{"id":1269388,"date":"2022-07-19T18:28:21","date_gmt":"2022-07-19T17:28:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/?p=1269388"},"modified":"2022-07-19T18:28:21","modified_gmt":"2022-07-19T17:28:21","slug":"europes-golden-oldies-40s-club","status":"publish","type":"features","link":"https:\/\/www.squawka.com\/en\/features\/europes-golden-oldies-40s-club\/","title":{"rendered":"Golden Oldies: Every player Europe’s top five leagues’ 40 Club, and those who will join them"},"content":{"rendered":"

Everyone knows football is a young man’s game, but science and nutrition are rapidly changing that.<\/strong><\/p>\n

You used to be able to play well into your 30s back in the day, with Ferenc Puskas and Alfredo Di Stefano becoming legends at Real Madrid after having full careers playing for other clubs for most of their 20s.<\/p>\n

But then the game started speeding up, and turning 30 became a serious problem as your physical capabilities declined rapidly compared to the younger, more athletic players around you.<\/p>\n

However, sports science, modern medicine and improved nutrition have taken us, in a weird forward-moving back, back to the 1950s and 60s where players can be well into their 30s and still sublime.<\/p>\n

Up until 2021, the best player in the world by some distance was Lionel Messi who was 33 years old and still dominant. And when he fell off as a 34-year-old following a move from Barcelona to PSG, he was replaced by another 34-year-old in Karim Benzema.<\/p>\n

At 33, Robert Lewandowski scored 50 goals in a season for Bayern Munich, impressing so much that Barcelona paid \u20ac45m to take him to Catalunya even though he turns 34 before the start of the season.<\/p>\n

All these men are young pups, however. Forget 30, there are players in Europe’s top five leagues who are touching 40. Some are already there, like the glorious Jorge Molina, the Spanish striker who slammed in 10 goals and five assists for Granada even as they were relegated.<\/p>\n

However while Molina is gone, others from The 40 Club remain, and more are set to join them this season. Who are they? Read on!<\/p>\n

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The 40 Club:<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Zlatan Ibrahimovic<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Club:<\/strong> AC Milan<\/p>\n

Position:<\/strong> Striker<\/p>\n

Turning 41 in:<\/strong> October 2022<\/p>\n

The Main Man himself, Zlatan Ibrahimovic the ageless. The Swede looked done when he did his ACL while playing for Manchester United, but Zlatan wisely went to the west to complete his two years of recovery in MLS, playing at a lower level disguised the fact that he himself had declined.<\/p>\n

Then, fully healed, he returned to Europe where his leadership and influence helped drive AC Milan back to the top of Serie A, claiming their first Scudetto since he was last at the club in 2011. Injury has been an issue for him but he signed a contract extension for at least one more season and would you ever doubt the mighty Zlatan Ibrahimovic?<\/p>\n

\n

Zlatan Ibrahimovi\u0107 has scored a goal in each of the last 24 calendar years:<\/p>\n

\u25c9 1999
\u25c9 2000
\u25c9 2001
\u25c9 2002
\u25c9 2003
\u25c9 2004
\u25c9 2005
\u25c9 2006
\u25c9 2007
\u25c9 2008
\u25c9 2009
\u25c9 2010
\u25c9 2011
\u25c9 2012
\u25c9 2013
\u25c9 2014
\u25c9 2015
\u25c9 2016
\u25c9 2017
\u25c9 2018
\u25c9 2019
\u25c9 2020
\u25c9 2021
\u25c9 2022
\u25ce 2023 ? pic.twitter.com\/U8BQgdknXa<\/a><\/p>\n

— Squawka (@Squawka) July 18, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n