Zlatan Ibrahimović ( swedish : [ ˈslǎːtan ɪbraˈhǐːmʊvɪtɕ ], bosnian : [ zlǎtan ibraxǐːmoʋitɕ ] ; born 3 October 1981 ) is a swedish professional football player who plays as a striker for Serie A club AC Milan and the Sweden national team. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest strikers of all time. [ 3 ] [ 4 ] [ 5 ] [ 6 ] [ 7 ] Ibrahimović is one of the most adorned active footballers in the world, [ a ] having won 31 trophies in his career. [ 10 ] He has scored over 570 career goals, including more than 500 club goals, [ 11 ] and has scored in each of the survive four decades. [ 12 ] [ 13 ] Ibrahimović began his career at Malmö FF in 1999, and signed for Ajax two years late. At Ajax, Ibrahimović gained a repute as one of the most promise forwards in Europe, and departed two years belated to sign for Juventus. He excelled in Serie A in a rap partnership with David Trezeguet, before joining domestic rivals Inter Milan in 2006, where he won the Capocannoniere ( Serie A lead scorer ) in 2008–09 and won three back-to-back Serie A titles. In the summer of 2009, he moved to Barcelona in one of the worldly concern ‘s most expensive transfers, before returning to Italy the take after season, joining AC Milan. With them, he won another Serie A title in the 2010–11 season, before joining Paris Saint-Germain in July 2012. During his four-season stay in France, Ibrahimović won a number of trophies including four consecutive Ligue 1 titles, and was the top scorer in Ligue 1 for three seasons. In October 2015, he became PSG ‘s all time leading goalscorer at the time. [ 14 ] In 2016, he joined Manchester United on a absolve transfer and won the FA Community Shield, Football League Cup and UEFA Europa League in his first base season. Ibrahimović joined american club LA Galaxy in 2018. Two years late, he rejoined AC Milan.
Reading: Zlatan Ibrahimović
Ibrahimović is one of eleven players to have made 100 or more appearances for the swedish national team, over a 20-year international career. He is the nation ‘s all-time precede goalscorer with 62 goals. He represented Sweden at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups, deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as the 2004, 2008, 2012, and 2016 UEFA european Championships. He has been awarded Guldbollen ( the Golden Ball ), given to the Swedish actor of the year, a record 12 times, including 10 straight times from 2007 to 2016. [ 15 ] Ibrahimović ‘s 35-yard bicycle kick goal for Sweden against England won the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award, and is often considered one of the best goals of all time. [ 16 ] [ 17 ] [ 18 ] [ 19 ] Ibrahimović was named in the FIFA FIFPro World XI in 2013 and the UEFA Team of the year in 2007, 2009, 2013 and 2014. He finished at a point of fourth for the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2013. [ 20 ] In 2015, UEFA ranked him as the best player always not to have won the UEFA Champions League, [ 21 ] while in 2019, FourFourTwo magazine named him the third-greatest actor never to win the competition. [ 22 ] In December 2014, swedish newspaper Dagens Nyheter ranked him the second-greatest Swedish sportsperson ever, after tennis player Björn Borg. [ 23 ] Off the field, Ibrahimović is known for his brash persona and outspoken comments, in addition to referring to himself in the third person. [ 24 ] [ 25 ]
early life
“ I put up photos of Ronaldo in my room. Ronaldo was the man. He was what I wanted to be, a ridicule who made a difference. [ … ] Ronaldo was my hero and I studied him on-line and tried to take in his movements, and I thought I was getting to be an amazing player. ”
— From his autobiography, I Am Zlatan. [ 26 ]
Ibrahimović was born in Malmö, Sweden, on 3 October 1981. [ 27 ] He was born to a Muslim Bosniak father, Šefik Ibrahimović, who emigrated to Sweden in 1977, [ 28 ] and a Catholic Croat beget, Jurka Gravić, who besides emigrated to Sweden, where the couple first met. [ 29 ] Ibrahimović began playing football at the age of six, after receiving a copulate of football boots. He alternated between FBK Balkan, a Malmö club founded by Yugoslav immigrants, Malmö BI and concisely BK Flagg football clubs. [ 30 ] [ 31 ] As a child his mother sometimes hit him on the head with a wooden spoon, which would much break. After she was arrested for handling stolen goods, social services intervened. Concerned with his divorce mother ’ s ability to cope with five children, one of whom, Zlatan ’ s half sister, had a drug problem, at age nine he was sent to live with his father. [ 29 ] With food scarce at his father ’ south where the electric refrigerator was packed with beer, Zlatan much went athirst so he would run to his mother ’ sulfur for dinner. He besides shoplifted and steal bikes. [ 29 ] On the tough upbringing that shaped his character, generator David Lagercrantz, who co-wrote I Am Zlatan, states :
Complex is the best parole to describe Zlatan. On the one hand he ’ s a strong, warrior type who knew he had to be very tough to survive. So he takes on fights all the time because he ’ randomness constantly had to. But another part of him is vulnerable. He ’ s a ridicule wounded by his upbringing, who uses all that to create persuasiveness for himself. In his place, 99 guys out of 100 would have gone under, but he used his anger to make himself better. He told me, ‘ David, I need to be angry to play well ’. When he played with middle-class kids he felt inferior because he wore the wrong clothes and had no money, so he said to himself ‘ One day I ’ ll show them ! ’ That became his motivation. [ 29 ]
While in his early teens, Ibrahimović was a even for his hometown club Malmö FF. [ 30 ] At the historic period of 15, he was conclusion to quitting his football career, in favor of working at the docks in Malmö, but his director convinced him to continue playing. [ 32 ] As a male child, his hero was brazilian advancing Ronaldo. [ 33 ] An avid spectator of italian football, another actor he admired was fecund striker Gabriel Batistuta – a player with like characteristics to himself. [ 34 ]
Club career
Malmö FF
“ Arsène Wenger asked me to have a trial with Arsenal when I was 17. I turned it down. Zlatan does n’t do auditions. ”
— Ibrahimović on turning down Arsenal [ 24 ]
Ibrahimović signed his first contract with Malmö in 1996, and moved up to the aged side for the 1999 season of Allsvenskan, 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 ( the technical conductor of Ajax ) besides expressed matter to in the musician after watching him in a friendly against norwegian side Moss FK. [ 35 ] On 22 March 2001, a batch between Ajax and Malmö regarding Ibrahimović ‘s transfer to Amsterdam was announced, and in July, Ibrahimović formally joined Ajax for 80 million swedish kronor ( €8.7 million ). [ 36 ]
ajax
Ibrahimović received little act time under director Co Adriaanse, but when Adriaanse was sacked on 29 November 2001, fresh coach Ronald Koeman inserted Ibrahimović into the starting batting order as Ajax won the 2001–02 Eredivisie title. The future season, Ibrahimović scored doubly in a 2–1 victory over french champions Lyon in his Champions League debut on 17 September 2002. He scored five Champions League goals overall as Ajax fell to Milan in the quarter-finals. [ 37 ] [ 38 ] Ibrahimović ‘s profile rose when he scored an individual goal against NAC Breda on 22 August 2004 – a slalom run past five opposition players which the commentator compared with Diego Maradona and Zinedine Zidane – that was finally voted the Goal of the year by Eurosport viewers. [ 39 ] [ 40 ] On 18 August 2004, during an international couple against the Netherlands, Ibrahimović injured Ajax teammate Rafael avant-garde five hundred Vaart, who late accused Ibrahimović of hurting him intentionally. [ 41 ]
Juventus
Ibrahimović moved from Ajax to Juventus for €16 million. [ 42 ] He was promptly inserted into the starting eleven due in depart to top scorekeeper David Trezeguet ‘s injury problems, and scored 16 goals. The club finished top of the Serie A, and in the Champions League they reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by eventual champions Liverpool. [ 43 ] Near the conclusion of the season, Juventus reportedly rejected a €70 million offer for him from Real Madrid, which was later revealed to be a promotion stunt initiated by Ibrahimović ‘s agent, Mino Raiola, in order to increase his market value. [ 40 ] At the end of his first temper in Italy Ibrahimović was named Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year, and in November 2005, he was awarded the Guldbollen, a trophy awarded to the best swedish football player of the year. [ 44 ] [ 45 ] The pursue season was poor compared to his first season ; his character in Juventus ‘ attack changed, as he became less of a goalscorer and moved more to the sidelines, taking much region in the build-up play, particularly as a target player, and his help numbers increased. In the 2005–06 season, Juventus fans frequently got frustrated with him due to his anonymous bearing in sealed crucial games such as the Champions League get the better of to Arsenal. Juventus were stripped of their last two Scudetti as part of the verdict from the Calciopoli scandal, and were relegated to Serie B. The new staff tried to persuade Ibrahimović and other top players to stay with Juventus, but the player and his agent were adamant to move on, with Raiola threatening legal legal action in order to extricate Ibrahimović from his contract. [ 46 ]
Inter Milan
Ibrahimović playing for Inter Milan in 2007 On 10 August 2006, Ibrahimović completed a €24.8 million motion to Inter Milan, signing a four-year-deal. [ 47 ] Ibrahimović said that he had supported Inter when he was youthful. [ 48 ] Ibrahimović made his debut for Inter on 26 August 2006 against Roma in the 2006 Supercoppa Italiana, playing the full 90 minutes as Inter won after extra time. [ 49 ] He scored in his Serie A debut against Fiorentina on 9 September as Inter commenced the league with a 3–2 succeed at Stadio Artemio Franchi. [ 50 ] Three days later, in his first Champions League appearance for Inter, Ibrahimović was not able to avoid the 1–0 aside kill to Sporting CP as Inter began their european campaign in the faulty way. [ 51 ] Later, on 28 October, in his first base “ Derby della Madonnina “ equal against crosstown rivals Milan, Ibrahimović scored the third base Inter goal of the catch and besides his third gear league goal of the temper in a 4–3 thriller win. [ 52 ] In his first gear season at the cabaret, Ibrahimović top scored for Inter in Serie A with 15 goals, as the team won the Scudetto with a criminal record 97 points. [ 53 ] Ibrahimović played his hundredth Serie A pit on 16 September 2007 at the San Siro against Catania, where he appeared as a second-half substitute for Hernán Crespo in an eventual 2–0 win. [ 54 ] In 2007, he signed a newfangled compress until June 2013 ; [ 55 ] it was reported that this abridge had made him the earth ‘s highest paid football player. [ 56 ] On 18 May 2008, Ibrahimović scored both goals in a 2–0 get the better of of Parma on the final day of the 2007–08 Serie A temper to give Inter a second back-to-back Scudetto. [ 57 ] Overall, he scored 17 goals in 26 league matches, and was named both Serie A Footballer of the year and Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year. [ 57 ]
