Ahead of the final round of Serie A, Milan are league leaders.
It will be decided on Sunday - and Zlatan has previously said that he came to Milan to take the title.
Whether Zlatan will start against Sassuolo then or not is unclear.
When asked about it, Pioli said that Ibrahimovic would like to start on Sunday, just like everyone else.
But there is no doubt about the Swede's importance to the team, according to the coach.
-Zlatan has contributed with his mentality, his quality, he says.
- He stands above others in quality and game intelligence.
Above all, his personality is important for a young team, Pioli continues.
- He's a mentor.
It has been crucial for the team.
Since then, his teammates have been good at following him and developing.
They have become better players since Zlatan joined the team.