Zlatan Ibrahimovic Calls Himself God Ahead of World Cup Qualifier
Nov 15, 2013
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always been quotable, but before he and his Sweden team step out on Friday to take on Portugal in their 2014 World Cup qualifier, he has delivered another beauty.
The forward was talking to TV4 in Sweden when asked what the result of the qualifier would be, and at first Ibra's response was suitably neutral.
That quickly changed.
TV4 reporter—"Who'll win the qualifier?" Ibrahimović—"Only God knows" Reporter—"It's kinda hard to ask him" Ibra—"You're talking to him now"
Even if Ibra was joking, it takes a certain kind of person to be able to make that joke. Tongue-in-cheek or not, you won't be hearing Johan Elmander cracking that gag before the match.
Cristiano Ronaldo? Maybe.
Ronaldo or Zlatan? We Will Miss One, but Not Their Team at the World Cup
Nov 15, 2013
The great clash. The battle royale. The meeting of two titans of the game. The World Cup qualifying play-off between Portugal and Sweden has hardly been billed as a game between two teams, but as the battle of two players—a sort of football version of Mega Shark versus Giant Octopus.
It is, of course, something of a shame that both Cristiano Ronaldo and Zlatan Ibrahimovic will not be at the World Cup. The universe is being made to choose between two of the defining talents of our generation, and it hardly seems fair. We want the chocolate cake AND the sticky toffee pudding, not to be asked which one we would prefer.
Zlatan's response to the question was predictably arrogant and magnificent. Quoted by ESPN, he said:
"I think that the World Cup needs Zlatan more than Ronaldo. The excitement I can bring to the game and the goals I can score - nobody can rival me for that. I believe the fans would want to see me there above anybody.
"If Ronaldo, or Neymar, or Rooney, or Messi, or Xavi is missing then it is a shame for the competition - and it is a shame for the World Cup that one of myself or Ronaldo will not be in Brazil. I just need to make sure I do everything over the next two games to make sure that it is him who misses out and not myself."
We would not have expected, or indeed wanted, anything less.
While some have opined that it is a crying shame that one of these two will miss out while Switzerland and the (whatever the opposite of myriad is) talents at their disposal will be in Brazil, it is a slightly curious thing that there has been so much focus on two individuals.
Some might argue that it is a symbol of the celebrity-obsessed culture of today, that we care too much about personalities, about style rather than substance, but it would be tough to argue that if, in the 1970s, there arose a situation where the cosmos was asked to choose between either Franz Beckenbauer or Johan Cruyff, it would be much different.
Surely more of the focus should be on why these two teams find themselves in this situation in the first place.
Portugal did have a reasonably tough opponent in their group, drawn against Russia, but it wasn't the games against Fabio Capello's side that tripped them up (they won at home and lost away), but rather criminal draws against Israel (twice) and Northern Ireland that scuppered their chances of automatic qualification.
And this is not an isolated event, either. This is the third tournament in a row that Portugal have been forced to go through the play-offs, and they only qualified for Euro 2008 in second-place, behind Poland in their group. For all their talent, it would be difficult to argue, based on results, that Portugal's presence in these play-offs is a surprise.
Sweden had a rather trickier group, and second place behind Germany was the best they could realistically have hoped for.
However, without Zlatan in their side it could have been very different—the PSG striker scored the decisive goals in four of their six wins (including the winner in a potentially embarrassing 2-1 victory over the Faroe Islands, in which they went behind), carrying the team on his back throughout the qualification stage.
The truth is that these are two average sides with two exceptional players. While we may mourn the absence of either Zlatan or Ronaldo at the World Cup, the omission of their respective teams will not be a huge loss.
Breaking Down Zlatan Ibrahimovic's World Cup Qualifying Campaign
Nov 13, 2013
As the 2014 FIFA World Cup qualifiers enter their final crucial stages this week, plenty of eyes will be on one UEFA zone clash: that of Sweden against Portugal, which means that only one of two of the game's biggest stars—Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Cristiano Ronaldo—will be at the finals in Brazil next year.
For Swedish striker Zlatan, now aged 32, this is likely to be his final attempt at reaching the World Cup, or at least it certainly will be while he remains at the top of his game.
It has been many years now since Sweden have genuinely had several top players to contribute to the team's success between them, with the current crop arguably all playing a supporting-cast role to feed Ibrahimovic's ability to win matches at the top level.
As if the PSG striker wasn't already a legend for his country, four more goals will see him become Sweden's all-time highest scorer at international level, playing in both legs of the playoff will see him tied for 10th in the all-time list of appearances for his nation with 96 caps, and if Sweden progress, he will very likely make it to a century of caps at the World Cup itself.
All of that is for the future, though, and Zlatan has already had an enormous say in the most pressing of present matters: the Scandinavian side's progress to the playoff stage of the 2014 World Cup qualifiers.
Hyperbole and exaggeration aside, it's perhaps not too much of a stretch to say that Sweden would not even be at this stage without him.
Goals
As a nation, Sweden managed 19 goals in their 10 qualifying matches, with Ibrahimovic himself netting six of them—a rather impressive 32 percent—in nine appearances.