Ibrahimović started his third Inter season by winning the Supercoppa Italiana against Roma. After the regular and supernumerary prison term had finished in a draw, the peer went to a penalty gunfight where he successfully converted his penalty undertake. [ 58 ] He scored his team ‘s only finish in the 2008–09 Serie A opening match against Sampdoria, which finished in a 1–1 draw. [ 59 ] On 4 October, during the pit against Bologna at home which Inter won 2–1, Ibrahimović scored a sensational goal, stunning Francesco Antonioli with an irresistible backheeled guess from Adriano ‘s leftist cross. The goal was former vote Goal of the class in Serie A. [ 60 ] On 19 October 2008, Ibrahimović continued with his solid performances by scoring twice in an impressive 4–0 succeed at Roma, taking his score up to five league goals. [ 61 ] He then scored another double in the Matchday 12 gain against Palermo to help Inter take the leash in the Serie A table by one point. [ 62 ] In the following fastness, Ibrahimović provided the assist on the lone goal in the Derby d’Italia match against Juventus at base, helping Inter to extend their league lead. [ 63 ] Ibrahimović ended the 2008–09 Serie A season as the league ‘s top goalscorer with 25 goals, [ 64 ] helping Inter to another league championship. He was besides named both Footballer of the Year and Foreign Footballer of the year for the second base back-to-back season. [ 65 ]
Barcelona
2009–10 season
“ I was credibly with the best team in history. Their football was beautiful. When I prepared for a game, I knew I had won even before we started. I looked at the players around me and saw Messi and Iniesta and Xavi and Puyol and Piqué and Dani Alves and Busquets. incredible ! It was football from another planet and I loved it. It was technically perfective. ”
“ Zlatan Ibrahimović, the Guardian ”. TheGuardian.com. 6 October 2014. Interview, 6 October 2014
After Inter teammate Maxwell completed his transfer to Barcelona, Barça president Joan Laporta confirmed that there was an agreement in rationale between Barcelona and Inter for Ibrahimović to join the cabaret in switch over for hitter Samuel Eto’o, plus a reported fee of £59 million. [ 66 ] [ 67 ] Ibrahimović left Inter during their United States summer enlistment in the World Football Challenge on 23 July 2009 for negotiations with Barcelona, with his last match for Inter being against Chelsea. [ 68 ] After Inter agreed terms with Eto’o [ 69 ] and Barcelona with Ibrahimović, [ 70 ] Barcelona announced Ibrahimović would arrive on 26 July 2009 and undergo a medical examination on 27 July 2009. [ 71 ]
Ibrahimović playing for Barcelona in a match against Sporting Gijón in 2009 Ibrahimović passed his medical and was presented to a crowd of over 60,000 at Camp Nou. [ 72 ] He signed a five-year shrink, [ 73 ] for €46 million [ 73 ] and the exchange of Eto’o ( valued at €20 million ) and lend of Alexander Hleb ( with an option to purchase for a €10 million tip ), [ 73 ] with a €250 million release article, [ 73 ] making Ibrahimović worth €66 million. The Hleb cover, however, collapsed. finally, Ibrahimović cost Barcelona €69.884 million, which included other fees. [ 74 ] : 173 As per the Inter book, the fee was €69.5 million, [ 75 ] [ 76 ] [ 77 ] but part of the Inter fee ( soap 5 % according to FIFA regulation ) were deducted and distributed by Barcelona to youth and young professional club of Ibrahimović : Malmö FF and AFC Ajax as solidarity contribution. [ 74 ] [ 77 ]
Ibrahimović started the 2009–10 season with his competitive debut for Barcelona on 23 August 2009 by assisting a Lionel Messi goal, leading them to the Supercopa de España, beating Athletic Bilbao 5–1 on aggregate. In his following competitive match, Barcelona won the 2009 UEFA Super Cup with a 1–0 acquire over Shakhtar Donetsk. [ 78 ] In his one-third appearance, he scored his first base finish in Barcelona ‘s La Liga season opener against Sporting Gijón in a 3–0 win. Ibrahimović scored in his adjacent four games, therefore setting a team commemorate as the lone musician ever to score in his inaugural five league matches. [ 79 ] On 20 October, he scored his first Champions League goal for Barcelona in a group stage match against Rubin Kazan. Five days later, he scored doubly in a 6–1 slam dance of Real Zaragoza, giving him a league-leading seven goals in seven league matches while sending Barcelona to the top of the table. [ 80 ] On 7 November, however, he suffered a second joint injury that kept him out for three weeks. He returned to carry through in week 12 of the season against Real Madrid as a second-half substitute for Thierry Henry, and scored his one-eighth finish of the campaign. [ 81 ] He finished with 11 goals and 4 assists in Barcelona ‘s first gear 15 league matches. Barcelona capped off 2009 by winning the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes on 19 December 2009. [ 82 ]
Ibrahimović signing autograph for fans in 2010 Ibrahimović scored Barcelona ‘s alone goal in the 2009–10 Copa del Rey first leg match of the cycle of 16 in a 2–1 passing to Sevilla on 5 January 2010. On 20 January, he was selected in the 2009 UEFA Team of the Year. [ 83 ] His beginning goal of 2010 came on 14 February against Atlético Madrid. In his next appearance, Ibrahimović scored against Stuttgart in the first gear leg of their UEFA Champions League hard stage fixture. He was sent off on 6 March in a league couple against Almería, which Barcelona appealed to no avail, and he was suspended for one game. [ 84 ] A calf form during warmups before the next La Liga couple following his return from suspension against Athletic Bilbao ruled Ibrahimović out of the second leg 4–1 victory over Arsenal, in which he scored two goals away from home, the return leg of El Clásico against Madrid ( which Barcelona won 2–0 ), [ 85 ] and the adjacent league match against Deportivo de La Coruña. He made his reappearance as a stand-in in the 82nd moment in a 0–0 aside reap against Espanyol on 17 April. [ 86 ]
“ You bought a Ferrari, but you drive it like a Fiat. ”
— Ibrahimović disparages Guardiola on how he was used at Barcelona. [ 87 ]
Following Barcelona ‘s semi-final frustration to Inter Milan in the Champions League, Ibrahimović spoke of how he confronted his coach Pep Guardiola in the deepen room. “ I yelled : ‘You have n’t got any balls ! ‘ and worse than that I added : ‘You can go to hell ! ‘ I wholly lost it, and you might have expected Guardiola to say a few words in response, but he ‘s a namby-pamby coward. He merely [ … ] left, never to mention it again, not a word. ” [ 87 ] He scored his final examination goal for Barcelona in the 2010 Supercopa de España on 14 August in a 3–1 frustration against Sevilla, and on 25 August, he played his stopping point match for the cabaret against Milan for the Joan Gamper Trophy, after which he claimed to the media that his relationship with Guardiola had started deteriorating and that Guardiola had not spoken to him since February. [ 88 ] In his autobiography I Am Zlatan, he states, “ ‘It started well but then Messi started to talk. He wanted to play in the middle, not on the annex, so the system changed from 4–3–3 to 4–5–1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the exemption on the pitch I need to succeed. ” [ 87 ]
2010–11 season : lend to Milan
On 28 August 2010, AC Milan announced via their official web site that they had signed Ibrahimović for the 2010–11 season. He was loaned out to Milan for the season, with the clubhouse having the choice to purchase him outright for €24 million at the end of the season. [ 89 ] [ 90 ] He signed a four-year hand immediately after successfully passing the aesculapian examinations. [ 91 ] Upon sign, Ibrahimović said, “ This move gives me more epinephrine. I have moved hera to win the Champions League with Milan. I want to win the doubling. ” [ 91 ]
Ibrahimović made his Milan debut in a 2–0 loss to Cesena on 11 September, in which he missed a punishment late in the couple, [ 92 ] and scored his beginning goals for the club when Milan defeated Auxerre in their first Champions League match of the season on 15 September. On 14 November, Ibrahimović scored in a 1–0 victory against his early clubhouse Inter in the Derby della Madonnina. [ 93 ] On 20 November, he scored his seventh goal against Fiorentina in the forty-fifth moment with an over-the-head bicycle bang, passing Alexandre Pato as the team ‘s top goalscorer for the season. On 4 December 2010, in a game against Brescia, he assisted Kevin-Prince Boateng to give Milan an early lead and then scored the third gear finish by a knock-down shot near the edge of the punishment box to give Milan a 3–0 succeed. [ 94 ] On 12 December 2010, history repeated itself in the game against Bologna after he assisted Boateng to give Milan an early moderate once again and scoring late that match to make it 3–0, leading him to 13 goals with 8 assists in 21 matches in all competitions. Within days of the match, he was compared to Milan legend Marco van Basten by both the media and Van Basten himself. [ 95 ] [ 96 ] [ 97 ] Ibrahimović received a three-match ban after being shown a red card in a 1–1 home trace against Bari in March 2011 for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the abdomen. [ 98 ] An extra three-match ban was given to Ibrahimović in February 2012 in a 2–1 home kill against Fiorentina for swearing at an assistant referee. Ibrahimović stated in his defense that he was talking to himself in frustration. [ 99 ] He won his first Scudetto with Milan after a draw against Roma. All agreements between Milan and Barcelona were confirmed on 18 June 2011. [ 100 ]
AC Milan
Ibrahimović during a Milan game in December 2011 Ibrahimović started the fresh temper on 6 August in the 2011 Supercoppa Italiana against city rivals Inter, where he scored the beginning finish of a 2–1 rejoinder victory to clinch the first trophy of the season. [ 101 ] In the possibility league match of the 2011–12 season, Ibrahimović scored Milan ‘s first gear goal of a 2–2 home draw against Lazio. [ 102 ] He scored his first Champions League goal of the temper on 28 September in a 2–0 base gain against Viktoria Plzeň, [ 103 ] which was followed by another one on 19 October against BATE Borisov in another 2–0 dwelling succeed. [ 104 ] He continued with his solid performances as he scored in a 4–1 home plate acquire against Parma and a brace in the team ‘s 3–2 away victory over Roma, ending a successful month of October. [ 105 ] November saw him score in straight games against BATE, in the Champions League, and Catania, in the league. Later in the month against Barcelona in another Champions League tie, Ibrahimović scored against his old club to equalise the game at 1–1. Barça finally pulled away however with Xavi scoring the winning goal for the Catalan giants to make it 3–2 at the San Siro. [ 106 ] He ended November with a brace against Chievo, the first of those tallies brought his Serie A career entire to 100 goals. In December, Ibrahimović scored a goal in each of five Serie A games. As 2012 started, he scored against Atalanta converting a penalty kick. He was the acme goalscorer of Serie A, with 14 goals in 16 appearance following a brace against Novara, of which the second gear goal came from a backheel. On 5 February 2012 in a catch against Napoli, he was shown a bolshevik batting order for slapping Salvatore Aronica in an off-the-ball incident, and was given so far another three-match bachelor of arts in nursing from Serie A games. [ 107 ] On 15 February, in the first base branch of the Champions League ‘s round of golf of 16, Ibrahimović set up both of Robinho ‘s goals and besides scored by a topographic point kick, thus helping Milan win 4–0 over Arsenal. [ 108 ] On 3 March, during the 4–0 away win against Palermo, Ibrahimović took the run of the goalscorers table as he scored a first-half hat-trick to take his total up to 17 goals. [ 109 ] He finished the season as Serie A top scorekeeper with 28 goals in 32 matches. [ 110 ]
