Zlatan Ibrahimović

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Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović June 2018.jpg
Zlatan Ibrahimović (2018)
Personnel
birthday 3rd October 1981
place of birth MalmoSweden
size 195 cm
position Storm
Juniors
Years station
1989-1991 Malmo Anadolu BI
1991-1995 FBK Balkans
1995 BK flag
1995-1999 Malmö FF
Men's
Years station Games (goals) 1
1999-2001 Malmö FF 40 0(16)
2001-2004 Ajax Amsterdam 74 0(35)
2004-2006 Juventus Turin 70 0(23)
2006-2009 Inter Milan 88 0(57)
2009-2010 FC Barcelona 29 0(16)
2010–2012 AC Milan 61 0(42)
2012-2016 Paris Saint-Germain 122 (113)
2016-2018 Manchester United 33 0(17)
2018-2019 LA Galaxy 58 0(53)
2020– AC Milan 18 0(10)
National team
Years selection Games (goals) 2
2001 Sweden U21 7 00(6)
2001-2016 Sweden 116 0(62)
1 Only league games are given.
Status: end of season 2019/20

2 Status: end of career

Zlatan Ibrahimović (born October 3, 1981 in Malmö ) is a Swedish football player who has been under contract with AC Milan for the second time in his career since January 1, 2020 . The striker has been awarded the Guldbollen as Swedish Footballer of the Year eleven times , ten times in a row. At the height of his career, he was considered one of the best strikers in the world and was particularly impressive with his strong technique and spectacular game actions. From 2001 to 2016 Ibrahimović, who also has Bosnian nationality , was active for the Swedish national team and is their record scorer with 62 goals.

In addition, he has a 25% stake in the Swedish club Hammarby IF through the Anschutz Entertainment Group .

Career

In the club

Career start in Sweden and move abroad

Ibrahimović played in his youth at Malmö Anadolu BI and FBK Balkan , a club that consisted mostly of players from the former Yugoslavia, in his home district of Malmö- Rosengård . This was followed by a short interlude at BK Flagg , before he moved to the youth department of Malmö FF in 1995. According to Ibrahimović, his early days there in the youth team were marked by arguments with his teammates, their parents and the coaches. He was said to be too “tricky” and too stubborn.

In 1999 Ibrahimović signed his first professional contract with Malmö FF. On September 20, 1999 he played in the defeat against Halmstads BK for the first time in the Allsvenskan . Even after the club was relegated at the end of the season after having been part of the Swedish elite series for over 60 years, he remained loyal to the club. In the Superettan he contributed twelve goals to direct recovery and aroused the interest of international clubs. After half a season in the Swedish first division Ibrahimović left the club in the summer of 2001.

His new employer was the Dutch record champions Ajax Amsterdam from July 2001 . Under coach Co Adriaanse he hardly got a chance at first. But when he was released in November, Ibrahimović became a regular under his successor Ronald Koeman . At the end of the season he won the championship title, and Ibrahimović came to his first Champions League appearances in the following season . After the group stage, the team was eliminated in the quarter-finals against AC Milan . An incident in the international match between the Netherlands and Sweden is one of the reasons for Ibrahimović's departure from Ajax in summer 2004: team-mate Rafael van der Vaart was injured during the game after a foul by Ibrahimović, who was accused of intent. However, he publicly asserted that it was not on purpose. He later stated that van der Vaart was jealous of his development and therefore assumed that he was intentional.

Years in the Italian Serie A

After winning the second championship title with Ajax, Ibrahimović moved to Italy in the summer of 2004 to the Italian record champions Juventus Turin . As his rival, David Trezeguet , was injured in the storm, the Swede found himself in the starting line-up of the Serie A club straight away . He scored 16 goals this season in the 2004/05 season. His advisor has now launched press reports that Real Madrid are interested in the striker and have offered up to 70 million euros to increase the market value of his protégé. With continued good performances, Ibrahimović established himself among Europe's top players and was one of the nominees for the FIFA World Player of the Year award in 2005 . While he was only eighth, he was awarded the Guldbollen as Sweden's Footballer of the Year in the same year .

Ibrahimović in the Inter Milan jersey

But with the success came the first major problems. Coach Fabio Capello increasingly used Ibrahimović as a winger to take advantage of his speed. As a result, although the number of his assists increased, on the other hand he scored fewer goals himself. The press and supporters of the club therefore increasingly insisted on the use of the popular Juve veteran Alessandro Del Piero . With Ibrahimović falling into a form low in the second half of the season, the pressure on him increased. When the club was forced to relegate to Serie B in the wake of the football scandal in the summer of 2006 , the club tried to recruit the Swede, but the circumstances made it easy for him to leave the club.

In August 2006 Ibrahimović signed a four-year deal with Inter Milan . At first he offered changeable performances, but in the course of the club's series of unbeaten games he was also able to stabilize and he was first choice under coach Roberto Mancini in the storm. At the end of the season he won the championship with the club. A short time later, he caused unrest in the club's environment when he was quoted as saying that the club lacked a personality like Luciano Moggi . Since he was the main culprit of the Italian football scandal, which Inter had to suffer after Juventus, Ibrahimović was heavily criticized. After the Swede apologized that the statement had been taken out of context, the excitement subsided. With good performances at the beginning of his second season - he scored his first European Cup goal on October 2, 2007 after almost two years - he played his way back into the circle of world footballers. At the award, however, he had to be content with seventh place, but received the Guldbollen again in Sweden and was awarded the Jerringpris radio sport .

