Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović (Swedish pronunciation: [ˈslaːtan ɪbraˈhiːmɔvɪtɕ], Bosnian pronunciation: [zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋit͡ɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for French club Paris Saint-Germain and the Sweden national team for which he is captain.[4]
Ibrahimović started his career at Malmö FF in the late 1990s before being signed by Ajax, where made a name for himself. He signed for Juventus and excelled in Serie A in a strike partnership with David Trezeguet. In 2006, he signed for rivalsInternazionale and was named in the 2007 and 2009 UEFA Team of the Year, in addition to finishing as the league's highest scorer in 2008–09 while winning three straight Scudetti. In the summer of 2009, he transferred to Barcelona before moving back to Serie A football with A.C. Milan the following season, in a deal which made him one of the highest paid players in the world.[5] After winning a further Scudetto with Milan in 2010–11, he signed with Paris Saint-Germain in July 2012. With PSG, Ibrahimović has won three Ligue 1 championships, two Coupes de la Ligue, one Coupe de France, and in October 2015 he became the club's all time leading goalscorer.[6]
Ibrahimović is one of ten players to have made 100 or more appearances for the Swedish national team, and is the country'sall time leading goalscorer in international matches with 62 goals. He has represented Sweden at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2004, 2008 and 2012 UEFA European Championships. He has been awarded Guldbollen (the Golden Ball) for the Swedish player of the year a record ten times, including for nine consecutive years between 2007 and 2015.[7]
With his playing style and acrobatic finishing compared to Dutch legend Marco van Basten, Ibrahimović is regarded as one of the best strikers in the game and one of the best footballers of his generation.[8][9][10][11] His spectacular bicycle kick for Sweden against England won the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year.[12] Off the field he is known for his brash persona and outspoken comments, in addition to referring to himself in the third person (Zlatan).[13][14] In December 2013, Ibrahimović was ranked by The Guardian as the third-best player in the world.[15] In December 2014, Swedish newspaperDagens Nyheter named him the second-greatest Swedish sportsperson of all time, after Björn Borg.[16]
Early life
Ibrahimović was born in Sweden to a Muslim Bosniak father, Šefik Ibrahimović,[17] who emigrated to Sweden in 1977, and a Croatian Catholic mother, Jurka Gravić,[18] who had also emigrated to Sweden, where they first met. His father was born in Bijeljina, Bosnia, and his mother was born in the village of Prkos near Škabrnja in Croatia's Zadar County.[19] Ibrahimović is of partial mixed Albanian-Roma descent,[20][21] and he can also speak some Albanian.[22][23]
After receiving a pair of football boots, Ibrahimović began playing at the age of six, alternating between local junior clubs Malmö BI and FBK Balkan.[24][25] While in his early teens, he was a regular for his hometown club Malmö FF.[25] At the age of 15, Ibrahimović was close to quitting his football career, in favour of working at the docks in Malmö, but hismanager convinced him to continue playing.[26] His idol was Brazilian star Ronaldo when he was growing up.[27]
Club career
Malmö FF
"Arsène Wenger asked me to have a trial with Arsenal when I was 17. I turned it down. Zlatan doesn’t do auditions.”