Paris Saint-Germain
2012–13 season
On 17 July 2012, Paris Saint-Germain confirmed that they had reached an agreement to acquire the clean and economic rights of Ibrahimović from Milan, having already agreed personal terms with the striker, for a transfer fee of €20 million. [ 111 ] Valued at €180 million, these combined fees eclipsed those commanded by Nicolas Anelka. His three-year contract would see him receive a internet annual wage of €14 million including bonuses ( which would be €2 million more than what he was earning per year good before he left Milan ), and make him the second gear best paid football player in the earth behind Samuel Eto’o. [ 112 ] [ 113 ] [ 114 ]
Ibrahimović greets PSG fans on the day he signed for the cabaret in July 2012 The watch day, Ibrahimović signed the contract [ 115 ] and made the take after statement during the press conference : “ It is a big footstep in my career and another dream come genuine. I am very happy because it is a stick out that I want to be involved in. I want to be part of the history of the club. I am here to win and nothing else. ” [ 116 ] Ibrahimović scored twice in the irregular half for PSG to help them rally from 2–0 down at half-time to salvage a 2–2 home pull back with Lorient in their opening 2012–13 Ligue 1 match. [ 117 ] He scored two goals in the first one-half to help PSG to a 2–1 winnings over Lille which was PSG ‘s beginning Ligue 1 win after three consecutive draws in the first three league matches of the 2012–13 temper. [ 118 ]
“ We have n’t had a goalscorer like him in France for a retentive time. He is on a different planet to anyone else. ”
— Jean-Pierre Papin on Ibrahimović [ 96 ]
In the open 2012–13 Champions League Group A match against Dynamo Kyiv on 18 September 2012, Ibrahimović scored his sixth goal in entirely his fifth appearance for Carlo Ancelotti ‘s side through a penalty. He frankincense became the first man to score for six clubs in the UEFA Champions League. [ 119 ] On 8 October, Ibrahimović became only the third base musician ( after Ronaldinho and Laurent Blanc ) to have played in El Clásico in Spain, the Derby della Madonnina in Italy and Le Classique, the bowler hat between Marseille and PSG. He scored both of PSG ‘s goals ( the first goal was from a backheel and the second was from a unblock kick ) in the Ligue 1 Classique bowler hat at the Stade Vélodrome on that day, with the match finishing 2–2. [ 120 ] On 11 December 2012, he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win against Valenciennes. [ 121 ] In January 2013, Ibrahimović was handed the number 10 jersey after the departure of brazilian winger Nenê. In April 2013, Ibrahimović scored in a 2–2 draw against his former club Barcelona in the quarter-finals of the Champions League. PSG, however, were knocked out on aside goals after drawing 1–1 at Camp Nou in the moment leg. He ended the temper as the assists leader in the 2012–13 Champions League, providing seven assists. [ 122 ] On 12 May 2013, Paris Saint-Germain won the Ligue 1 entitle after a 1–0 away win against Lyon, their one-third style and first since 1994. [ 123 ] [ 124 ] He ended the class as Ligue 1 ‘s top goalscorer with 30 goals, becoming the first player to reach that stigmatize in the french top escape since Jean-Pierre Papin in the 1989–90 season. [ 125 ] On 20 May, he was named as Ligue 1 ‘s Player of the class by the Union nationale des footballeurs professionnels ( UNFP ). [ 126 ] [ 127 ]
2013–14 season
Ibrahimović training with Paris Saint-Germain in 2013 Ibrahimović netted his first goal of the season on 31 August 2013, scoring bass into blockage time as PSG recorded a 2–0 victory over Guingamp. [ 128 ] On 24 September, it was announced that Ibrahimović had extended his contract with PSG, which would see him stay at the club until 2016. [ 129 ] A week subsequently on 2 October, the Swede scored twice as PSG ran out 3–0 winners over Benfica in a Champions League group equal. [ 130 ] On 19 October, he scored two goals in PSG ‘s 4–0 win over Bastia, one an audacious volley back heel as he reached behind the defender to fire the ball into the net. [ 131 ] The goal was late named as Ligue 1 ‘s Goal of the Season, as chosen by the public. [ 131 ] Four days late, Ibrahimović scored four goals in PSG ‘s 5–0 away win against RSC Anderlecht in the Champions League ; he scored the eighth-fastest hat-trick in the rival ‘s history ( completed in 19 minutes which included a bending 30-yard half-volley clocked at 93 miles per hour ), [ 132 ] and became the 11th player to score four times or more in a Champions League match. [ 133 ] On 27 November, Ibrahimović made his hundredth UEFA Champions League appearance, scoring the opening goal in a 2–1 winnings over Olympiacos at the Parc des Princes. [ 134 ] On 16 March 2014, Ibrahimović scored both goals in a 2–0 win over Saint-Étienne to surpass Carlos Bianchi ‘s club record of 39 goals in a temper. [ 135 ] On 11 May, he was named Ligue 1 ‘s Player of the year for the second straight season. [ 131 ] Ibrahimović ended the Ligue 1 season as exceed scorer with 26 goals as PSG won a second straight league style. [ 136 ] Overall, he scored 41 goals in all competitions, including ten in eight Champions League matches. [ 137 ]
2014–15 season
Ibrahimović ( left ) during a UEFA Champions League quarter-final against Chelsea in March 2015 Ibrahimović scored his beginning two goals for Paris Saint Germain on 2 August 2014 against Guingamp in the 2014 Trophée des Champions, winning his foremost silverware of the season. [ 138 ] In the first league peer of the temper, Ibrahimović scored doubly but besides missed an assailable net and had a penalty saved as PSG drew 2–2 with Reims. [ 139 ] Ibrahimović scored his first league hat-trick of the season in a match against Saint-Étienne on 31 August. [ 140 ] In the quarter-finals of the Coupe de la Ligue on 13 January 2015, Ibrahimović scored the only goal to win away at Saint-Étienne. The family team argued that the testis had not crossed the wrinkle, and fans threw objects onto the pitch, disrupting playing period for ten-spot minutes. [ 141 ] On 11 March, Ibrahimović received a neat red wag in a Champions League circle of 16 match against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, for a foul on Oscar. PSG drew 2–2 after extra time to qualify for the quarter-finals on away goals. [ 142 ] Nine days subsequently, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win over Lorient at the Parc des Princes. [ 143 ] [ 144 ] [ 145 ] He netted another hat-trick on 8 April as PSG reached the 2015 Coupe de France Final with a 4–1 win over Saint-Étienne, starting with a penalty for his 100th goal for the baseball club. He ended the match with 102 career goals for PSG, second merely to Pauleta. [ 146 ] [ 147 ] Three days later, he scored twice as PSG defeated Bastia 4–0 in the 2015 Coupe de la Ligue Final. The first finish was a penalty which he won when fouled by Sébastien Squillaci, resulting in the Bastia defender ‘s dismissal. [ 148 ]
2015–16 season
Ibrahimović playing against Shakhtar Donetsk in the group phase of the UEFA Champions League in September 2015 On 4 October 2015, Ibrahimović scored both goals from penalty kicks in a 2–1 home winnings over Marseille to overtake Pauleta and become Paris Saint-Germain ‘s all-time lead goalscorer with 110 goals in all official competitions. [ 149 ] On 25 November, Ibrahimović captained PSG on his return to hometown club Malmö FF in the group stage of the 2015–16 Champions League. He scored the team ‘s third goal in a 5–0 acquire, a result that confirmed PSG ‘s qualification to the hard stage of the competition. [ 150 ] In scoring twice in PSG ‘s 3–0 winnings over Nice on 4 December 2015, Ibrahimović beat Mustapha Dahleb ‘s previous read of 85 goals to become the clubhouse ‘s all-time top goalscorer in the french first division. [ 151 ] On 16 February 2016, in the 2015–16 UEFA Champions League round of 16 first leg against Chelsea at home, Ibrahimović scored the undoer in the 39th moment with a unblock kick to help his team win 2–1. [ 152 ] This was Ibrahimović ‘s 116th appearance in the Champions League, intend that he overtook Carles Puyol to enter the competition ‘s all-time top ten appearance makers. [ 153 ] Four days former, Ibrahimović netted twice during the 4–1 home gain over Reims, taking his total up to 23 league goals ; he besides set up the goals of Edinson Cavani and Gregory avant-garde five hundred Wiel. [ 154 ] On 9 March, in the moment leg of PSG ‘s Champions League tie with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, Ibrahimović assisted a goal for Adrien Rabiot and scored the winning goal himself as Paris won the match 2–1 and progressed to the quarter-final phase with a 4–2 aggregate victory. [ 155 ] With this finish, he became the 14th player to score 50 or more goals in UEFA cabaret competitions. [ 156 ] Four days former, he scored four times in a 9–0 succeed at bottom team Troyes that sealed PSG ‘s league seduction with eight games remaining ; his hat-trick goal was his hundredth in the league. [ 157 ] His nine-minute hat-trick was the fastest in Ligue 1 history. [ 158 ] Later that day, he announced he would be leaving PSG at the end of the season, while joking that only if they replaced the Eiffel Tower with a statue of himself would he stay. [ 159 ] On 16 April, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 6–0 home plate win against Caen to earn him a season-best 32 goals in league ; it was besides his 41st finish of the season, equaling his season-best in 2013–14 season with two games less playing. [ 160 ] Three days late, he netted the achiever in the 2015–16 Coupe de France semi-final match away against Lorient to send Paris into the final for the moment straight season ; it was besides his 42nd goal of the season, setting a new personal best. [ 161 ] On 8 May 2016, Ibrahimović was named UNFP Ligue 1 Player of the Season for the third consecutive year. [ 162 ] Ibrahimović made his concluding Ligue 1 appearance for PSG against Nantes at the Parc des Princes on 14 May 2016, scoring twice in a 4–0 victory to become Paris Saint-Germain ‘s top scorekeeper in a single Ligue 1 season with 38 goals, which put him one finish ahead of Carlos Bianchi, who managed 37 in the 1977–78 campaign. Ibrahimović ended the 2015–16 Ligue 1 season as its top scorer, the one-third time that he had done so. The league meet was stopped briefly in the tenth minute as fans gave Ibrahimović – whose PSG shirt was number 10 – a standing ovation. He was besides cheered merely before the final examination whistle, holding his two sons in his arms. They had run onto the pitch moments earlier, wearing total 10 PSG shirts with either the word “ King ” or “ caption ” written in English on the back. The names were in reference to their father ‘s “ I came like a king, left like a caption ” post on social media before the couple. [ 163 ] On 21 May 2016, Ibrahimović scored twice ( his 155th and 156th goals in his 180th and final competitive equal for the clubhouse ) in the second half of the 2016 Coupe de France Final, and besides set up Edinson Cavani ‘s goal. PSG defeated Marseille 4–2 in that match. He was substituted to a standing ovation in the final minutes of the match. PSG therefore won the Ligue 1 – Coupe de France – Coupe de la Ligue domestic treble for the second gear back-to-back season, and equalled Marseille ‘s all-time record of ten-spot Coupe de France titles. [ 164 ] [ 165 ] His record as PSG ‘s all-time top scorer was surpassed by his former mint spouse Cavani in January 2018. [ 166 ]