Rise to the highest paid soccer player in the world

At the end of the 2007/08 season Ibrahimović defended the Italian championship with Inter. After the end of the season, he also extended his contract with the Lombard club until 2013 in June. With a net annual salary of 13.5 million euros , the striker was the best-paid soccer player in the world; for the 2008/09 season he was paid an additional special bonus of 1.5 million euros for 25 league goals. This increased his earnings to 15 million euros net in 2009, not including advertising income. He was named Italy's Footballer of the Year by the Association of Italian Football Professionals (AIC) that same year. In the 2008/09 season Ibrahimović won the championship again with Inter, it was the fourth championship title in a row. With 25 goals, he made a decisive contribution to winning the title again and was named top scorer in Serie A. When he was voted European Footballer of the Year in 2009, he was once again included in the top 10.

Change to FC Barcelona

Ibrahimović (left) and Xavi at FC Barcelona (2009)

In July 2009, after weeks of negotiations, Ibrahimović moved to the then current Champions League winners, cup winners and Spanish champions (see triple ) FC Barcelona (also called Barça for short). In return, Inter Milan received Samuel Eto'o and about 50 million euros. The transfer had a total value of around 75 million euros; making it the fourth most expensive transfer in football history at the time. Ibrahimović received a five-year contract. His transfer fee was set at 250 million, his base salary at nine million euros annually and his total earnings at twelve million euros net.

60,000 spectators came to Camp Nou for its performance on July 27, 2009, a Monday evening . Ibrahimović scored his first competitive goal for Barça on the first day of the season with a header. It was the goal for the 3-0 final against Sporting Gijón . He scored at least one goal in his first five league games, making him, along with César Rodríguez Álvarez, the club's most dangerous newcomer to date. In the course of the season his performance decreased. Towards the end of the season Ibrahimović was used less and less and no longer found himself in the starting lineup.

He scored 21 goals and provided 13 assists in 45 competitive games for FC Barcelona in his first season. At the end of the season, the striker's situation tightened after his agent Mino Raiola criticized the coach heavily. According to Raiola's statement, Pep Guardiola belongs in a psychiatric clinic if he does not give the 28-year-old more time in the coming season. The relationship between Ibrahimović and the coach was getting worse; so the player complained that he was ignoring him and not speaking to him. Guardiola admitted to having made mistakes in dealing with Ibrahimović.

As the striker threatened to become a reservist after signing David Villa , FC Barcelona released him for a transfer. The club hoped that this would save 60 million euros in salaries, which would have to be paid to Ibrahimović over the next three years. After moving to AC Milan, he said that Guardiola was to blame for his departure and that he was a bad coach. A few months after his move, he also said that Lionel Messi was partly to blame for his reservist role as he had refused to play on the wing during the season and instead wanted to play in the center, where Ibrahimović's place had previously been.

Return to Serie A

Ibrahimović at AC Milan

At the end of August 2010, after increasing disputes between Pep Guardiola and Ibrahimović, rumors of change about him increased. AC Milan and Manchester City in particular expressed their interest. Ibrahimović decided to move to AC Milan for sporting reasons, although Manchester's salary offer was much higher endowed. On August 28, the loan deal between FC Barcelona and AC Milan was announced. Ibrahimović initially moved on loan for a year; then AC Milan was obliged to buy the player for 24 million euros , so that Milan Barça transferred eight million euros annually in installments until 2014. Ibrahimović did not say goodbye to Guardiola and commented on his departure: “Guardiola kicked me out.” The transfer was described as provocative by the Italian press, as Ibrahimović had only moved to Barcelona from rivals Inter a year earlier. The Inter fans had seen the departure of the celebrated superstar as a betrayal. He made his first two goals for Milan on September 15, 2010 in the Champions League game against AJ Auxerre to the final score of 2-0. It was his first game for Milan at the Giuseppe Meazza Stadium .

In his first game against his old club Inter Milan, he scored the only goal; Milan won 1-0. In his first season he won the championship title with Milan, the first for the club in seven years. Ibrahimović contributed 14 goals and 13 assists in 29 games. It was the 17th title in his career, the ninth championship. For the 2011/12 season, AC Milan took up its purchase option for Ibrahimović. The Milanese paid FC Barcelona € 24 million for the move. The contract ran until June 30, 2015. With the start of the 2011/12 season, he was the highest-paid player in the Italian league with net earnings (excluding advertising money) of nine million euros per year. This season Ibrahimović was the first time in nine years non-national champion (most recently in 2002/03 at Ajax Amsterdam , including two revoked titles with Juventus Turin ).

Paris Saint-Germain

Zlatan Ibrahimović with PSG President Nasser Al-Khelaifi and Sports Director Leonardo Nascimento de Araújo on July 18, 2012

For the 2012/13 season Ibrahimović followed his Milanese team-mate Thiago Silva to Paris Saint-Germain and signed a three-year contract. He played his first league game on August 11, 2012 (1st matchday) in the home game against FC Lorient . With two goals in the 64th and 90th minute, he made up a 0-2 deficit to make it 2-2. In October against Olympique Marseille , he scored one of his spectacular goals by heeled a volley from a corner. It was dubbed “Kung Fu Tor” in the press. In his first season at PSG he again caused a stir with his spectacular and technical football. With a net salary of 15 million euros per year, he was the highest paid player in France. In a radio interview, Budget Minister Jérôme Cahuzac criticized the salary level as "indecent". Ibrahimović responded with the words: “Quality has its price. I don't understand the criticism. ”With bonuses and advertising income, he made an annual net income of around 17.5 million euros in 2012. In terms of salary (excluding advertising money and bonuses), he was the best-paid professional footballer in the world after Samuel Eto'o in 2012 .

