Like everything else, football is also developing, changing and gaining new features. There are new positions on the field, such as, for example, the “false nine” - a player who plays the role of an attacker, but at the same time is a “free artist”. However, this does not negate the fact that the team needs a good ram striker, who can independently create a dangerous moment and independently realize it. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is just such a football player, and today you are unlikely to find a striker who would be better than him.
early years
The future football genius was born in 1981 in Sweden, in the city of Malmö, while his father was a Muslim and his mother a Christian. Because of this, sometimes false information appears that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Muslim, but this is not so. The footballer himself has repeatedly admitted that he does not belong to any of the existing religions. But this did not stop him from becoming a brilliant player. Zlatan Ibrahimovic began his career in his hometown, in the club of the same name "Malmö". There he graduated from the football academy, played for the youth squads of this club, and then signed his first professional contract with him at the age of 17. For “Malmo” Ibrahimovic played only two years - such talent could not be overlooked, and 19-year-old Zlatan moved to Holland, to Amsterdam “Ajax”, which has always been famous for working with young people. The Dutch paid almost 8 million euros for the Swedes - an impressive amount at that time for such a young player. For three seasons, the young Swede honed his skills on the fields of Holland and, of course, appeared in the whole world - he greatly contributed to the fact that “Ajax” won two Holland championships. Of course, Zlatan Ibrahimovitch immediately said goodbye to Amsterdam when he received a tempting offer from Italy.
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16 million euros - exactly what Turin Juventus paid for the 22-year-old Swede, and, as it turned out later, did not regret it at all. Zlatan Ibrahimovic himself during his stay at Juventus was named the best foreign player in the Italian championship, as well as the best footballer of the year in Sweden. And although he could not win the Italian championship with Juventus in two years of his stay there, the “old Signora” is not offended by him. After all, Zlatan flashed all over the world, showed himself and already in 2006 he moved to Inter - only he paid 9 million euros more for the Swede than Juventus.
The beginning of the epic
It was from this transfer that the talk began that Zlatan and loyalty to the club are incompatible things. Many football players play for one club for 10 years, someone spends his whole career in one place, but Zlatan was not interested in this - he initially wanted to always go forward and achieve more.
Therefore, he accepted the offer of Inter in 2006 - and became practically the legend of this club. For three years of playing in the camp of black and blue, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has accumulated nearly 70 goals - all these three years, “Inter” became the champion of Italy. Moreover, the Swedish striker was probably the only player in the Italian club who managed to win 4 Super Bowls in three years at the club. The footballer has a full biography: Zlatan Ibrahimovic was recognized as the best foreign player of Serie A for the second time, was named the best player in the championship, twice became the footballer of the year in Italy, three times - the footballer of the year in his homeland, in Sweden, and in 2007 was even awarded the title Sweden's best athlete. And after three years of hard work, the only club Ibra wanted to go to was the great Barcelona.
Character mismatch
The management of “Inter” did not want to let go of the player who was literally doing success for them, but Ibrahimovic’s desire to play in “Barcelona”, as well as the amount that the Catalan club laid out for the striker, were so high that “Inter” surrendered.
And in 2009, the Swedish footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic became a player in the best club in the world, who paid 69.5 million euros for this transfer. But what a mistake it was - the forward spent only one successful season in the Catalan club, but his appearance there coincided with the beginning of the era of Guardiola and Messi. Ibrahimovic, who wanted to see a real man in his coach, strong, with character, did not find these traits in Josep Guardiola, because of which conflicts began to occur in the club, because Ibra was always famous for its unbearable character. But the true reason that the 70-millionth purchase was useless for the club was the fact that Lionel Messi, a player who is now considered the best football player of our time, has opened up in Barcelona. Messi wanted to play in the position of Ibrahimovic, and Guardiola indulged his "golden boy" in every way, which Zlatan could not endure. Therefore, a year later he was sent on an annual rental to Milan.
Return to Italy
“Milan” for Ibrahimovic laid out 6 million euros, while he received the right to buy the player at the end of the season with the addition of another 24 million. “Rossoneri” urgently needed a strong forward, and Ibrahimovic was exactly what the Italians needed. In the very first season after the arrival of Ibra, Milan won the Italian Championship, and then the Italian Super Cup. Naturally, “Milan” decided to buy the rights to the striker, and although Ibra did not bring the club a victory in the Italian arena, he became the top scorer of Serie A. It is worth noting that both years spent in “Milan”, Ibrahimovic was recognized as the best player of the year in Sweden. Fans loved Ibra, and he, in turn, liked to play for the club, but in 2012, the Milanese fairy tale came to an end.
New challenge
No matter how much Ibrahimovic loved Milan, he still kept his course in life, so when I received an offer from the French PSG, bought out by a wealthy sheikh, Ibra could not resist. Could not resist and “Milan” - if “Inter” until the last fought for the Swedish striker, then the black and red immediately accepted the offer of the French club, which was ready to pay 21 million euros. The club needed this money because it was in a difficult financial condition, so the issue was not resolved for a long time, and Ibrahimovic started the new season already in the PSG shirt. Here he spends the second season, and in the first, as in the case of “Milan”, Zlatan led his club to the championship. Again he was named the best footballer of the year in Sweden, which did not surprise anyone, and also became the top scorer of the championship, scoring 30 goals in 34 matches. At 32, Ibrahimovic still poses a serious threat to the defenders and goalkeepers of the opponent of any level.
Career Team
In addition to playing for various clubs, Ibrahimovic also played for the national team of Sweden. Unfortunately, this team is not so strong and can show little in the international arena, but Ibrahimovic has been adding to it strength and power in the attack all these years. During his career, Zlatan has taken part in two world championships and two European championships. In total, he held 63 official matches, scoring 32 goals - with these indicators, the captain of the team is one of the best players in the history of Sweden.
I am Zlatan
Many speak ill of Ibrahimovic, mentioning his selfishness and bad character, but in ordinary life, which is far from football, he is not at all as scary as he is painted. A friendly family lives in Paris: Zlatan Ibrahimovic, wife Helen, who is an actress and model, as well as 7-year-old Maximilian and 6-year-old Vincent - two sons who were born to the couple when Zlatan spoke for Inter. In the circle of friends, Ibra is the soul of the company, an open and disinterested person. Well, in 2011, an autobiography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, called “I am Zlatan”, was released, which describes both the football and personal life of a Swede.