manchester United
Ibrahimović anterior to a Europa League game at Old Trafford in September 2016 On 1 July 2016, Ibrahimović signed as a free agent for Manchester United on a annual shrink, which had the option of being extended depending on his performance for the cabaret. [ 167 ] [ 168 ] His wage was reported to be £200,000 per week. [ 169 ]
2016–17 season
Ibrahimović was handed the issue 9 jersey ahead of the 2016–17 season. [ 170 ] On 7 August, Ibrahimović scored the match-winning finish for Manchester United in the 2016 FA Community Shield, rising above Wes Morgan to head past Leicester City goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel in a 2–1 victory. [ 171 ] This was his record 10th domestic superintendent cup. [ 172 ] In his Premier League debut one week late, he scored with a long-range strike in the 3–1 away win at AFC Bournemouth on the open day. [ 173 ] On 20 August, he scored both goals ; a header in the first half and a penalty in the irregular, to beat Southampton 2–0 on his home introduction. [ 174 ] On 6 November, he scored twice in a 3–1 away win against Swansea City ; his first was the 25,000th goal in Premier League history. He was later booked, picking up his fifth yellow tease of the season, ruling him out of the league plot at home against Arsenal on 19 November. [ 175 ] On 5 February 2017, Ibrahimović scored his 15th league finish of the season and 20th in all competitions in a 3–0 away win against Leicester City, becoming the oldest player to manage at least 15 goals in a individual Premier League season at the historic period of 35 years and 125 days. [ 176 ] [ 177 ]
On 16 February, Ibrahimović registered his first Manchester United hat-trick in a 3–0 acquire over Saint-Étienne in the Europa League Round of 32. [ 178 ] On 19 February, he made his beginning FA Cup appearance, coming on as a 62nd-minute stand-in and scoring the winner in a 2–1 fifth round acquire against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park. [ 179 ] precisely a week after his FA Cup debut, Ibrahimović scored two goals, a free-kick and a heading ( the winning finish ), in the 2017 EFL Cup Final to clinch United ‘s fifth League Cup and to win his second base trophy with the club. [ 180 ] On 7 March, Ibrahimović was suspended for three matches by The Football Association for violent conduct after elbowing Bournemouth ‘s Tyrone Mings in a 1–1 withdraw at Old Trafford three days earlier. [ 181 ] Later on 13 April, Ibrahimović was included in the six actor shortlist for the PFA Player of the Year. [ 182 ] On 20 April, Ibrahimović sustained dangerous ligament damage in his correct knee in a Europa League quarter-final against Anderlecht at Old Trafford. several sources reported that the injury would sideline the player until at least the end of the 2016–17 season. [ 183 ] Ibrahimović won his first major european entitle when Manchester United defeated Ajax in the Europa League Final at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, before being named in the UEFA Europa League police squad of the season. [ 184 ] At the conclusion of the season, it was announced that Manchester United would release Ibrahimović at the goal of his narrow on 30 June 2017, [ 185 ] although they belated confirmed that they were in talks with Ibrahimović to re-sign him for the latter half of the 2017–18 Premier League temper. [ 186 ]
2017–18 season
On 24 August 2017, it was announced that Ibrahimović had signed a raw annual narrow with Manchester United. It was besides announced that he would be wearing number 10 in his second temper with the team. [ 187 ] Ibrahimović made his recurrence for the golf club on 18 November, replacing Anthony Martial as a substitute in a 4–1 home gain against Newcastle United. [ 188 ] The follow week, he became the beginning ever player to feature for seven clubs in the Champions League when he came on as a substitute in a 1–0 loss to Basel. [ 189 ] In his first startle of the season on 20 December, Ibrahimović ‘s first goal of the season came as he scored a free-kick in a 2–1 loss against Bristol City in the quarter-final of the EFL Cup. [ 190 ] On 22 March 2018, Manchester United announced that Ibrahimović had agreed to the termination of his condense. [ 191 ]
LA Galaxy
On 23 March 2018, Ibrahimović signed for Major League Soccer ( MLS ) club LA Galaxy. [ 192 ] He announced his arrival in idiosyncratic dash by taking out a gestural full-page ad in the Los Angeles Times that merely said, “ Dear Los Angeles, you ‘re welcome ”. [ 193 ]
2018 season
He made his debut on 31 March as a stand-in against Los Angeles FC in the inaugural El Tráfico bowler hat, where he scored twice, including a 45-yard ( 41 thousand ) half fusillade and a header in arrest time, helping the Galaxy occur from three goals down to win the match 4–3. [ 194 ] After his match-winning performance, Ibrahimović said, “ I heard the herd saying ‘We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan ‘, so I gave them Zlatan. ” [ 195 ] He scored twice for the Galaxy in a 3–2 kill to FC Dallas on 30 May ; he railed against his team after the equal, saying “ Every game we should n’t be losing two or three goals and then you have to catch the game and try to win. This is not the game ; this is absolutely not the game. even if you are in MLS or Premier League, wherever, it does n’t work like that. We need to be the leading team and meet from there, not to catch the goal all the time, sol obviously it ‘s not beneficial. ” [ 196 ] [ 197 ]
Ibrahimović playing with the LA Galaxy in 2019 Ibrahimović scored a penalty in a 4–0 win against the Columbus Crew on 8 July. [ 198 ] He scored his 12th league goal of the season against the Philadelphia Union in a 3–1 victory on 21 July. [ 199 ] Ibrahimović scored his first MLS hat-trick the following workweek in a 4–3 acquire against Orlando City, with his three goals inside 24 second-half minutes helping the Galaxy overcome a 1–2 deficit. [ 200 ] On 15 September, Ibrahimović scored his five-hundredth professional career goal for club and country with another acrobatic hit in a 5–3 away frustration against Toronto FC. [ 201 ] Post match, Ibrahimović stated he was “ happy for Toronto because they ‘ll be remembered as my 500th victim ”. [ 12 ] The goal was nominated in August 2019 for the 2019 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. [ 202 ] In his beginning year, despite the Galaxy missing out on the playoffs, Ibrahimović managed to be selected for the MLS All-Star Game and the MLS Best XI, equally well as being awarded the MLS Newcomer of the Year Award and MLS Goal of the year for his hit from distance against Los Angeles FC .
2019 season
Ibrahimović was named team captain ahead of the 2019 season. [ 203 ] [ 204 ] On 2 March 2019, he scored in the Galaxy ‘s opening match in a 2–1 succeed over the Chicago Fire. [ 205 ] On 31 March, in his second appearance of the temper, Ibrahimović scored two goals from the penalty spot, including one Panenka-style, in a 2–1 home plate gain over the Portland Timbers. With this he reached 515 career goals, overtaking mate countryman Gunnar Nordahl to become the swedish player with the most goals in football history. [ 206 ] [ 207 ] On 20 July, Ibrahimović scored a arrant hat-trick against Los Angeles FC to win the match 3–2. This performance followed a consider on whether Ibrahimović was the best player in MLS compared to Los Angeles FC equal Carlos Vela, with Ibrahimović claiming himself the “ best by far ”. [ 208 ] Ibrahimović scored a irregular hat-trick of the season on 15 September, in a 7–2 acquire against Sporting Kansas City. [ 209 ] This brought his run for 2019 to 26 goals, breaking the club record for most goals scored in a single regular season. [ 210 ] Ibrahimović was again named both an MLS All-Star and to the Best eleven for a second gear consecutive season. Ibrahimović managed to lead the LA Galaxy to the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs, where on 24 October, despite recording a goal and an assist, his side were eliminated in the western Conference Semifinals, following a 5–3 away frustration against Los Angeles FC. [ 211 ] [ 212 ] On 13 November 2019, Ibrahimović announced he was to leave the LA Galaxy through his Twitter account, telling Galaxy fans “ [ Y ] ou wanted Zlatan, I gave you Zlatan. You are welcome. The narrative continues … now go back to watch baseball ”. [ 213 ] [ 214 ]
return to AC Milan
2019–20 season
On 27 December 2019, Ibrahimović returned to AC Milan on a free transmit on a six-month contract until the end of the season, with an option to extend his condense until the conclusion of the 2020–21 temper, submit to certain conditions. [ 215 ] He made his first appearance since his reappearance to the club on 6 January 2020, coming on as a substitute in a 0–0 Serie A home draw against Sampdoria at the San Siro. [ 216 ] Ibrahimović scored his first goal for Milan since returning on 11 January, in a 2–0 aside win against Cagliari. [ 217 ] The landmark goal saw him score in each of the last four decades ( 1990s, 2000s, 2010s, 2020s ). [ 13 ] On 9 February, he assisted a goal and subsequently scored another for Milan in their eventual 4–2 loss against rivals Inter ; as a consequence, he became the oldest goalscorer ever in the Derby della Madonnina at the historic period of 38 years and 129 days, breaking the previous read set by swedish compatriot Nils Liedholm ( aged 38 years and 43 days ). [ 218 ] [ 219 ] Ibrahimović made his hundredth appearance for the golf club ( including his previous scrimp ) on 15 July 2020, in a 3–1 home league winnings over Parma. [ 220 ] He became the first player to score 50 Serie A goals for both Milan clubs on 29 July, with a brace in a winnings over Sampdoria. [ 221 ] On 1 August, Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 3–0 gain over Cagliari, becoming the oldest player to score at least ten goals in a Serie A season since Silvio Piola with Novara in the 1950s, at the age of 38 years and 302 days. [ 222 ] On 31 August 2020, Ibrahimović extended his shrink until the summer of 2021. [ 223 ]
2020–21 temper
