at the highest level, with a large amount of his playing time coming in Italy.

The 39-year-old joined Juventus from Ajax in 2004 before moving to Inter Milan in 2006. After a disastrous sole season at Barcelona, Ibrahimovic joined AC Milan, initially on loan and then permanently.

After enjoying fruitful spells with Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United and LA Galaxy, the Swede returned to familiar hunting ground in 2020, rejoining AC Milan.

Ibrahimovic has played 239 Serie A games for three clubs, scoring 136 goals.

Milano never had a king, they have a GOD pic.twitter.com/LmQxt0XnwG

— Zlatan Ibrahimović (@Ibra_official) October 18, 2020

His current stint with AC Milan coincides with Cristiano Ronaldo's spell with Juventus. Ronaldo joined the Old Lady from Real Madrid in 2018 for €100 million. Since his debut in 2018, the Portuguese superstar has played 66 Serie A games, scoring 55 goals.

Since Cristiano Ronaldo joined Juventus, he has scored all 7 of the club’s UCL knockout stage goals:⚽️⚽️⚽️ vs. Atlético Madrid⚽️⚽️ vs. Lyon⚽️⚽️ vs. Ajax pic.twitter.com/p1OY3KoF4L

— TeamCRonaldo (@TeamCRonaldo) October 15, 2020

Zaccheroni believes that the AC Milan stalwart has been extremely influential in Serie A, admitting that he regrets not coaching the striker. He said:

"I have coached great champions in my career, from [Oliver] Bierhoff to [George] Weah up to Adriano, but the only regret I have is that I never trained Ibrahimovic."

The former Lazio manager added that he was surprised that Ibrahimovic had not won a Ballon d'Or in his career:

"He is eternal and I still don't understand why he never won the Ballon d'Or. In Italy, he has shifted the balance more than Ronaldo. It is no coincidence that many young players have grown exponentially since his arrival."

Ibrahimovic has been in fine form for AC Milan this season. In three appearances in all competitions, he has scored five goals, including a brace against Inter Milan in the Milan derby.

Ronaldo, on the other hand, has begun the season well, making two appearances and scoring three goals.

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