Ibrahimović at PSG

With PSG Ibrahimović became French champion on May 12, 2013. With his 30 goals, he was the top scorer in the league; Jean-Pierre Papin had last reached this number more than 20 years earlier . In September 2013, his contract term was extended to 2016. Also in the 2013/14 , 2014/15 and 2015/16 seasons he became French champions with Paris Saint-Germain in a partly dominant manner. With the title in 2016 he became national champion for the 13th time across leagues (2 × Netherlands, 6 × Italy, 1 × Spain, 4 × France).

After the end of his contract on June 30, 2016, he left PSG.

Manchester United

Ibrahimović in the shirt of Manchester United (2017)

After his contract in Paris expired, Ibrahimović moved to the Premier League for Manchester United for the 2016/17 season on a free transfer . His coach was José Mourinho , with whom he had already worked at Inter Milan in the 2008/09 season . Ibrahimović scored five goals in his first five competitive games, four of them in the league and one in the 2016 Supercup final . On November 6, 2016, he scored two goals in a 3-1 win over Swansea City : his goal to make it 2-1 was 25,000. Goal of Premier League history. His second goal to 3-1 was the 400th goal of his career; the template was Wayne Rooney with his 100th assist. On February 26, 2017 Ibrahimovic won the League Cup with Manchester United ; with two goals in the final against Southampton FC (3-2), he played a decisive role in the victory.

On March 7, 2017 Ibrahimović was suspended for three competitive games. The suspension was imposed by the FA because he hit opponent Tyrone Mings with the elbow in the match against AFC Bournemouth on March 5 . The referees hadn't seen this. The charges were brought via video evidence . At the end of April 2017, Ibrahimović tore a cruciate ligament. So he could no longer play in the season's final spurt, especially when winning the UEFA Europa League .

His contract term, which expired at the end of the season, was initially not extended. Still, Ibrahimović used the club's training center to work on his comeback. On August 24, 2017, he received a new contract running until the end of the 2017/18 season and the number 10 shirt of Wayne Rooney , who had returned to Everton , after wearing the number 9 in the previous season.

In November 2017, Ibrahimović returned to the Premier League for the first time after his injury. From then on he had to be content with the reservist role behind Romelu Lukaku . After four more Premier League appearances, his contract was terminated prematurely on March 22, 2018.

Change to the USA

Ibrahimović in the LA Galaxy jersey (2019)

On March 23, 2018 to Ibrahimović joined the MLS - franchise LA Galaxy on. In his first appearance in the derby against Los Angeles FC on March 31, 2018, he was substituted on in the 71st minute at the score of 1: 3 and scored the 3: 3 equalizer with a goal from 40 meters away and in added time 4: 3 winning goal. The team finished seventh in the Western Conference and missed the play-offs. Ibrahimović scored 22 goals in 27 games and was voted into the MLS Best XI 2018.

For season 2019 signed Ibrahimović a new contract as a Designated Player . Previously, he earned according to official data of the MLS players union as a player who fell under the salary cap, 1.5 million dollars (1.3 million euros) per season. The reason for this was that the LA Galaxy had already occupied its three roster positions for designated players with Romain Alessandrini , Giovani dos Santos and Jonathan dos Santos ; Giovani dos Santos then left the franchise. With his 26th of a total of 30 goals this season, the Swede set the club's internal season record for Carlos Ruiz on the 29th of 31 match days . This had been able to achieve 24 goals in the 2002 season . With 30 goals, Ibrahimović was second best goalscorer of the regular season behind Carlos Vela (34) from city rivals Los Angeles FC . His team reached the play-offs in fifth in the Western Conference, in which they were eliminated against Los Angeles FC in the Conference semifinals. Ibrahimović scored a goal in the 5-3 defeat. After the season, Ibrahimović left the LA Galaxy.

Return to Serie A again

On January 1, 2020, the Swede signed a contract with his old club AC Milan until the end of the 2019/20 season . In his second competitive game he scored against Cagliari Calcio to make it 2-0. In the following games, the center forward was always in the starting line-up when he was fit and had 16 direct goal participations. Ibrahimović was sixth with Milan, which meant participation in qualifying for the Europa League.

In the national team

Ibrahimović at the 2006 World Cup

First Ibrahimović played for the Swedish U-21 national team, for which he scored six goals in seven games. He made his senior national team debut on January 31, 2001 in Växjö in a 0-0 draw against the Faroe Islands . The selection consisted exclusively of players from the Allsvenskan. While some of the teammates from this game stayed with only one international appearance, Ibrahimović established himself in the selection.

He was part of the national team at the 2002 World Cup . As a young man, he was a substitute player at the tournament and only made two appearances as a substitute. Two years later he was one of the regular players at the 2004 European Championship . After scoring in the opening match against Bulgaria , he scored a goal in a 1-1 draw in the second group game against Italy .

In the quarterfinals of the tournament, the team was eliminated against the Netherlands on penalties; Ibrahimović was one of the players, along with Olof Mellberg and Phillip Cocu , who couldn't convert their penalty. At his third major tournament, the 2006 World Cup in Germany , he was used in three games, but remained unsuccessful as in his first World Cup participation. After a 2-0 defeat against the host's team , the team was eliminated in the round of 16.

During the qualification for the European Championship 2008 Ibrahimović was temporarily excluded from the national team. When the team stayed at the hotel because of the game against Liechtenstein on September 6, 2006, he and teammates Olof Mellberg and Christian Wilhelmsson left the hotel to go to a nightclub. Even though the players hadn't had a drink, they were sent home. While Mellberg and Wilhelmsson accepted the punishment and apologized, Ibrahimović felt wrongly punished and was not considered for the following games. In March 2007 he returned to the team for the game against Denmark .