—Ibrahimović on turning down Arsenal.[13]
Ibrahimović signed his first contract with Malmö in 1996, and moved up to the senior side for the 1999 season ofAllsvenskan, Sweden's top-flight league. That season, Malmö finished 13th in the league and were relegated to the second division, but returned to the top flight the next season. Arsène Wenger unsuccessfully tried to persuade Ibrahimović to join Arsenal, while Leo Beenhakker also expressed interest in the player after watching him in a friendly against Norwegian side Moss FK.[28] On 22 March 2001, a deal between Ajax and Malmö regarding Ibrahimović's transfer to Amsterdam was announced, and in July, Ibrahimović officially joined Ajax for 80 million Swedish kronor (€8.7 million)
International career
Even though Ibrahimović was eligible to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, he chose to play for Sweden, his country of birth.[118] Ibrahimović made his debut in a 0–0 friendly draw against the Faroe Islands at Tipshallen on 31 January 2001 during the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship.[119][120] On 7 October 2001, he played his first competitive match, a 2002 World Cup qualifier againstAzerbaijan, scoring in a 3–0 win. Ibrahimović was part of the Sweden squad at 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Korea/Japan who were eliminated at the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal.[121]
During 2006 World Cup qualification, Ibrahimović scored four goals in a 7–0 victory away to Malta on 4 September 2004. He did not score during the 2006 World Cup finals as Sweden were knocked out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.[122]
He was called up for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 6 September 2006, but two days before the match, he violated teamcurfew by leaving the hotel with teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Olof Mellberg and visiting a nightclub. Though none of the players consumed any alcohol, they were nonetheless all sent home by manager Lars Lagerbäck as punishment and did not take part in the match. Mellberg and Wilhelmsson did not appeal the coach's decision, but Ibrahimović felt that it was unjust and therefore refused to take part in Sweden's next qualifiers against Iceland and Spain. He also refused to partake in a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later,[123] and returned for Sweden's loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 qualifying matches. Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the "Country's Top Player of the Year."[124]
Ibrahimović ended his international goal drought, which had lasted for over two years, against Greece in Sweden's Euro 2008 opener on 10 June 2008, and the next match against Spain four days later.[125][126] He finished the tournament with two goals as Sweden were eliminated in the group stage by Russia.[127] Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Malta on 10 June 2009 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.[128] On 5 September 2009, he scored a last second goal in Stadium Puskás Ferenc against Hungary in a 2–1 win for Sweden in their qualification match.[129]
Ahead of Euro 2012 qualification, Ibrahimović was named team captain on his return to the national team. He scored his first goals of the qualifying game against San Marino where he scored the first and fifth goals in a 6–0 win in front of over 21,000 home fans despite being down to 10 men for over an hour. His next goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Finland whom they beat 5–0.
At the Euro 2012 finals, Ibrahimović scored the opening goal in Sweden's first game against Ukraine.[130] He then scored with a volley, later considered the goal of the tournament, to open the score in Sweden's 2–0 win against France[131] in the last group match. Despite the victory, Sweden was knocked out in the group stage.
In October 2012, Ibrahimović scored Sweden's first goal as they came from 4–0 down to draw 4–4 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier againstGermany in Berlin.[132] It was the first time in its history that the German national team had not won a match after leading by four goals.[133]
On 14 November 2012, he scored all four goals in a 4–2 win over England in the first ever match at the Friends Arena.[134][135] His fourth goal, a 35-yard overhead kick with his back to goal, won him praise from players and pundits, with the BBC describing it as a goal that "combined unfathomable imagination and expert technique".[136] It would win the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year.[12]
On 14 August 2013, Ibrahimović scored another international hat-trick at the Friends Arena, scoring Sweden's first three goals in a 4–2 friendly win against Scandinavian rivals Norway.[137] Ibrahimović ended Sweden's qualifying campaign with eight goals, including two in aplay-off defeat to Portugal, as the team failed to reach the 2014 World Cup.[138]
On 4 September 2014, Ibrahimović scored his 50th international goal in a 2–0 friendly match victory over Estonia, making him the Swedish national team's all-time leading goalscorer. Earlier in the same match, he equaled Sven Rydell's record of 49 by scoring the opening goal.[139] On 8 September, he made his 100th appearance for Sweden in a UEFA Euro 2016 qualifier against Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna.[140]
