Zlatan Ibrahimovic is one of the greatest Swedish footballers of our time. Across his career spanning Malmo, Balkan, Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint-Germain, Manchester United, LA Galaxy, AC Milan, and the Swedish national squad, this man managed to become a staple of fitness, discipline, drive, and crazy antics.
Because no matter where he played as a striker, the man did magic with the ball. He was one of the most expensive transfers in history back in his time. He’s conquered Scudettos, Eredivisies, Super Cups from Italy and Spain, Ligue One, Europa League, he’s won the Puskás Award, and he’s been a Ballon d’Or Nominee multiple times.
He’s controversial, on the field, with his aggressiveness, and off the field as he has a knack for the ladies, and he can be foul-mouthed and short-tempered too. But that doesn’t mean he can be a sweet guy to talk to if you see his interviews.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s Style Of Play
At a towering 195cm, this Swede is fast, strong, can make quick plays, and proved himself to be an amazing finisher. He can counterattack from one goalpost to another, dribble the defense and leave them standing and prove himself to be a scorer on his own and when he couldn’t make it to the goal, he created opportunities for his team to finish the deed.
Right-footed, accurate on the play, at dead ball situations, and on penalty kicks, Zlatan was a nightmare for goalkeepers, rival defense, and coaches who had to scramble and figure out how to put a two-to-three-man mark on him to stop him from steamrolling over the rivals.
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Zlatan By The Numbers
It’s because of this that he was so coveted by so many clubs in Europe and, from his talent, managed to cross the Atlantic and go to the USA and make even more plays, score more goals, and have lots of fun. And that’s just mentioning his club work because with his National squad from 2001 to 2023, with over 100 appearances and 62 goals, he’s one of the best.
We’re talking about 19 FIFA World Cup Goals, 19 UEFA Euro goals, 18 goals in friendlies, and 6 UEFA Championship Finals goals. In his international career, he scored three hat tricks against England, Norway, and Malta. The most lethal one was against Malta, where Sweden crushed that squad up by 7-0.
Zlatan’s Temper
As stated earlier, Zlatan was rowdy; just ask Pep Guardiola during his Barcelona tenure. As a natural striker, he was accustomed to a style of play that put him as a finisher or playmaker, but at that time, another legend, Lionel Messi, was in the squad. And during those years in which Messi played in Barça, that team became a graveyard for strikers because all plays were centered around Messi.
And if you think this is a biased comment —I’m a Real Madrid fan— just look at the facts: How many strikers during Messi’s years pretty much lost their time playing at Camp Nou? I can name a few: Zlatan, Eidur Gudjohnssen, Thierry Henry, Javier Saviola, David Villa, Neymar, Bojan Krkic.
And that went against the grain of Zlatan, culminating in an irate and physical locker room discussion and his eventual departure from FC Barcelona.
Why Did Zlatan Retire?
A couple of months ago, at age 41, and after an impressive career, Zlatan gave a press conference saying he was retiring from pro football. “I have to accept that it’s over”. He understood that he’s had the time of his life, that he survived injuries, transfers, being passed over, and still managed to keep his form and be on top.
Zlatan was quite the party animal, and his antics and shenanigans off the football field even managed to get him out of the Swedish football team a couple of times. Still, he managed to keep on top. He has plenty of money, he has an impressive career, and every single club that he played for cherishes him. He has the support of the fans, and he is a legend of his own.
He’s retiring at an age a moment and with a résume that many footballers would kill to have. So he’s happy; he’s a model and example of fitness, discipline, and drive that motivates everyone out there. He’ll continue to be linked to football, he loves the sport, and we’ll likely see a lot more of him in the near future.
What’s Ahead For Zlatan After Retirement?
For the moment, we must say “bye Zlatan”, as we won’t see those amazing volleys, those dribbling skills, and those taunts after scoring a goal, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see any more of him.
Now, Zlatan has moved on to another moment in his life when he can see things with more insight and from the sidelines with baggage and expertise that is worthy, and surely, some company, network, club, or organization will surely consider him for some job in the near future.
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