At the European Football Championship in 2008 he scored a total of two goals against Greece and Spain . The team still did not get beyond the preliminary round.

With the start of the qualifying round for the 2010 World Cup , he took over the captain's armband from Freddie Ljungberg , but Sweden was only third in the group and could not qualify. Ibrahimović caused a sensation when, before the decisive penultimate group game against Denmark, he defended the Danish team with the sentence: “The Danes want to play 4-3-3 like my team in Barcelona. They have no technically good players at all, ”derided. Shortly after leaving, he took a break from the national team in mid-November 2009. On July 16, 2010 Ibrahimović announced his return to the national team, he was appointed captain by the Swedish national coach Erik Hamrén along with Anders Svensson . In the successful qualifying round for the 2012 European Football Championship , he scored five goals in eight games.

At the 2012 European Football Championship , Ibrahimović scored once against Ukraine and France , making him the first player to score two goals each in three European championships.

Ibrahimović will lead the Swedish national team onto the pitch as captain at EURO 2012

On September 4, 2014, he set Sven Rydell's 82-year-old record in the third minute of the friendly game against Estonia with his 49th international goal, the 2,000 goal of the Swedish team, and increased it to 50 goals in the 24th minute . Four days later he made his 100th international match in the European Championship qualifier against Austria .

At the European Football Championship in France in 2016 , he was accepted as a regular in the storm in Sweden's squad. In the opening game against Ireland he did not score his own goal, but his sharp cross was directed into his own goal by Ciaran Clark and Sweden equalized 1-1. The game against Italy was lost.

Before the last group game against Belgium, Ibrahimović announced that he would leave the national team after the Euro 2016. Sweden could have qualified for the round of 16 with a win against the Belgians. However, the game was lost 0-1, which ended Ibrahimović's national team career. The following day Ibrahimović said goodbye with the words:

“I came from this place people call Ghetto Rosengård, conquered Sweden and made it my country. My way. I am Sweden. A huge thank you to the Swedish people - without you I would never have been able to fulfill my dreams. You will always be in my blue and yellow heart. Ich liebe dich."

“I come from this place that people call Rosengård Ghetto, conquered Sweden and made it my country. In my way. I am sweden. A big thank you to the Swedes - without you I would never have been able to realize my dreams. You will always be in my blue and yellow heart. I love you."

- Zlatan Ibrahimović : Facebook profile, from June 23, 2016

personality

Ibrahimović is generally seen as polarizing and provocative towards the media, fans and opponents. When he was once asked by a Swedish reporter where he got the scratches on his face, he replied: “Just ask your wife!” There are also experiences of other journalists who describe an interview with Ibrahimović as “relaxed”.

Furthermore, he is described by his critics as arrogant . So he went public about the technology of the Norwegian John Carew funny, saying, "What can with the ball, I can with the Orange." He made a similar statement also after in a game against he Liverpool whose Defender Stéphane Henchoz tricked him with a spectacular dribble. He then publicly mocked Henchoz by saying: “First I went to the left, he did that too. Then I went to the right, he did that too. Then I went left again and he went and bought a hot dog ”. He also mocked opponents at international matches.

In 2006, during a training session at Juventus Turin , he was fouled hard by his teammate Jonathan Zebina . Then Ibrahimović struck him down; before that, Zebina tried to give him a head-butt.

After moving to FC Barcelona, ​​he had to play in his first Champions League match against his former club Inter Milan in their stadium. As soon as he came into contact with the ball, he was whistled by the spectators and insulted as a “traitor”. Commenting on the spectators' actions after the game, Ibrahimović said, "Obviously they were attached to me." Before the game, he publicly said Barcelona was better than Inter Milan, angering the Inter fans. Ibrahimović provoked the fans towards the end of his season at Inter.

In interviews he often speaks of himself in the third person. He describes himself as a racing machine: “If you buy me, you buy a Ferrari. Anyone who buys a Ferrari drives on the autobahn and gives full throttle, ”he stated in several interviews.

After leaving FC Barcelona, ​​Ibrahimović made negative comments about his coach Pep Guardiola , accusing him of cowardice. He said, “I don't know what the problem was. When I went into a room Guardiola was in, he left the room. Maybe he was afraid of me. ”When the board of FC Barcelona refused to accept his change request, he threatened:“ Otherwise I'll give the coach one, I'll do it in front of the press. ”Because of his personality, he is repeatedly provoked by reporters, a TV reporter once asked him in Barcelona if he was homosexual, to which he replied: “Come to my house with your sister and you will see if I am gay.” In Spain, provocative topics were previously discussed in social matters Networks spread through Ibrahimović.

His relationship with Louis van Gaal during his time at Ajax Amsterdam was also characterized by problems. On tactical instructions from van Gaal, who was technical director and not coach of Ajax at the time, Ibrahimović replied, according to his own account, with: "Listen, master, you have nothing to say to me - go to your office and write letters." He also stated that he was very “annoyed” by Van Gaal's “manner”, that he was a would-be dictator and busybody.

When his transfer to AC Milan was confirmed in August 2010, he again criticized Guardiola, his former coach at FC Barcelona. He is a bad coach and, unlike José Mourinho, has no motivation. Literally, he said: "I could have gone out and killed for José Mourinho." He also said that even as a coach of FC Barcelona he could win everything, it was no art. He also criticized his former teammates Xavi , Andrés Iniesta and Lionel Messi , describing them as "schoolboys without their own opinion".

