Zlatan Ibrahimovic narrates the last time he cried

Former AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimović has shed his notoriously stoic public persona to detail the profound emotional impact of losing his long-time agent and close confidant, Mino Raiola.

Ibrahimović cultivated a macho, invincible image throughout his career, making his recent admission about shedding tears for the late representative a rare display of vulnerability.

During a televised interview, the 44-year-old was pressed by the host on the last time he cried, prompting a candid reflection on Raiola's death.

"When Mino passed away. I told you it was a big hit for me,” the former Sweden international shared. 

"And I cried until the last teardrop, you say, yeah, finished, and it's still not finished because sometimes I get flashbacks."

"And it brings me down in a way that I miss him too much, and I think everybody that knows him and me, they know how close we were."

When the interviewer asked what he would say if he could send his late friend one final text message, Ibrahimovic responded, "I miss you."

Raiola passed away at the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan on April 30, 2022, at the age of 54 following a prolonged battle with illness.

The charismatic Italian established himself as one of the most powerful brokers in global football, negotiating blockbuster transfers for elite clients, including Paul Pogba, Erling Haaland, and Gianluigi Donnarumma.

Raiola began representing Ibrahimović in 2003 during the forward's stint at Ajax, initiating a 19-year professional and personal partnership.

Raiola expertly navigated Ibrahimović's career across Europe's top leagues right up until his death, which occurred during the twilight of the striker's final spell at the San Siro.