On 17 September 2020, Ibrahimović scored Milan ‘s first goal of the 2020–21 season in a 2–0 away win over Shamrock Rovers in the second stipulate circle of the Europa League. [ 224 ] Four days by and by, he scored a brace in Milan ‘s opening match of the Serie A season, a 2–0 home winnings over Bologna. [ 225 ] After missing three games recovering from COVID-19, Ibrahimović returned in the Derby della Madonnina on 17 October, scoring twice in three minutes as Milan defeated Inter 2–1. [ 226 ] He scored his third consecutive brace in the league in a 3–3 home draw to Roma on 26 October. [ 227 ] On 22 November, Ibrahimović again scored doubly in a 3–1 away win over Napoli, which was besides his one-eighth back-to-back league appearance with at least one goal. however, he besides suffered a hamstring wound and had to be substituted. [ 228 ] Ibrahimović made his tax return to the side from injury on 9 January 2021, being brought on for the final five minutes of Milan ‘s 2–0 win against Torino. [ 229 ] On 18 January, he scored both of his side ‘s goals in their 2–0 victory over Cagliari, ensuring Milan would stay three points clear at the peak of the league mesa. Ibrahimović ‘s goals meant that he had managed to score in each of his last nine starts for the club. [ 230 ] On 26 January, Ibrahimović was involved in a confrontation with former Manchester United teammate Romelu Lukaku in AC Milan ‘s Coppa Italia quarter-final match against Inter. Following a foul committed by Lukaku recently in the first half, he and Ibrahimović could be heard exchanging insults as the couple clashed heads and had to be restrained by their respective teammates. Both players were booked as their arguments continued into the tunnel at half-time. Ibrahimović would be sent off during the irregular half following a second jaundiced for a foul on Aleksandar Kolarov, as Inter went on to record a 2–1 victory. [ 231 ] Ibrahimović faced backfire after the catch for his statements made in the confrontation, including when pitchside microphones picked up him telling Lukaku to “ go do your voodoo ” and calling him a “ little domestic ass ”, with an investigation by the italian Football Federation to determine if the statements made constituted racial misuse. [ 232 ] Ibrahimović denied using racism on sociable media, stating “ In Zlatan ‘s populace there is no topographic point for racism ”, although besides including a possible jab at Lukaku by adding “ We are all players some better than others. ” [ 233 ] On 26 April, although no evidence of racist captive was found, Ibrahimović was fined €4,000, and Lukaku €3,000. [ 234 ] Ibrahimović scored another stimulate in a 4–0 winnings over Crotone on 7 February, reaching the milestone of 500 and 501 sum club career goals in the process. [ 235 ] [ 236 ] On 22 April, he signed a raw contract propagation to stay with the side for another season. [ 237 ] On 9 May, Ibrahimović had to be substituted off in the second gear half of Milan ‘s 3–0 victory at Juventus following an injury to his leave knee, which would rule him out for the remainder of the season. [ 238 ]
2021–22 season
Read more: Sevilla FC
Read more: Sevilla FC
On 12 September 2021, Ibrahimović made his first gear appearance for Milan since returning from injury and scored in a 2-0 acquire over Lazio, and in doing then at the age of 39 years and 344 days, he become the oldest non-Italian player to ever score a goal in the entire 123-year history of Serie A, breaking the criminal record previously held by former Parma centre-back Bruno Alves. [ 239 ] On 23 October, Ibrahimović scored his foremost own goal in 10 years when he headed a corner into his own net, but by and by scored Milan ‘s fourth in a 4-2 win over Bologna, and with that goal, he became the fourth actor to score a Serie A finish after his fortieth birthday after Alessandro Costacurta, Silvio Piola and Pietro Vierchowod. [ 240 ]
International career
young person
In 1999, Ibrahimović played four games and scored one goal for the Sweden U18 team. [ 241 ] In 2001, he made his debut for the Sweden U21 team and played in two games in the 2002 UEFA european Under-21 Championship qualifying campaign, including the second-leg crippled against Belgium in the qualification play-offs which saw Sweden eliminated from the competition. [ 241 ] [ 242 ] In sum, Ibrahimović played seven games and scored six goals for the U21 team. [ 241 ]
elder
early career and 2002 FIFA World Cup
Ibrahimović was eligible to represent Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina or Croatia at external level ; he chose Sweden. [ 243 ] [ 244 ] He made his debut for Sweden in a 0–0 friendly draw against the Faroe Islands at Tipshallen on 31 January 2001 during the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship. [ 245 ] [ 246 ] On 7 October 2001, he played his foremost competitive match, a 2002 World Cup modifier against Azerbaijan, scoring his first ever international goal in a 3–0 succeed as Sweden topped their group to qualify for the approaching tournament. [ 247 ] [ 248 ] [ 249 ] Ibrahimović was function of the Sweden police squad at the 2002 FIFA World Cup held in Korea and Japan, who were eliminated at the beat of 16 by newcomers Senegal. [ 250 ] He appeared twice in the tournament, coming on as a alternate in the group phase game against Argentina and in the cycle of 16 game against Senegal. [ 250 ]
UEFA Euro 2004
Ibrahimović in action for Sweden in June 2006 Sweden qualified for UEFA Euro 2004 as group winners, with Ibrahimović scoring three goals throughout the qualifying campaign. [ 251 ] In Sweden ‘s opening group match of Euro 2004 against Bulgaria on 14 June, Ibrahimović assisted one of Freddie Ljungberg ‘s goals and belated scored from a punishment in a 5–0 winnings. [ 252 ] In the following meet against Italy on 18 June, he scored an 85th-minute counterweight with a back-heel lob to seal a 1–1 draw and was named Man of the Match ; [ 253 ] [ 254 ] the goal was subsequently named the best goal of the tournament. [ 255 ] Sweden and Denmark subsequently sealed a place in the smasher round on lead encounters following a 2–2 draw in their final examination group match, despite a tripartite five-point tie with Italy, with Sweden topping the group. [ 256 ] In the quarter-finals against the Netherlands, he missed a penalty in the resulting shoot-out following a 0–0 guide after extra-time, as Sweden were eliminated from the contest. [ 257 ]
2006 FIFA World Cup
During the 2006 World Cup reservation campaign, Ibrahimović scored four goals in a 7–0 victory away to Malta on 4 September 2004. [ 258 ] He scored a sum of eight goals during the qualifying campaign, which ranked joint-third best among the UEFA teams together with Finland ‘s Alexei Eremenko but behind the Czech Republic ‘s Jan Koller ( nine goals ) and Portugal ‘s Pauleta ( eleven goals ). [ 250 ] He did not score during the 2006 World Cup finals, as Sweden were knocked out in the attack of 16, this time by Germany. [ 259 ]
UEFA Euro 2008
Ibrahimović was called up for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 6 September 2006, but two days before the match, he violated team curfew by leaving the hotel with teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Olof Mellberg, visiting a cabaret. Though none of the players consumed any alcohol, they were however all sent home by director 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 future qualifiers against Iceland and Spain. He besides refused to partake in a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later, [ 260 ] and returned for Sweden ‘s loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 modification matches. Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the “ Country ‘s Top Player of the year ”. [ 261 ] Ibrahimović ended his international goal drought, which had lasted for over two years, in a 2–0 win against Greece in Sweden ‘s Euro 2008 opener on 10 June 2008, in which he was named Man of the Match, [ 262 ] [ 263 ] besides scoring in the adjacent match, a 2–1 kill against eventual champions Spain, four days later. [ 264 ] He finished the tournament with two goals as Sweden were eliminated in the group stagecoach by Russia, following a 2–0 personnel casualty. [ 265 ]
2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying
Ibrahimović scored a finish in a 4–0 winnings against Malta on 10 June 2009 in a 2010 World Cup modifier. [ 266 ] On 5 September 2009, he scored a end moment goal in Ferenc Puskás Stadium against Hungary in a 2–1 win for Sweden in their qualification equal, [ 267 ] although Sweden ultimately failed to qualify for the tournament, finishing third in their qualify group. [ 268 ]
UEFA Euro 2012
ahead of the Euro 2012 qualification, Ibrahimović was named team captain on his return to the national team by director Erik Hamrén. [ 269 ] He scored his first goals of the qualify game against San Marino, where he scored the first and fifth goals in a 6–0 succeed in front of over 21,000 home fans despite being down to ten men for over an hour. [ 270 ] His next goals came in the kind of a hat-trick against Finland, whom they beat 5–0. [ 271 ] At the Euro 2012 finals, Ibrahimović scored the opening goal in Sweden ‘s inaugural game of the tournament, a 2–1 frustration against hosts Ukraine. [ 272 ] He then scored with a volley, late considered the goal of the tournament, [ 273 ] to open the score in Sweden ‘s 2–0 winnings against France in the last group match ; he was former named Man of the Match. [ 274 ] Despite the victory, Sweden were knocked out of the contest in the group stage. [ 275 ] Although Sweden suffered a group stage elimination, Ibrahimović was named to the team of the Tournament for his performances. [ 276 ]
2014 FIFA World Cup qualifying
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 against Germany in Berlin. [ 277 ] It was the first fourth dimension in its history that the german home team had not won a peer after leading by four goals. [ 278 ] On 14 November 2012, he scored all four goals in a 4–2 succeed over England in the first always match at the Friends Arena. [ 279 ] [ 280 ] His fourth finish, a 35-yard overhead kick with his back to goal, won him praise from players and pundits, with The Guardian calling it “ a here and now of sublime command ”, [ 17 ] while the BBC described it as a goal that “ combined abysmal resource and adept technique ”. [ 281 ] It would win Ibrahimović the 2013 FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. [ 16 ] On 14 August 2013, Ibrahimović scored another international hat-trick at the Friends Arena, scoring Sweden ‘s foremost three goals in a 4–2 friendly win against scandinavian rivals Norway. [ 282 ] Ibrahimović ended Sweden ‘s qualifying campaign with eight goals. [ 283 ] He scored doubly in a 3–2 play-off get the better of to Portugal – billed as a battle between Zlatan and Cristiano Ronaldo ( Ronaldo scored three ) – as the team failed to reach the 2014 World Cup. [ 284 ] Ibrahimović summarised the kill by saying : “ One thing is for sure, a World Cup without me is nothing to watch. ” [ 285 ]
Sweden ‘s top scorekeeper, UEFA Euro 2016 and initial retirement