In September 2010, Arrigo Sacchi made a joke about his shoe size after a Champions League match at AC Milan, in which Ibrahimović had scored both goals to make it 2-0. Ibrahimović then caused a TV scandal by saying: “Sacchi has to learn to shut up. He seems to be jealous of me, otherwise he wouldn't talk so much ”. The Italian media then reported headlines such as: "Ibrahimović insults the Milan legend". During a training session at AC Milan, he kicked his team-mate Rodney Strasser in the back and said: "Here I am the boss". Then he went to Ronaldinho and said: "We are the stars on this team". Although Ibrahimović subsequently stated that this was only intended as a joke, the action was criticized in the media.

On March 14, 2011 Ibrahimović was suspended for three league games after he hit Marco Rossi with his fist in the stomach area and then saw the red card in a game against AS Bari . The suspension was subsequently reduced to two games. After serving his suspension, Ibrahimović returned against Fiorentina - and received a red card three minutes before the final whistle for insulting the assistant referee. Ibrahimović, who protested his innocence, was again suspended for three games.

After the final whistle and winning the 2011 championship, he kicked Antonio Cassano slightly in the head as "fun" while he was giving a live interview.

In a mirror interview in October 2013, he described Guardiola as a "coach without balls" and a "coward". He could not deal with personalities and only switched to FC Bayern Munich for fear of challenges . While Guardiola didn't say anything about it, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge and Uli Hoeneß were very critical, including that Ibrahimović was “stupid” and a “failed diva”. Ibrahimović replied with the sentence: "I would not take Hoeneß as a tax advisor". He was referring to Hoeness' tax affair.

Before a European Cup match in 2014, he answered questions from fans on Twitter and stated, among other things: “Zlatan is only human. Just as a great white shark is just a fish ”.

In 2014 Ibrahimović is said to have donated around 38,000 euros to the Swedish national team for people with intellectual disabilities so that they can take part in the INAS World Cup in São Paulo . Originally, he was only asked to donate one of his jerseys for an auction for the benefit of this team. As a reason for his generous donation, he is said to have given: "Football should be played by everyone."

On November 26, 2019, Ibrahimović announced that he would be a 25% shareholder in the Hammarby IF association run by the Anschutz Entertainment Group .

Play style

Ibrahimović is considered a two-footed striker and achieves roughly the same shot hardness and precision with both feet. It can be used on the offensive both on the wings and in the attack center. This versatility allows him, above all, a tactical interplay with both outer sides or the center. This creates confusion in the opposing defense formation. Its exceptionally good technique is considered a major strength. Ibrahimović has acquired an extensive repertoire of offensive tricks and feints that has made him one of the most feared players among his opponents. When Ibrahimović is on the ball, a show effect can be expected. His acrobatic performances, unexpected actions and goals have earned him nicknames like "Super Zlatan" or "Ibrakadabra".

At the 2004 European Championships , he scored a remarkable goal in a 1-1 draw in the second group game against Italy when, shortly before the end of the game, with his back to the goal and half a meter above the ground, he hit the ball over the Italian goalkeeper with a side heel trick promoted. To the media, he dubbed this way of scoring a goal as a "twisted sideways kick".

During his time in Amsterdam he scored a remarkable goal against NAC Breda by beating five field players and the goalkeeper with a slalom run. Among other things, the goal was named “Eurosport Goal of the Year”.

He is also known for his precise and hard-shot free kicks. At Inter Milan, for example, he converted a free kick at 124 km / h, at Barcelona he did it at 104 km / h. He then stated that he had learned this way of taking free kicks from Siniša Mihajlović , the assistant coach from Inter Milan.

Ibrahimović is very strong in duels, plays with a lot of “pull to the goal” and, according to numerous experts, is able to “play dizzy” through an entire defense on his own.

Due to his hard and precise shot, he is just as dangerous on goal outside the penalty area as inside, and he is also strong at the ball. A specialty of Ibrahimović is that he can bring it to a goal sometimes with "brute force" and sometimes with "fine-footed technique". In a league game against Lazio Rome , he played the ball with a twist in the air. This pass was christened the “Taekwondo Pass” by the Italian press.

Also in his first season at AC Milan, he caused a sensation with an extravagant game and technically well executed actions.

He is also known for his pronounced obstinacy, for which he is often criticized. Although everyone agrees that this has continuously decreased since his time at Juventus Turin, it is still there. Kim Källström tried to score a penalty in an international match against San Marino , but Ibrahimović stole the ball and scored the penalty himself. He scored, but his team-mates pointedly refused to celebrate. This action was cited by his critics as a prime example of his stubbornness. Ibrahimović is seen by them as a polemical person who prefers to focus on himself.

On November 14, 2012, he scored all four goals in a 4-2 win in the friendly against England . He succeeded in the second half with the goals to 2: 2, 3: 2 and 4: 2, which he achieved with an overhead kick from about 25 m away, a hat trick . On November 15, 2012, FIFA announced that the goal would not be nominated for the 2012 FIFA Puskás Award . The goals eligible for this election were announced just hours before Ibrahimović's goal, but a nomination for next year was possible and the goal was chosen in 2013 . In Germany, the goal was voted goal of the month and later also goal of the year .

On October 23, 2013 in the 5-0 away win in the Champions League against RSC Anderlecht, he scored four goals, one of them with a hoe and another volley from about 30 meters. In the first half he managed a hat trick within 19 minutes.

Ibrahimović is currently the only player to have scored for six different teams in the UEFA Champions League .

