Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed the match against Milan ‘could be a Champions League game’ and said Zlatan Ibrahimovic has ‘impressed’ at the Rossoneri.
The Norwegian coach, who turns 48 today, spoke about the ‘tradition and history’ of Milan after his team were drawn the Rossoneri in the last 16 of the Europa League.
“It's a nice birthday gift, isn't it? To watch that draw!” he told the club’s official website.
Manchester United coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer claimed the match against Milan ‘could be a Champions League game’ and said Zlatan Ibrahimovic has ‘impressed’ at the Rossoneri.
The Norwegian coach, who turns 48 today, spoke about the ‘tradition and history’ of Milan after his team were drawn the Rossoneri in the last 16 of the Europa League.
“It's a nice birthday gift, isn't it? To watch that draw!” he told the club’s official website.
“We do have the tradition of making it hard for ourselves in draws.
“It's one of the those draws again that you feel could be a Champions League game.
“It's good for us to have these games to look forward to. This team needs challenges, and we enjoy challenges, and we embrace them.
“The tradition and history of AC Milan, it's a great club that we welcome and it's a great stadium that we go to there, and we're looking forward to it.”
Solskjaer said Milan’s veteran Ibrahimovic, who spent two seasons at Old Trafford before moving to LA Galaxy, has ‘impressed’ after his return to Italy.
United loanee Diogo Dalot will also be reunited with his former teammates in the knockout stages of the competition.
“Zlatan, of course, I've been so impressed, I've got to say, by how his career has gone,” Solskjaer continued.
“He had a career-threatening injury when he was here but came back from that and went to [the] MLS, then came back to Milan and has really lifted them.
“They're on the up and have done really well this season. I've been so impressed by him, and Diogo we know. He went there to get some experience at a big club and he's learned a lot.
“He's played a lot more games this season, kept fit and, hopefully, we can give him some bother!”