Ibrahimović ( pictured in Russia in 2015 ) initially retired from international football after Euro 2016 On 4 September 2014, Ibrahimović scored his fiftieth international goal in a 2–0 friendly equal victory over Estonia, making him the Swedish national team ‘s all-time lead goalscorer. Earlier in the same couple, he equaled Sven Rydell ‘s read of 49 by scoring the unfold finish. [ 286 ] On 8 September, he made his hundredth appearance for Sweden in a Euro 2016 qualifier against Austria at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. [ 287 ] On 14 November 2015, Ibrahimović scored the succeed goal for Sweden in a 2–1 victory in the home leg of the 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 Euro 2016 finals. [ 288 ] Ibrahimović scored football team goals during the qualifying phase, making him the second-highest overall top scorekeeper after Poland ‘s Robert Lewandowski. [ 289 ] On 11 May 2016, Ibrahimović was included in the concluding 23-man team for Sweden at Euro 2016. On 21 June 2016, he announced that he would retire from international football immediately after Sweden ‘s last pit at the tournament. [ 290 ] The take after sidereal day, Sweden finished their group in final place after a 1–0 loss against Belgium, and as a result were eliminated along with seven other teams in the first round of golf. [ 291 ] As captain, Ibrahimović played every hour of Sweden ‘s three group matches, but did not score any goals, managing only one shoot on target during the tournament. [ 292 ]
Talks of rejoinder and return to the national team
In November 2017, after Sweden clinched qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia by defeating Italy in the moment modify round, [ 293 ] there was meditation about a potential render of Ibrahimović to the national team. [ 294 ] [ 295 ] Ibrahimović himself expressed his wish to represent Sweden in the World Cup. [ 296 ] [ 297 ] [ 298 ] however, in April 2018, Sweden director Janne Andersson stated that Ibrahimović would not be called up for the World Cup, frankincense ending any possibility of a return. [ 299 ] Later in June, Ibrahimović blamed the swedish media for his World Cup absence. [ 300 ] In November 2020, Ibrahimović hinted in a newspaper interview once again the hypothesis of returning to the swedish national side, prompting Sweden director Janne Andersson to fly to Milan to discuss the topic with him. [ 301 ] On 15 March 2021, Andersson included Ibrahimović in the Sweden squad for 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Kosovo and Georgia, officially confirming his rejoinder to the side about five years after his initial retirement. [ 302 ] Ibrahimović responded to the announcement by simply tweeting “ The refund of the God ”. [ 303 ] On 25 March, he started in a 1–0 dwelling gain against Georgia, providing the assist to Viktor Claesson ‘s decisive finish, making him the oldest man in history to play for Sweden ‘s home team. [ 304 ] He then assisted Ludwig Augustinsson ‘s open goal in the following 3–0 succeed against Kosovo before being substituted in the 67th minute. [ 305 ] On 15 May 2021, days before Sweden was to announce their UEFA Euro 2020 squad, Andersson confirmed that Ibrahimović would not be included in the team due to a stifle injury he sustained with Milan days prior. [ 306 ]
style of gambling
“ swedish style ? No. yugoslavian vogue ? Of class not. It has to be Zlatan-style. ”
— Downplaying the influence of his background, Ibrahimović describes his alone play expressive style [ 307 ]
Ibrahimović has been described by ESPN as being “ good in the air travel, quick, tall, potent and agile, he plays well with his back to goal and boasts some of the best finish, imagination, pass and ball control around. ” [ 95 ] [ 308 ] A versatile and all-around attacker, from a tactical point of view, Ibrahimović is capable of playing anywhere along the movement credit line, due to his ability to both make and score goals for his team, although he is most frequently deployed as a hitter, due to his composure and center for goal. [ 308 ] [ 309 ] [ 310 ] He has besides functioned in a more creative playmaking character at times, as a supporting forward or even as a number 10, in particular in his later career, after losing some of his pace and stamina with historic period ; this deeper situation allows him to drop into midfield to pick up the ball, where he can utilise his technical foul ability, vision, pass, and drift to create space and provide assists for teammates. [ 311 ] [ 312 ] [ 313 ]
Ibrahimović with the ball for Sweden at UEFA Euro 2012 While naturally right-footed, Ibrahimović is a herculean and accurate hitter of the musket ball from both inside or outside the penalty area with either animal foot, [ 310 ] [ 314 ] [ 315 ] and is besides known for his accuracy from penalties and dead ball situations. [ 316 ] An accurate finisher with his fountainhead deoxyadenosine monophosphate well as with his feet, [ 317 ] his stature, acme, and forte much give him an advantage at winning antenna challenges, and besides allow him to function as a “ prey man “ ; [ 313 ] [ 318 ] [ 319 ] despite his big stature, Ibrahimović is uncommonly agile for a actor of his size, [ 320 ] and his athleticism and ability in the breeze have seen him score several goals from acrobatic strikes and volleys throughout his career, which earned him the nickname Ibracadabra in the italian media. [ 321 ] [ 322 ] [ 323 ] In malice of his size and physique, Ibrahimović possesses excellent proficiency and ball control, which, coupled with his remainder, ability, and animalism, enables him to hold up the musket ball well with his back to goal, retain possession, and link up with other players ; [ 95 ] [ 310 ] [ 312 ] he has besides been praised by pundits for his creativity and dribbling skills. [ 308 ] [ 324 ] Although he is not gifted with especial footstep, in particular over shorter distances, which became more discernible in his late career as he slowed down with age, [ 319 ] [ 325 ] [ 326 ] [ 327 ] he is besides a quick actor and a fast sprinter, who possessed significant acceleration in his youth, [ 308 ] [ 309 ] and was able to clock top speeds over 30 km/h flush into his 30s. [ 319 ] [ 328 ] [ 329 ]
Considered to be a highly talented musician in his youth, [ 331 ] due to his prolific goalscoring, consistency, and dramatic strikes, [ 308 ] [ 310 ] [ 332 ] Ibrahimović came to be regarded by many in the sport to be one of the best players in the populace during his choice, and as one of the greatest and most complete strikers of his coevals ; [ 5 ] [ 331 ] [ 333 ] [ 334 ] he has besides drawn praise from managers and teammates for his leadership and longevity, vitamin a well as his fitness, professionalism, and dedication in discipline. [ 312 ] Regarding his work-ethic, his erstwhile Juventus, Fabio Capello commented in 2016 : “ At the begin of his foremost spell at Juventus [ … ] I noticed that he was weaker than I thought when he had to kick the ball and was not very hard in the air. Ibrahimovic [ sic ] loved making assists more than scoring goals. I wanted him to become more pitiless in front of goal and improve his coating. He had the lapp technical skills as Van Basten and I made him watch some videos of him to improve his finish. I told him to watch Van Basten ‘s movements inside the area and the way he used to score goals. Ibra got it straight away ; I think results are out there to prove it. He is a very humble guy and he worked every day to improve. He ’ s proud of himself besides, he loves being the best. ” [ 335 ]
Although Ibrahimović has been criticised at times in the media for being discrepant in high pressure situations, and for his express work-rate and poor performances in big matches, in finical in his youth, [ 95 ] [ 57 ] [ 106 ] [ 336 ] throughout his career he has scored in some of the biggest matches in football ; these include the Derby della Madonnina and the Derby d’Italia in Italy, [ 337 ] [ 338 ] El Clásico, El Otro Clásico, and the Catalan Derbi barceloní in Spain, [ 339 ] [ 340 ] [ 341 ] Le Classique in France, [ 342 ] De Klassieker and De Topper in the Netherlands, [ 343 ] [ 344 ] and the Manchester Derby and North-West Derby in England, [ 345 ] [ 346 ] adenine well as UEFA Champions League [ 106 ] [ 130 ] [ 152 ] [ 347 ] and UEFA European Championship games against some of the strongest opponents in european football. [ 254 ] [ 264 ] [ 274 ] He has besides scored in the Helsingborgs IF – Malmö FF “ Skånederby “ in Sweden, [ 348 ] and in El Tráfico and the California Clásico in the United States. [ 349 ] [ 350 ] furthermore, in addition to being a prolific hitter, he has besides been highly successful throughout his career, winning numerous titles in several countries ; [ 351 ] [ 352 ] additionally, he is the only actor to have scored for six different clubs in the Champions League. [ 353 ] Known for his strong mentality and leadership, arsenic well as his extrovert and highly competitive personality, despite his success, he has been criticised in the media for his arrogance, aggression and rebellious quality, adenine well as his miss of discipline on the lurch, in particular in his early career, which has led him to involved in confrontations with other players, some of his managers and even reporters. [ 5 ] [ 309 ] [ 331 ] [ 354 ] [ 355 ] Ibrahimović has frequently been compared to Dutchman Marco van Basten, due to their alike play styles, physiques, and proclivity for scoring from mighty shots and volleys ; [ 309 ] despite this comparison, Ibrahimović has stated that his main influence was his idol, former brazilian forward Ronaldo, whom he regards as the greatest player of all time. [ 33 ] He has besides been likened to the enigmatic french erstwhile football player Eric Cantona, who besides played for Manchester United. [ 356 ]
Hammarby IF
On 27 November 2019, it was announced that Ibrahimović had bought 23.5 percentage of the shares in Hammarby IF, a swedish exceed flight club from Stockholm. The seller was Anschutz Entertainment Group, besides the owner of his former club LA Galaxy, who reduced their stake in Hammarby by one-half. [ 357 ] In Sweden, all sport teams in the league systems are regulated to be nonprofit organization organizations, which means that a majority of the vote rights, or 51 percentage, is inactive controlled by the members of the clubhouse. [ 358 ] Fans of Malmö FF, who were dysphoric with Ibrahimović ‘s investment in another swedish club, have vandalised his statue in Malmö on numerous occasions. [ 359 ]
Controversies
Ibrahimović in 2009
“ What Carew does with a football, I can do with an orange. ”
— Ibrahimović in 2002 [ 360 ]
Ibrahimović has been involved in several violent incidents with teammates. When he was playing for Malmö FF ‘s junior team, Ibrahimović headbutted a teammate after he was tackled by him during a coach session. The teammate ‘s beget, a police officeholder, wanted the other players to sign a request to expel Ibrahimović from the team. [ 361 ] After a 2004 external friendly against the Netherlands, Ajax teammate Rafael avant-garde five hundred Vaart publicly accused Ibrahimović of intentionally injuring him during the game. Ibrahimović responded by threatening to break both of van der Vaart ‘s branch. [ 362 ] Ibrahimović besides reportedly punched Ajax teammate Mido in the preen board after the latter had thrown a pair of scissors at him. [ 362 ] In March of the like year, after a 1–0 acquire against England, Ibrahimović, who scored the only goal, [ 363 ] was asked by a reporter about scars that were on his font, to which Ibrahimović told him : “ Well … I do n’t know … you ‘ll have to ask your wife about that ”. [ 364 ] During his spell at Barcelona, Ibrahimović had a falling-out with passenger car Pep Guardiola, culminating in a dress board incidental in which Ibrahimović allegedly threw a training-kit box across the room and screamed insults at Guardiola. Guardiola finally refused to speak to Ibrahimović and loaned him out to Milan. [ 88 ] Barcelona vice president Carles Vilarrubi further revealed that Ibrahimović had threatened to publicly beat up Guardiola if he was not released to Milan. [ 365 ] Ibrahimović stated that Pep Guardiola was “ not a man ” during an consultation with CNN in November 2015. [ 366 ] In another incident during his spell at Barcelona, a female reporter asked Ibrahimović whether there was a romantic relationship between him and teammate Gerard Piqué, to which he replied : “ Come to my house and you ‘ll see if I ‘m gay. Bring your sister ”. [ 364 ] In 2010, Ibrahimović was involved in a training-ground fist-fight with Milan teammate Oguchi Onyewu, after Ibrahimović had made a bipedal harness on Onyewu, followed by a headbutt. The two were separated and the seance prematurely abandoned, with Ibrahimović suffering a break rib in the affray. Both players had accused one of insulting the other. [ 367 ] In March 2011, Ibrahimović was given a three-match banish for punching Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach during a game. [ 368 ] He received another three-match banish in February 2012 for slapping Napoli player Salvatore Aronica. [ 369 ] In 2011, Ibrahimović kicked teammate Antonio Cassano in the head while Cassano was speaking to reporters, [ 370 ] and besides kicked Milan teammate Rodney Strasser during a train session. [ 371 ]