Achievements and Awards

Title at a glance

  • UEFA Europa League (1): 2017
  • national championship (13): 2002, 2004, 2005 a , 2006 a , 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016
  • national cup (3): 2002, 2015, 2016
  • national league cup (4): 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017
  • FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2009
  • UEFA Super Cup (1): 2009
  • National Supercup (10): 2002, 2006, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016

Title by club

Ajax Amsterdam (2001-2004)

Juventus Turin (2004-2006)

arevoked in the context of the Italian soccer scandal in 2005/06

Inter Milan (2006-2009)

FC Barcelona (2009-2010)

AC Milan (2010–2012)

Paris St. Germain (2012-2016)

Manchester United (2016-2018)

Personal honors

Other successes

  • 19th place on the list of football players with 500 or more goals with 528 goals in 901 official games (ratio 0.59) in the national team and club (as of July 27, 2019)
  • At 38 years and 302 days, the oldest Serie A player who scored 10+ goals in one season (2019/20, only second round played, 10 goals in 18 appearances)

Life

Youth and family

Ibrahimović was born in Malmö, his father comes from Bosnia and Herzegovina , the mother from Croatia . He grew up in the Rosengård district , which was built by the so-called million dollar program and developed into a social hotspot. There he graduated from school. For a short time Ibrahimović then attended the high school Borgarskolan , which he however left prematurely in favor of his football career . According to his own admission, he is 100% Swede and still feels like a “ Balkan ”. He only speaks to his parents in their language ( Serbo-Croatian ). In his autobiography Ibrahimović tells of his difficult childhood. His father was an alcoholic for a long time and his mother was mentally unstable. There would have been numerous disputes and broken contacts within the family. In addition to his sister, he has three half-siblings.

Ibrahimović is in a relationship with the former Swedish model Helena Seger , with whom he has two children. Seger is 11 years older than him and was described by him as a "nasty super luxury chick". Ibrahimović speaks Swedish and Serbo-Croatian varieties as well as English and Italian . He is a fan of martial arts and does taekwondo himself , which he also attributes his mobility to. Ibrahimović is a devout Catholic. According to his own statements, he often stole bicycles in his youth in order to be able to ride them to training. Ibrahimović owns an island in the third largest Swedish lake Mälaren .

social commitment

Ibrahimović financed the construction of a football field in Rosengård.

Shareholder and shareholder

At the end of November 2019, Ibrahimović acquired half of the shares in Anschutz Entertainment Group , which in turn holds a 50% stake in the Swedish club Hammarby IF . So he has a 25% stake in the association.

Others

Ibrahimović is mentioned in several songs. Among other things, the music group The Ballerinas & The Pendeltones sings in their song Zlatan och jag (Zlatan and I) by Ibrahimović. In 2004 a Swedish comedy piece was released under the title Var är Zlatan? (Where is Zlatan?), Which focuses on his story. In 2006 the Swedish band “Elias” released the song “Who's da Man” about Ibrahimović, in Sverigetopplistan he came first. The reggae duo Sanjin & Youthman from Croatia also released a song in 2013 called “Zlatan”.

The word Zlatanera (in German: zlatanieren ), which means something like strongly dominate , was introduced into the Swedish language at the end of 2012 , based on his first name. Once he drove to Malmö's red light district disguised as a policeman and frightened clients whom he threatened to arrest. When he also wanted to take a pastor into custody, the story became public. The topic was picked up again and again in the press, including when he moved from Malmö to Ajax.

In his honor there is the “Zlatan Burger” in a Parisian restaurant. In April 2015 the new internet search engine “Zlatan Search” was launched, in which all search queries are “zlatanized”, that is, brought into connection with Ibrahimović.

On 8 October 2019 he consecrated before the stadium of Malmo FF a one dedicated to him Statue. Since his involvement in Hammarby IF, a rival of Malmö, the monument has been damaged more frequently.

literature

In 2011 Ibrahimović's autobiography was published in Swedish and Italian: Zlatan Ibrahimović and David Lagercrantz: Jag är Zlatan . According to media reports, the book tells more about the integration model country Sweden than some social reports. It has sold more than 700,000 copies and is one of the most successful books in Sweden. It was also very successful in Italy. In 2013 it was published in German under the title Ich bin Zlatan Ibrahimović .