On 14 November 2015, Ibrahimović scored the winning goal for Sweden in a 2–1 victory in the home leg of the UEFA Euro 2016 qualifying play-off against rivals Denmark. Three days later, he scored both Sweden's goals of a 2–2 draw in Copenhagen to qualify the nation for the UEFA Euro 2016 finals.[141] Ibrahimović scored 11 goals during the qualifying phase, making him its second-top goalscorer after Poland's Robert Lewandowski.[142]
Style of play
Ibrahimović has been described by ESPN as being "good in the air, tall, strong and agile, he plays well with his back to goal and boasts some of the best finishing, vision, passing and ball control around."[8] Although he has been criticised for his work-rate in big matches, he has scored in some of the biggest matches in football including the Milan Derby in Italy, El Clásico in Spain, Le Classique in France, and UEFA Champions League and UEFA Euro Championship games against some of the strongest opponents in football.[143][144][145][146][147] Ibrahimović is the only player to have scored for six different clubs in the Champions League.[148] Tactically, Ibrahimović is capable of playing anywhere along the front line, although he is most often deployed as a striker, or as a creative supporting forward, which allows him to provide assists for team mates.[149][150][151]
Due to his prolific goal scoring and spectacular strikes,[152][153][154] Ibrahimović is regarded by many in the sport to be one of the best players in the world and one of the most complete strikers of his generation.[155] He has however been criticised for his aggression and rebellious character at times.[153][156][157] In 2007, The Times placed him at number 44 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.[158] Due to his powerful shots and volleys from inside and outside the penalty area with both feet and on dead ball situations, his agility, acrobatic ability in the air, physicality, skill, finishing and technique, Ibrahimović has frequently been compared to Dutch legend Marco van Basten.[156][159][160][161]Despite this comparison, Ibrahimović has stated that his main influence was his idol, former Brazilian superstar Ronaldo, whom he regards as the greatest player of all time.[162]
Controversies
Ibrahimović has been involved in several violent incidents with teammates, some of which have gone viral on the internet. In 2011, Ibrahimović kicked teammate Antonio Cassanoin the face while Cassano was speaking to reporters.[163] Ibrahimović has also kicked teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Rodney Strasser during training, both caught on camera.[164][165]
After a 2004 international friendly against the Netherlands, Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart publicly accused Ibrahimović of deliberately injuring him during the game. Ibrahimović responded by threatening to break both of Van der Vaart's legs.[166] Ibrahimović also punched Ajax teammate Mido in the dressing room.[166]
During his spell at Barcelona, Ibrahimović had a falling-out with Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola, culminating in a dressing room incident in which Ibrahimović threw a training kit box across the room and screamed insults at Guardiola. Guardiola eventually refused to speak to Ibrahimović and loaned him out to A.C. Milan.[167] Barcelona vice-president Carles Vilarrubi reported that Ibrahimović threatened to publicly beat up Guardiola if he was not released to A.C. Milan.[168]
In 2010, Ibrahimović was involved in a training ground fist-fight with A.C. Milan teammate Oguchi Onyewu, after Ibrahimović made a two-footed tackle on him, then headbutted him. The session was abandoned after the two players were separated, and Ibrahimović suffered a broken rib. Onyewu had accused Ibrahimović of repeatedly insulting him.[166][169]
In March 2011, Ibrahimović was given a three-match ban for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach during a game.[170] He received another three-match ban in February 2012 for slapping Napoli player Salvatore Aronica.[171]
After Sweden's 1–0 victory over the Faroe Islands in October 2012, Faroes captain Fróði Benjaminsen accused Ibrahimović of foul play and insults, describing him as "arrogant", "childish", "ignorant" and a "dirty player".[172]
In November 2012, Ibrahimović received a two-match ban for kicking Saint-Étienne goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier in the chest.[173][174] In December 2012, Ibrahimović was accused by Lyon defender Dejan Lovren and president Jean-Michel Aulas of deliberately stamping on Lovren's head.[175] In February 2013, UEFA handed Ibrahimović a two-match ban for stamping on Valencia winger Andrés Guardado.[176][177] In March 2013, PSG winger Lucas Moura claimed that Ibrahimović regularly insulted team-mates, stating “He always asks for the ball and insults a lot. He is sometimes a bit arrogant and complains.”[178] Lucas later claimed, though, that the interview was twisted and badly translated.[179] In May 2013, Ibrahimović was filmed screaming at sporting director Leonardo after PSG's title victory.[180]