Ibrahimović ( pictured at Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 ) courted controversy while at the clubhouse, for pervert of match officials and for on-field ferocity against opposition players. In November 2012, while with Paris Saint-Germain, Ibrahimović received a two-match ban for kicking Saint-Étienne goalkeeper Stéphane Ruffier in the breast. [ 372 ] [ 373 ] In December 2012, he was accused by Lyon defender Dejan Lovren and president Jean-Michel Aulas of measuredly stamping on Lovren ‘s head. Lovren suggested the reason Ibrahimović had escaped punishment was due to his “ ace status ”. [ 374 ] In February 2013, UEFA handed Ibrahimović a two-match bachelor of arts in nursing for stamping on Valencia winger Andrés Guardado. [ 375 ] In March 2013, PSG winger Lucas Moura claimed that Ibrahimović regularly insulted teammates, stating, “ He always asks for the ball and insults a lot. He is sometimes a bit arrogant and complains. ” [ 376 ] Lucas belated claimed, however, that the interview was twisted and badly translated. [ 377 ] In May 2013, Ibrahimović was filmed screaming at PSG sporting director Leonardo after the club ‘s title victory. [ 378 ] Lyon coach Hubert Fournier accused Ibrahimović of abusing officials, stating in January 2015 that “ all the referees in this league experience insulted by this person ”. [ 379 ] Two months late, following a Ligue 1 loss to Bordeaux, Ibrahimović was recorded ranting about the level of officiating in the match, proclaim : “ In 15 years I ‘ve never seen a [ good ] referee in this stool area … [ they ] do n’t even deserve PSG. ” He late apologised, but was criticised by french politicians, [ 380 ] [ 381 ] and Ligue 1 imposed a four-match ban. [ 382 ] Ibrahimović has additionally engaged in multiple incidents while with the home team. After Sweden ‘s 1–0 victory over the Faroe Islands in October 2012, Faroes captain Fróði Benjaminsen accused Ibrahimović of cheating play and insults, describing him as “ arrogant ”, “ childish ”, “ ignorant ”, and a “ dirty musician ”. [ 383 ] In December 2015, french sports daily L’Équipe branded Ibrahimović and Cristiano Ronaldo the “ most arrogant ” footballers in the global. [ 384 ] Ibrahimović was additionally caught on television camera kicking teammate Christian Wilhelmsson during educate. [ 371 ] [ 385 ]
Ibrahimović at a crusade conference in Qatar in 2013 In 2013, Ibrahimović came under fire from the Sweden women ‘s national team for an interview published on Christmas Day by tabloid Expressen, in which he had commented about the disparity of achievements by, and the discussion of, male and female footballers. His former teammate Anders Svensson had been rewarded with a cable car for becoming Sweden ‘s most- capped actor that class, but Therese Sjögran had received no such honor for doing besides for the women ‘s team, despite owning 41 more caps ( 187 to 146 ) than Svensson at the time. [ 386 ] Ibrahimović ‘s answer to the issue was that Sweden would be “ devaluing ” Svensson “ by comparing him with the ladies ‘ individual achievements. They can get a bicycle with my autograph on it and then we ‘re good. ” [ 386 ] Coach Pia Sundhage replied that his comments were “ sad and unfortunate ” and epitomised “ failings in the basic values of male football ”, while Sjögran said, “ I understand him when he says that the men ‘s national team brings in more money and exposure. That ‘s true. But this is about deference. ” [ 386 ] On 30 January 2015, after a succeed against Rennes, Ibrahimović responded to a reporter ‘s accusations that “ a draw of people ” were claiming that he did not pass the ball frequently to teammate Edinson Cavani by saying : “ A set of people or you ? “, then answered, “ You know football better than me ? .. indeed why are you talking ? “, and then asking the reporter : “ Are you a diarist or a television camera guy ? .. so why are you holding the television camera ? You should have a television camera guy .. So is [ it ] low budget ? “. [ 387 ] On 3 February 2015, after a Coupe de la Ligue pit against Lille, Ibrahimović reportedly told his PSG teammates to avoid talking to journalists ; when asked for the reason, he replied : “ Because I ‘m the foreman. ” [ 388 ] On 11 March 2015, Ibrahimović branded Chelsea players “ babies ” after he was sent off in a Champions League match against them with PSG : “ I do n’t know if I have to get angry or start to laugh. For me when I saw the red batting order I was like ‘the guy [ referee ] does n’t know what he ‘s doing ‘. That is not the worst. The worst is when I got the crimson poster all the Chelsea players come about. It felt like I had a bunch of babies around me. ” [ 389 ] In November 2015, Ibrahimović claimed to have put both Sweden and France on the football map, before a euro 2016 qualifying play-off peer against Denmark, when he said : “ I would love to play at the european Championship in France. I have played there for four years. I have put Sweden on the world map and now I have put France on the global map besides. ” [ 390 ] The lapp “ I put Sweden on the map ” comment was late again made by Ibrahimović in an interview with Jimmy Kimmel in April 2018. [ 391 ] In April 2016, Mino Raiola announced that Ibrahimović would be suing swedish flight simulator Ulf Karlsson over doping claims. [ 392 ] According to Expressen, Karlsson cited Ibrahimović ‘s “ abnormal ” and “ rapid weight unit amplification ” during his scrimp with Juventus. Raiola said about the allegations, “ The claims are barely crazy – the facts are not there. All the clubs Zlatan has been at know he does n’t even take aspirin. ” [ 392 ] In November 2017, he described himself as a “ leo ”, after a rapid recovery from a knee injury, by saying : “ lions do not compare themselves to humans ”. [ 393 ]
[394] The Statue of Zlatan was unveiled in Malmö in 2019. After he invested in rival club Hammarby, Malmö fans vandalized the statue with spray paint and set it ablaze, before it was removed from its pedestal on 5 January 2020. In 2018, Ibrahimović discussed his relationship with swedish media in an consultation with Olivier Dacourt at Canal+, in which he said that : “ They hush attack me. Because they can not accept that I am Ibrahimović. If another swedish player would do same mistake I do they would defend them. But when it comes to me they do not defend me ”, then added : “ This is about racism. I do n’t say there is racism but I say there is clandestine racism. This exists, I am 100 percentage sure. Because I am not Andersson or Svensson. If I would be that, trust me, they would defend me flush if I would rob a bank. But they ‘re not defending me in the way that they should. ” [ 361 ] On 21 May 2018, Ibrahimović was sent off for slapping Montreal Impact player Michael Petrasso in the head, after the latter had stepped on his foot. [ 395 ] In April 2019, Real Salt Lake defender Nedum Onuoha accused Ibrahimović of disgusting play and threats to injure him during a game, calling him “ arrogant ”, “ disrespectful ”, and “ a arrant hood ”. [ 396 ] [ 397 ] [ 398 ] In May 2019, Ibrahimović received a two-match banish for violent behavior, after he had grabbed New York City FC goalkeeper Sean Johnson by the neck. [ 399 ] [ 400 ] In July 2019, Ibrahimović made controversial remarks about the tied of play in Major League Soccer, describing himself as “ a Ferrari among Fiats “ and “ by far the best player ” in the league. [ 401 ] [ 402 ] He besides commented on his affect in the league by claiming : “ They ’ rhenium lucky I didn ’ metric ton come 10 years ago because I would be the president nowadays ”, [ 403 ] besides mentioning that he was “ the best ever to play in MLS. And that, without joking ”. [ 404 ] On 20 July 2019, Ibrahimović elbowed Mohamed El Monir during a match with the LA Galaxy against Los Angeles FC, then had an affray after the match with their goalkeeping bus Zak Abdel, telling him : “ Go base. You little bitch. Go home ”. [ 405 ] More controversy followed suit when, following the Galaxy ‘s loss to crosstown rivals Los Angeles FC in the playoffs, Ibrahimović was seen making obscene gestures towards heckling fans as he left the pitch. [ 406 ] In November 2019, Ibrahimović bought a 23.5 % bet on in Stockholm-based club Hammarby, who were the rivals of the hitter ‘s boyhood team, Malmö FF. In a argument, Ibrahimović expressed his admiration for the club and its fans, and how he was excited for the opportunity to support “ one of the most matter to and influential clubs in Sweden. ” [ 407 ] however, this investment decision infuriated many fans of Malmö who considered it a betrayal, and they vandalized his bronze statue and set it ablaze. Ibrahimović responded to the incident by claiming that the decision had nothing to do with where he began his career. [ 408 ] In September 2020, Ibrahimović criticized Sweden coach Janne Andersson, who did not select him for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, for his decisiveness to not start Dejan Kulusevski in a UEFA Nations League match against France, submit : “ What a fucking joke. far proof. incompetent people in the wrong positions that suffocate swedish football. ” [ 409 ] In November 2020, Ibrahimović criticized EA Sports for using his name and front in FIFA 21 without his permission ; however, EA Sports had made an earlier deal with his team Milan to feature all of their related players and facilities. [ 410 ] Ibrahimović received a one-match ban following an affray with erstwhile teammate Romelu Lukaku in his side ‘s Coppa Italia fastness against Inter Milan in January 2021, in which pitchside microphones picked up Ibrahimović repeatedly telling Lukaku, “ Go do your juju stool ”, calling him a “ short donkey ”, and telling him to “ call [ his ] beget ”. [ 411 ] [ 412 ] Although some pointed out that Ibrahimović ‘s reference to “ voodoo ” could be referring to an incident from 2018, in which Everton owner Farhad Moshiri claimed Lukaku ‘s impression in “ voodoo “ was to blame for him rejecting to sign a contract extension with the club, [ 413 ] others in the media suggested racial undertones towards the message, and that Ibrahimović