Web links

Commons : Zlatan Ibrahimović  - collection of images

Individual evidence

  1. a b c d Maik Großekathöfer, Juan Moreno : “Everyone has a dark side” . In: Der Spiegel . No. 40 , September 30, 2013, ISSN  0038-7452 , p. 104-107 (interview with Ibrahimović).
  2. fifa.com: "World record: Ibrahimović for the tenth time footballer of the year" ( Memento from March 4, 2016 in the Internet Archive )
  3. handelsblatt.com: handelsblatt.com: Ibrahimović finds Hacken-Tor “happy” , June 19, 2004.
  4. Media Service Point New Austrians - EM 2012: International roots of footballers
  5. a b c I am Zlatan Ibrahimović. Autobiography. Malik, Munich 2013, ISBN 978-3-89029-773-6 .
  6. sport.at: Inter-Star Ibrahimović receives record contract
  7. Sport1.de: Ibrahimović collects special bonus (accessed on June 1, 2008)
  8. fifa.com
  9. "Ibrahimović is Italy's best" - News on Kicker Online (accessed on January 20, 2009)
  10. fcbarcelona.cat: Ibrahimović will arrive on Sunday ( Memento from May 26, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  11. inter.it: Mourinho: "I like this new Inter"
  12. Sport1.de: Ibrahimović already on Sunday in Barcelona
  13. fcbarcelona.cat:Camp Nou gives Ibrahimović a hero's welcome ( Memento from August 3, 2012 in the web archive archive.today )
  14. Sport1.de: Messi extended - Aquilani to the Reds
  15. transfermarkt.de: AC Milan talks to Barça about Ibrahimović transfer ( Memento from August 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  16. sport1.de: Barça wins easily - Real wins without shine
  17. goal.com
  18. goal.com: Agent: Ibrahimović is disappointed with the reserve role
  19. Sport1.de: Barça is thinking of Ibrahimović sales
  20. goal.com:Pep Guardiola Destroyed My Barcelona Dream - Milan Newboy Zlatan Ibrahimović
  21. diepresse.com: Zlatan Ibrahimović is not even allowed to sit in the stands at Barcelona's first game of the season
  22. a b fcbarcelona.com: Ibrahimović loan to AC Milan agreed, ( Memento of August 30, 2010 in the web archive archive.today ) August 28, 2010.
  23. a b sport1.de: Ibrahimović: Guardiola's fault
  24. a b fanatik.com.tr: Ibrahimović bombaladı
  25. mail.online: Ibrahimović blames Messi for his flop at Barcelona and brands Guardiola a 'bully'.
  26. spox.com: Ibrahimović does not irritate Manchester City
  27. The Guardian : Zlat's all folks: Barcelona finally get Their one ... but at a price
  28. transfermarkt.de: Transfer coup: Ibrahimović changes to AC Milan ( Memento from August 30, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  29. sport1.de: Telegram - Champions League 2010/2011 ( Memento from September 18, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  30. sport1.de: Italy remains "Lire paradise"
  31. Ibra signs 3-year deal with PSG!
  32. Ibrahimović averts PSG false start
  33. ^ Derwesten.de: France: Politicians angry about Ibrahimović salary
  34. lessentiel: Quality has its price
  35. fbtransfer.com
  36. ^ Paris Saint-Germain celebrates the championship. on: sueddeutsche.de , May 13, 2013, accessed on May 13, 2013
  37. sport1.de:Ibrahimović threatens PSG with a change
  38. Ibrahimović: “Paris, le grand club européen” psg.fr, accessed on October 24, 2013 (French)
  39. Zlatan va quitter le Club psg.fr, accessed on May 14, 2016 (French)
  40. Manchester United: Manchester United sign Zlatan Ibrahimović, July 1, 2016, accessed July 1, 2016.
  41. Ibrahimović 'club games on weltfussball.de , as of September 15, 2016
  42. The historical gate of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In: faz.net. Retrieved November 7, 2016 .
  43. Manchester United wins League Cup <, February 26, 2017
  44. 3 Spiel Sperre 2017 , report on abendblatt.de from March 7, 2017, accessed on March 8, 2017
  45. Ibrahimovic: "Giving up is not an option" , kicker.de, accessed on June 9, 2017.
  46. Now the German doctor speaks of Zlatan Ibrahimovic , welt.de, accessed on June 9, 2017.
  47. Media: Ibra from October with a new contract , spox.com, July 12, 2017, accessed on August 24, 2017.
  48. ZLATAN TO WEAR NO.10 SHIRT , manutd.com, August 24, 2017, accessed August 24, 2017
  49. ^ Zlatan leaves Manchester United. In: manutd.com. Manchester United, accessed March 22, 2018 .
  50. LA Galaxy sign Zlatan Ibrahimović , lagalaxy.com, March 23, 2018, accessed on March 23, 2018.
  51. theguardian.com: LA Galaxy 4-3 LAFC: Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores wondergoal on MLS debut - as it happened
  52. LA Galaxy re-sign forward Zlatan Ibrahimović to new contract , lagalaxy.com, December 18, 2018, accessed on December 18, 2018.
  53. Official: Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning to LA Galaxy in 2019 , mlssoccer.com, December 18, 2018, accessed December 18, 2018.
  54. Ibrahimovic stays and collects more money from Galaxy , kicker.de, December 11, 2018, accessed on December 18, 2018.
  55. Ibrahimovic breaks Galaxy scoring record: three hits against Kansas City , transfermarkt.de, accessed on September 16, 2019
  56. LA Galaxy agree to mutually part ways with Zlatan Ibrahimović , lagalaxy.com, November 13, 2019, accessed November 14, 2019.
  57. Zlatan Ibrahimovic riabbraccia il Milan , acmilan.com, accessed December 27, 2019 (Italian)
  58. Ibrahimovic keeps his word , spiegel.de, accessed on January 12, 2020
  59. a b Ibrahimović mocks Denmark on topsport.com on October 7, 2009 (accessed November 15, 2009)
  60. kicker.de: "Ibrahimović cancels Hamren" (accessed on November 13, 2009)