Ibrahimović's forceful comments on the disparity of achievements by and treatment of male and female footballers, including a suggestion that rewarding the woman with most national-team appearances with anything more than "a bike with [his] autograph on it" when her male counterpart received a car was "devaluing" the man's achievements, provoked reactions that his remarks highlighted "failings in the basic values of male football" and showed a lack of respect.[181]
In January 2015, Lyon coach Hubert Fournier accused Ibrahimović of abusing officials, stating that "All the referees in this league get insulted by this person."[182] In March 2015, after a loss by PSG in a Ligue 1 match, Ibrahimović angrily ranted "In 15 years I’ve never seen a [good] referee in this shit country ... [they] don’t even deserve PSG". He later apologised, but was criticised by French politicians,[183][184] and Ligue 1 imposed a four-match ban.[185]
Personal life
Ibrahimović has two siblings and three half-siblings. His longtime partner is Helena Seger with whom he has two sons: Maximilian (born 22 September 2006) and Vincent (born 6 March 2008). He currently resides in Paris, although he still has a home in Malmö where he spends his summers. Ibrahimović received an honorary black belt in taekwondo; he attended classes at the Malmö Taekwondo club Enighet(English: Unity) as a child.[186] Ibrahimović is fluent in five languages; Swedish, Bosnian, English, Spanish and Italian.[18][187] In a February 2011 interview with Eurosport, Ibrahimović stated that one of his role models is boxing legend Muhammad Ali: "[Muhammad Ali] is one of my role models, one of my idols in sport and outside the sport also (sic)...he believed in his [principles] and he never gave [them] up."[188]Ibrahimović has stated that he is a Catholic.[189][190][191]
The name Zlatan was trademarked in May 2003 at the Swedish Patent and Registration Office for "most likely being perceived as Zlatan Ibrahimović", which meant that he received exclusive rights to the name for certain products, including sporting goods, clothing, and shoes.[192] He is under contract with Nike and features in their television advertising where he has appeared alongside other players in the Nike stable including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Wayne Rooney.[193]
Ibrahimović wears the Nike Mercurial boot line and has the names and dates of birth of his sons embedded onto the external sides of his boots. In late 2007, Ibrahimović, with the help of Nike, self-funded Zlatan Court in the streets of the city district Rosengård in his hometownMalmö: he provided a playing mat, goalposts, lighting, and a modern fence.[194] In 2008, he donated new Nike kits to his youth club, FBK Balkan.[195]
While in Malmö with the national team in September 2012, Ibrahimović was honoured with the inscription of his name on the city's "Walk of Fame of Sports".[196] The Swedish Post Office issued a set of five postage stamps featuring Ibrahimovic in March 2014.[197] Zlatan features in EA Sports' FIFA video game series, and was the fourth highest rated player in FIFA 15.[198]
On 11 August 2014, Ibrahimović paid US$51,000 to send the Swedish national football team for the intellectually disabled to the INAS World Football Championships in Brazil. After teammates Johan Elmander, Kim Källström, Andreas Isaksson and Per Nilsson donated autographed jerseys to be auctioned off for the cause, Zlatan responded, "What the hell are you going to do with a shirt? How much is it to go?".[199][200]
On 14 February 2015 in a league match against Caen, Ibrahimović took off his shirt after scoring a goal to unveil the removable tattooed names of 50 people suffering from hunger around the world, in a gesture to raise awareness for famine in accordance with the United Nations World Food Programme.[201
Ibrahimović at a conference in Doha, Qatar in 2013.
| |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Zlatan Ibrahimović[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 3 October 1981 | ||
| Place of birth | Malmö, Sweden | ||
| Height | 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[2] | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team
| Paris Saint-Germain | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Malmö BI | |||
| FBK Balkan | |||
| Malmö FF | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1999–2001 | Malmö FF | 40 | (16) |
| 2001–2004 | Ajax | 74 | (35) |
| 2004–2006 | Juventus | 70 | (23) |
| 2006–2009 | Internazionale | 88 | (57) |
| 2009–2011 | Barcelona | 29 | (16) |
| 2010–2011 | → Milan (loan) | 29 | (14) |
| 2011–2012 | Milan | 32 | (28) |
| 2012– | Paris Saint-Germain | 104 | (90) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1999 | Sweden U18[3] | 4 | (1) |
| 2001 | Sweden U21 | 7 | (6) |
| 2001– | Sweden | 111 | (62) |
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 December 2015.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 17 November 2015† Appearances (goals) | |||
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