Quick Facts
| Name: | Zlatan Ibrahimovic |
| Date of Birth: | 3rd Oct 1981 |
| Place of Birth: | Malmo, Sweden |
| Height: | 1.95m (6ft 5in) |
| Position(s): | Stricker |
| Jersey Number: | 11 |
| Spouse: | Helena Seger |
| Children: | Maximilian Ibrahimovic, Vincent Ibrahimovic |
| Social Media: | https://www.instagram.com/iamzlatanibrahimovic/ |
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a Swedish-born professional football player who now plays as a striker for both the Sweden national team and Serie A club AC Milan. He’s noted for his agile assaults, volleys, long-range shots, skill, and ball control. has 34 championships and is regarded one of the finest attackers of all time.
Early Life:
Ibrahimovic was born 3 October 1981 in Malmö, Sweden. Sefik Ibrahimovic, a Muslim Bosniak, immigrated to Sweden in 1977, when he met Jurka Gravic, a Catholic Croat. Ibrahimovic follows his mother’s Catholic Christian beliefs. After acquiring football boots at age 6, he began playing. He played for Yugoslav-founded FBK Balkan, Malmö BI, and BK Flagg.
His mother struck him with a broken wooden spoon as a youngster. Social services intervened after she was arrested for stealing. At age 9, Ibrahimovi was taken to live with his father since his divorced mother couldn’t handle five children, one of whom had a drug problem. Ibrahimovi’s father’s fridge was always full of beer, so he often went hungry and ate at his mother’s. He stole bikes and shoplifted. I Am Zlatan co-author David Lagercrantz on his rough upbringing:
Zlatan’s complex. He’s a powerful warrior who realized he had to be harsh to live. So he always picks fights. He’s also fragile. He’s a hurt kid who utilizes that to become strong. 99 out of 100 men would have given up, yet he utilized his fury to improve. “I need to be furious to perform good,” he informed me. When he played with middle-class kids, he felt inferior because he wore the incorrect clothing and had no money. He thought, “One day I’ll show them!” This inspired him.
Ibrahimovic played for Malmo FF in his teens. At 15, he came close to quitting football to work at Malmo’s docks, but his manager urged him to remain. Ronaldo was his boyhood hero.
In which style does he play?
According to ESPN, Ibrahimovic possesses some of the greatest finishing, vision, passing, and ball control in the world. He is also good in the air, quick, tall, muscular, and nimble. Ibrahimovi is a tactically flexible and well-rounded attacker who can play anywhere in the front line because of his ability to both set up and score goals for his side. However, because of his poise and eye for goal, he is most frequently used as a striker. He has also occasionally played a supporting forward or even a number 10 position, which allows him to drop into midfield to pick up the ball and use his technical skill, vision, passing, and movement to open up space and assist teammates. This deeper position allows him to play later in his career after losing some of his speed and stamina due to advancing age.
Ibrahimovi is powerful and accurate from inside or outside the box. He’s known for his penalty and dead-ball accuracy. height, elevation, and strength make him a good “target man” His quickness and talent in the air have helped him score spectacular goals throughout his career. Exceptional technique and ball control, along with his balance, power, and physicality, allow him to handle the ball well with his back to goal, keep possession, and link up with other players. His ingenuity and dribbling are recognized. His lack of speed, especially over shorter distances, became more apparent as he aged. He was a quick player and sprinter in his teens and could reach 30 km/h in his 30s.
What are the Controversies Zlatan?
He’s battled teammates. As a Malmo FF youth, Ibrahimovic headbutted a teammate. The teammate’s police officer father pushed for Ibrahimovic’s ejection. Rafael van der Vaart accused Zlatan Ibrahimovic of hurting him in 2004. Ibrahimovic attacked van der Vaart’s legs. After Mido threw scissors at him, Ibrahimovic reportedly hit him.
Ibrahimovic allegedly threw a training-kit box at Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola. Guardiola let Milan have Ibrahimovic. Carles Vilarrubi stated Ibrahimovic threatened Guardiola if he wasn’t released to Milan. Ibrahimovic termed Guardiola “not a person” in a 2015 CNN interview.
After a two-footed tackle and headbutt, Ibrahimovic attacked Milan teammate Oguchi Onyewu in 2010. He shattered a rib during the practice. Both players were insulted. Three-game penalty for striking Bari’s Marco Rossi in March 2011. In February 2012, he was banned for slapping Salvatore Aronica. Ibrahimovi booted Antonio Cassano in 2011.
Personal Life:
Sanela and four half-siblings are Ibrahimovi’s siblings. Maximilian (born 22 September 2006) and Vincent are his boys with girlfriend Helena Seger (born 6 March 2008). Before joining LA Galaxy, he lived outside the city. He still spends summers in Malmö. As a kid, Ibrahimovi attended Malmö Taekwondo club Enighet (“Unity”). Swedish, Bosnian, English, Spanish, and Italian are Ibrahimovi’s languages. He was reared Catholic. Ibrahimovich talks about himself in third person.
Ibrahimovic has starred in Nike ads with Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Wayne Rooney. He wears Nike Mercurial boots with his boys’ names and birthdates on the outside. In late 2007, Ibrahimovic self-funded Zlatan Court in his hometown of Malmö, providing a playing surface, goalposts, lights, and a new fencing. In 2008, he gave FBK Balkan new Nike uniforms.
You May Also Like: Kylian Mbappe