  61. welt.de: "9.41 am: Record for Ibrahimović" (accessed on June 20, 2012)
  62. svenskfotboll.se: "Seger och målrekord mot Estonia"
  63. weltfussball.de: "Ibrahimovićs record goal with the hoe"
  64. "Zlatanisiertes" own goal saves Sweden , Weltfussball.de, June 13, 2016
  65. ^ Zlatan Ibrahimovic. In: www.facebook.com. Retrieved June 23, 2016 .
  66. spox.com: Barcelona lies at snob Ibrahimović's feet
  67. a b SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany: SPIEGEL TALK: “Everyone has a dark side” - DER SPIEGEL 40/2013. In: www.spiegel.de. Retrieved June 16, 2016 .
  68. David Lagercrantz: I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic . Ed .: Piper. ISBN 978-3-492-30644-7 , pp. 395 .
  69. calcionews.com:PSG, Ibrahimović: rissa con Zebina, come alla Juventus
  70. goal.com: Barcelona are better than Inter - Ibrahimović
  71. focus.de: Ibrahimović provokes Inter fans.
  72. fcbarcelona.cat ( Memento from October 21, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  73. sueddeutsche.de: "Show you how gay I am"
  74. mail.online: Ibrahimović blames Messi for his flop at Barcelona and brands Guardiola a 'bully'
  75. sport1.de: Ibrahimović causes TV scandal
  76. milliyet: Ibrahomvic ( Memento from September 25, 2010 in the Internet Archive )
  77. Zlatan Ibrahimović kicks a teammate on milans training! (Rodney Strasser) skysport: Zlatan Ibrahimović kicks teammate Rodney Strasser on milans training
  78. goal.com: Zlatan Ibrahimović suspended for three games
  79. goal.com: Zlatan Ibrahimović suspended for three games
  80. boxoffice: ibrahimovic kick ( Memento from May 14, 2011 in the Internet Archive )
  81. spiegel.de: After the Ibrahimović attack: Guardiola announces an answer
  82. www.sport.de: Ibrahimović: I'm like a great white shark
  83. ^ Tournament in Brazil: Ibrahimović finances disabled footballers participation in the World Cup. Der Spiegel , August 12, 2014, accessed on August 23, 2014 .
  84. Sport 1 : Zlatan Ibrahimovic becomes a partner in the Swedish club ... from November 27, 2019
  85. SID: Champions League: Inter Ibrahimovic is thinking about a change. In: Focus Online . May 4, 2009. Retrieved October 14, 2018 .
  86. FCBarcelona.cat: Magic, goals and class for Barça ( Memento from July 29, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  87. http://www.kicker.de/news/fussball/intligen/startseite/artikel/509742
  88. ^ Berlin newspaper: The confusion of the Ibrakadabra
  89. EM08: Info
  90. Ibrahimović: “Mihajlovic taught me how to score from free kicks” ( Memento from September 4, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) soccerway.com: Ibrahimović: “Mihajlovic teached <taught> me how to score from free kicks”
  91. Werder scores a point at Inter Milan ( Memento from January 13, 2009 in the Internet Archive )
  92. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/euro2008/article-1025663/Super-Swede-Zlatan-delighted-breaks-international-drought-Greece.html
  93. http://www.aftonbladet.se/sportbladet/fotbollsbladet/sverige/allsvenskan/article3785909.ab
  94. Milan won 1-0 thanks to Ibrahimović's fall kick. November 20, 2010.
  95. Welt Online: New outfit for the purified star
  96. The stroke of genius of Zlatan Ibrahimović
  97. Ibrahimović goal is not re-nominated
  98. welt.de: Ibrahimović-Show against Anderlecht
  99. Inside 11: Zlatan Ibrahimović - on the hunt for titles
  100. Sweden - Z. Ibrahimović - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway. Retrieved August 7, 2019 .
  101. Ibrahimovic is part of AC Milan's future - Maldini. August 1, 2020, accessed on August 2, 2020 .
  102. http://www.transfermarkt.de/zlatan-ibrahimovic/profil/player/3455
  103. http://www.tagesspiegel.de/sport/em-entscheider-letzt-haben-der-serie-gruppe-d-schweden-zlatan-ibrahimovic/1249534.html
  104. http://www.hrsport.de/2012/02/zlatan-ibrahimovic-ich-bin-zu-100-schwede-fuehle-mich-aber-trotzdem-als-balkanese/
  105. SPIEGEL ONLINE, Hamburg, Germany: SPIEGEL TALK: “Everyone has a dark side” - DER SPIEGEL 40/2013. In: www.spiegel.de. Retrieved June 16, 2016 .
  106. Ibrahimović and his overhead kick
  107. Troende Zlatan självkritisk över måltorka , Thomas Manfredh, Dagen, February 8, 2010 (in Swedish)
  108. sport1.de:
  109. n24.de: World class footballer with the district class in mind
  110. nzz.ch
  111. Instead of a player contract: Ibrahimovic buys at Hammarby IF - “Feels funny” , transfermarkt.de, accessed on November 27, 2019
  112. http://swedishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Elias+feat.+Frans&titel=Who%27s+Da%27+Man&cat=s swedichsarts.com
  113. http://www.goal.com/de/news/1665/wm-qualifikation-europa/2009/10/14/1559817/ibrahimovic-wenn-argentinien-messi-nicht-will-wir-haben-ihn goal. com: Ibrahimović: If Argentina doesn't want Messi, we'll take him.
  114. ^ "Zlatanera" - Zlatan Ibrahimović gets his own word. On DerWesten.de
  115. http://de.euronews.com/2013/09/27/zlatan-burger-ist-lfter-schrei-in-paris/
  116. Zlatan Ibrahimović gets his own internet search engine
  117. Start page zlaaatan.com
  118. “Zlatan gives all young people school free” , faz.net, accessed on October 9, 2019
  119. ^ Next desecration, nose off! Ibrahimovic statue in front of the stadium in Malmö badly damaged , focus.de, accessed on December 27, 2019
  120. Ibrahimovic sawed off
  121. published by Albert Bonniers, 2011 (Swedish)
  122. Porsche "Bitch" and bad "Pep", The fine differences , orf.at, October 11, 2013
  123. Football star Ibrahimović "confesses" in autobiography , orf.at, October 11, 2013