Zvonimir Boban has said goodbye to FIFA and is turning a new page of his career back at his beloved AC Milan.
Gol.hr reports on June 14, 2019, that Zvonimir Boban has left his position as the Deputy Secretary General of FIFA to join AC Milan where he will assume the function of Chief Football Officer, the umbrella world football team announced in a statement on Friday.
“I will always be grateful to FIFA President Gianni Infantino for the opportunity he gave me after his election in 2016. True to his manifesto pledge to ‘bring football back to FIFA and FIFA back to football’, he had the courage to entrust a former footballer with such a far-reaching role within the organization.
I feel really honored and privileged to have worked on such important projects to take FIFA back to its rightful place, far away from past scandals and a tarnished image. Looking back, I feel a real sense of accomplishment about my contribution to these big changes over the last three years.
I have been entrusted with leading important projects such as the revamp of the FIFA Club World Cup and the successful bidding process for the FIFA World Cup 2026™, as well as the revolutionary VAR project, which has managed to make the beautiful game fairer and protect its integrity.
None of this could have been achieved without the support of the President and amazing colleagues who are dedicated to serving the game of football across the globe. There may have been some debates along the way, but we have always upheld our motto of ‘Living Football’ and I will be eternally thankful to everyone,” Boban said on the official FIFA website.
“It is extremely difficult to leave FIFA, but I followed my heart and my passion when making this decision, as was the case when I accepted the challenge of joining FIFA. The people at AC Milan are my family and the city of Milan and Italy are my home. I have a burning desire to help this glorious club, which means so much to me, to return where it belongs. Zurich now also has a special place in my heart after three wonderful years in Switzerland,” concluded Boban for FIFA.
Milan stated on its website announced that Boban would take on the new role of Chief Football Officer. The task will be to supervise and coordinate club sports activities, which will be chaired by director Ivan Gazidis and technical director Paolo Maldini.
Boban has been a part of FIFA since 2016 as a special advisor to Gianni Infantino and was effectively the second man in FIFA. Now, he returns to a club where he was a member for 10 years, from 1991 to 2001.
“I am very happy to return to my beloved Milan. I will contribute to bringing the club back where it deserves to be. Milan must be a leading and winning club, it’s natural to his history and supporters,” Boban told the official club page.
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