had used the password “ imp “ and not “ donkey ” when referring to Lukaku. [ 414 ] Ibrahimović denied accusations of racism, posting on chitter : “ In ZLATAN ’ s earth there is no place for RACISM. We are all the same race – we are all peer ! ! We are all PLAYERS some better then others. ” [ 415 ] An probe was opened by the italian Football Federation, with a potential ten-match ban for Ibrahimović if found guilty of racial pervert. [ 416 ] however, it was reported in March that Ibrahimović had been cleared of a racism appoint, as the incident was deemed strictly cheating and entirely warranted a fine. [ 417 ] Ibrahimović came under fire for comments made about NBA player LeBron James and other athletes in relation back to their social and political activism. [ 418 ] In an interview with Discovery+ in Sweden in February 2021, Ibrahimović said that he appreciated James as a actor, but “ [ did ] n’t like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time. ” He claimed that athletes and early celebrated people should stick to talking about their own fields, explaining : “ I do n’t do politics. If I would be a political politician, I would do politics. That is the first mistake people do when they become celebrated and they become in a certain status. Stay out of it. equitable do what you do good because it does n’t look beneficial. ” [ 419 ] James would fire spinal column at Ibrahimović the follow day, telling reporters : “ I will never shut up about things that are faulty. I preach about my people and I preach about equality, social judge, racism, voter inhibition – things that go on in our community ”. He besides referenced how Ibrahimović had made comments of a political nature in 2018 ( when he hit out about experiencing covert racism in Sweden due to his last diagnose sounding alien ), before adding : “ I ‘m kind of the wrong guy to actually go at, because I do my homework. ” [ 420 ] Ibrahimović, however, would then reiterate his comments, stating during a bid conference : “ racism and politics are two different things. We athletes unite the world, politics divide the universe ”, and again insist, “ We do n’t do other things because we are not good at it, otherwise I would be in politics. ” [ 421 ] In April 2021, he was investigated by UEFA over alleged fiscal sake in a bet company called “ Bethard ”. [ 422 ] [ 423 ] A month belated, he was fined €50,000 by UEFA for breaking corrective regulations related to his interest in the aforesaid count company. [ 424 ]
personal life
Ibrahimović dedication on the Walk of Fame in his hometown Malmö Ibrahimović has one sibling ( Sanela ) and four half-siblings. His longtime partner is Helena Seger, with whom he has two sons : Maximilian ( behave 22 September 2006 ) and Vincent ( hold 6 March 2008 ). He used to reside outside Los Angeles when he played for LA Galaxy. however, he hush has a family in Malmö, where he spends his summers. Ibrahimović received an honorary black belt in tae kwon do ; he attended classes at the Malmö Taekwondo clubhouse Enighet ( “ Unity ” ) as a child. [ 425 ] Ibrahimović is eloquent in five languages : swedish, Bosnian, English, spanish and italian. [ 426 ] He has stated that he was raised as a Catholic. [ 427 ] [ 428 ] Ibrahimović often refers to himself in the third person. [ 429 ] The name “ Zlatan ” was trademarked in May 2003 at the swedish Patent and Registration Office for “ most probable being perceived as Zlatan Ibrahimović ”, meaning he receives exclusive rights to the name for sealed products, including sporting goods, clothe, and shoes. [ 430 ]
Ibrahimović is under contract with Nike and features in their television advertise where he has appeared alongside other players in the Nike stable including Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar and Wayne Rooney. [ 431 ] He wears the Nike Mercurial boot course 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 aid of Nike, self-funded Zlatan Court in the streets of the city zone Rosengård in his hometown Malmö : he provided a play entangle, goalposts, lighting and a modern wall. [ 432 ] In 2008, he donated new Nike kits to his youth baseball club, FBK Balkan. [ 433 ] In a February 2011 interview, Ibrahimović stated that the boxer Muhammad Ali is one of his character models, going on to say : “ One of my idols in sport and outside the mutant besides [ sic ] … he believed in his [ principles ] and he never gave [ them ] up. ” [ 434 ] While in Malmö with the national team in September 2012, Ibrahimović was honoured with the dedication of his list on the city ‘s “ Walk of Fame of Sports ”. [ 435 ] The swedish Post Office issued a set of five postage stamps featuring Ibrahimović in March 2014. [ 436 ] Ibrahimović features in EA Sports ‘ FIFA video game series, and was the fourth highest rated musician in FIFA 15. [ 437 ]
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 autograph jerseys to be auctioned off for the lawsuit, Ibrahimović responded, “ What the hell are you going to do with a shirt ? How much is it to go ? “. [ 438 ] [ 439 ] In a league peer against Caen on 14 February 2015, Ibrahimović took off his shirt after scoring a goal to unveil the obliterable tattoo names of 50 people suffering from hunger around the global, in a gesture to raise awareness for famine in accord with the United Nations World Food Programme. [ 440 ] Active on social media, Zlatan has over 45 million Instagram followers, the most for a Swede. [ 441 ] Independent Swedish film output caller Auto Images released the sports objective Becoming Zlatan in February 2016 which follows Ibrahimović through his formative years with Malmö FF and Ajax all the direction to his breakthrough with Juventus in 2005. The film has been featured at respective movie festivals including the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam, Helsinki Documentary Film Festival and the Rouen Nordic Film Festival amongst others. [ 442 ] He does not drink alcohol. [ 443 ] In 2018, Ibrahimović mentioned that his wife lone allows him to hang one visualize of himself at home : “ My wife does not allow me to have pictures of myself ”, then added, “ There is one of my feet on the wall. That is what has given us what we have, it is a admonisher for the syndicate, not for me, of what we have. ” [ 444 ] On 8 October 2019, a statue of Ibrahimović was unveiled in his hometown, outside Malmö ‘s Stadion. The statue, created by Peter Linde, is 8 feet 9 inches ( 2.67 thousand ) tall and weighs about 500 kilograms ( 1,100 pound ). [ 445 ]
religious and social setting
Ibrahimović was born to a Bosniak Muslim don, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croat Catholic mother, Jurka Gravić ; his parents were immigrants to Sweden from SFR Yugoslavia –Šefik from Bijeljina, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina and Jurka from Prkos near Škabrnja, SR Croatia –and met for the first gear time in Sweden. [ 446 ] Ibrahimović ‘s parents divorced when he was a child, and although his breeding was divided between them, he spent more fourth dimension with his forefather : “ I had time with my beget but I in truth lived with my church father. ” [ 447 ] [ 448 ] He has said in a 2012 interview with PSG that : “ My father is Muslim, my mother is Catholic, but none of that has anything to do with football. I received a special education. I ‘m me and football is a religion in its own right, and everyone is welcome … ” [ 449 ] In an interview with CNN on 24 November 2015, he stressed that his Muslim background was “ not a agent ” in fans ‘ percept of him : “ For me, it did n’t deepen ( anything ) because my forefather is Muslim and my mother is Catholic … For me it is all about respect. That ‘s how I grew up and the way I learned to be. This is what I am. ” [ 450 ] however he later described himself as a “ profoundly faithful Catholic ”. [ 451 ] The Malmö-based television donor Teddy Landén, who was interviewed for the same documentary, noted Ibrahimović ‘s choice of shirt name following his 2001 transfer to Ajax : “ You can see that precisely the fact that when he [ emerge ] in the professional [ football ] world [ at Ajax ], from Sweden, where he was lone known [ by the name ] Zlatan – his first base name – he changed so he would have Ibrahimović on his shirt, on his jersey, because he wanted to honour his setting. Being from a Muslim background, being from a identical very low key, very depleted status background, he actually [ wanted ] to show all the kids from Rosengård [ and ] from Malmö in cosmopolitan : ‘If I can do it, you can do it. ‘ ” [ 452 ] On 18 February 2021, during an Europa League Round of 32 equal between Red Star Belgrade and Milan at the Rajko Mitić Stadium, Ibrahimović was subjected to racism by the Red Star fans. Ibrahimović, who did not play the match, watched the game from the stands and jumped to celebrate once Milan scored, when a fan shouted insults at him, including “ balija “ —an cultural slur targeting bosnian Muslims. The match was played behind the close up doors due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a few supporters were allowed to spectate from a VIP box. Red Star Belgrade issued an apology and condemned the insults ; however, UEFA opened an probe of the incidental however. [ 453 ] [ 454 ] On 14 April 2021, the club was fined €30,000 and ordered to play a home game in european competition behind closed doors. [ 455 ]
tattoo
His surname is tattooed in Arabic on the back of his right field sleeve, the names of his sons Vincent and Maximilian on his right arm. He has the coarse Buddhist “ Five Deva Faces Yantra ” representing wind, water system, fire, creative perception and space, arranged in a way believed to ward off illness and injury, on his lower back. Another Buddhist tattoo, a “ Yant Prajao Khao Nirote ” is a protective emblem intended to end the agony of a family, is on his upper berth veracious arm. The give voice ‘Only God can judge me ‘ is tattooed on his ribcage. He besides has a feather, a Koi pisces, malayo-polynesian tribal, and angiotensin converting enzyme of hearts and clubs. [ 456 ]
Health
On 24 September 2020, Ibrahimović tested positive for COVID-19 amid its pandemic in Italy. [ 457 ] [ 458 ] By 9 October, Ibrahimović had recovered from the disease. [ 459 ]
career statistics
club
- As of match played 1 December 2021.[95][460]
International
As of match played 14 November 2021. [ 461 ]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team
Year
Apps
Goals
Sweden
2001
5
1
2002
10
2
2003
4
3
2004
12
8
2005
5
4
2006
6
0
2007
7
0
2008
7
2
2009
6
2
2010
4
3
2011
8
3
2012
11
11
2013
11
9
2014
5
3
2015
10
11
2016
5
0
2021
4
0
Total
120
62
Honours
Ajax [ 462 ]
Juventus [ 462 ]
Inter Milan [ 462 ]
Barcelona [ 462 ]
AC Milan [ 462 ]
- Serie A: 2010–11
- Supercoppa Italiana: 2011
Paris Saint-Germain [ 462 ]
Manchester United [ 462 ]
Individual
Records
Overall
Barcelona
- The only player to score in his first five league matches.[79]
Paris Saint-Germain
Ibrahimović ( seen here in 2013 ) played for the Sweden national team from 2001 until 2016, and is presently Sweden ‘s all-time leading goalscorer with 62 goals. Manchester United
Premier League
LA Galaxy
- Most MLS regular season goals in a season: 30 in 2019 season[560]
Sweden
discography
Singles
See besides
Notes
- ^ Ibrahimović was the first Manchester United player in the Premier League format .
References
Read more: Swansea City A.F.C.