More pertinent, though, is the number of points which his strikes have earned.
Of his six qualifying goals, five were goals which directly impacted on the points that Sweden took, with fourof them being match-winning goals.
In total, Zlatan's six goals were worth a total of nine points for Sweden, almost half their entire tally of 20 points throughout the campaign.
Yes, of course, somebody else would have been playing up front for Sweden if Zlatan had been absent—but would Ola Toivonen, Johan Elmander or Mathias Ranegie have been capable of such consistency, quality and individualism?
Would they have been capable of producing this?
Likely not.
This goal came inside of 30 seconds of the start of the game against Kazakhstan, which finished 1-0. Aside from being another game-winning contribution from the forward, it also meant Sweden went into the crucial game against Austria with a three-point advantage over their rivals, paving the way to seal second place in the group.
Earlier in the group stage, Ibrahimovic had scored a 75th-minute winner against Faroe Islands after Sweden initially trailed, scored both of Sweden's goals in a 2-0 home win over the same opposition in June of this year and, perhaps pivotally, scored his team's opening goal in the incredible 4-4 comeback against Germany in October.
Having been 4-0 down in that game, within half an hour of Ibrahimovic's goal, Sweden fought back to level the scores in injury time.
Ever the star and the big man for the biggest of occasions, his most telling strike came in the most important match.
With Sweden having trailed once more, this time against Austria, Zlatan helped turn the game around, setting up the equaliser and scoring the winning goal himself with four minutes left on the clock as Sweden won 2-1, thereby guaranteeing second place and, with it, a playoff place. Austria were the only team who could have caught Sweden by that time, but the six-point gap that Ibrahimovic's goal opened up meant that even that consideration was swept aside.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vd5y5QVAUUQ
Suspension Question Mark?
It wasn't all positivity and brilliance from the PSG man, of course. Football rarely goes this way, and certainly not when dealing with one of the most egotistical, confident and technical players on the planet.
That Austria match could, perhaps should, have contained a point of contention—yet nothing appears to have been made of a late yellow card received by Ibrahimovic.
In the 93rd minute, with the game won and Austria down to 10 men, the forward picked up a yellow card—his second of the group stage, which therefore meant he faced a one-match suspension.
A viewer of a cynical mind might think this was a deliberate circumnavigation of a possible absence in the qualifiers. Since the points against Austria guaranteed second, missing the final, now meaningless group game against Germany meant the striker would not be facing the threat of suspension during the qualifying playoff itself.
Playoffs
And so to the coming days, which will define whether Ibra is able to head to Brazil to attempt to make a big impact on the global stage. Sweden play away in Lisbon on Friday, with the second leg to follow in Solna (Stockholm) on November 19.
Sweden will look to their enigmatic front man to be the focal point of their attack, the source of their inspiration and, more than likely, the player to get a key goal in either leg.
Portugal will do the same with Cristiano Ronaldo, of course.
While it would be too simplistic to simply state that the two legs will be a case of Ibrahimovic vs. Ronaldo, both are certainly big enough and talented enough to have the ultimate telling impact.
From Zlatan's point of view, he has everything to lose in these two games...but also everything to win.
And if his career tells us anything, it's that Ibrahimovic is most certainly a winner.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Calls Opponents 'A Bunch of Fishermen' Following WC Qualifier
Jun 13, 2013
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an amazing footballer. He’s also an incredible and renowned d-bag.
And not necessarily in that order.
Both skills were on display Tuesday as Ibra’s Sweden side thrashed the tiny Faroe Islands 2-0 in a World Cup qualifying match in Gothenburg.
The 31-year-old Paris Saint-Germain striker scored both goals for the Blågult—his 40th and 41st for his country—as they fight to qualify for Brazil 2014.
But he also threw a ball in the opposing goalkeeper’s face, he nearly decapitated an unsuspecting defender (see right) and, if reports are to be believed, he also talked some serious smack for most of the match.
After the game, it was revealed that Ibrahimovic spent a large swathe of the evening repeatedly referring to his opponents as "a bunch of fisherman" and boasting about how much money he earns
While it shouldn’t be particularly surprising to hear about—Ibrahimovic once told then-Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola that he had “no balls” and that in signing and misusing Ibra on the pitch, he "bought a Ferrari but drive it like a Fiat"—this is approaching a new low.
And for a man who often refers to himself in the third person—as in when he was asked once what he bought his wife for her birthday, he responded, “Nothing, she already has Zlatan”—that’s not necessarily something to be proud of.
Per Spanish newspaper MARCA, Ibra was frustrated that the Faroe Islands players were "provoking" and being "a load of cry babies."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqeAD4TeAXM
"They were complaining all the time," he said after the match. "I have never come up against a team that moaned so much. They were trying to provoke as well but they should just concentrate on jumping and playing, if they did that they may get a point or two."
Why Ibra would feel the need to demean unknown players from a nation currently 162nd in the FIFA rankings, a nation that has never qualified for a World Cup or European Championship, I can’t say.
"Zlatan is such a good player, we don't understand why he is in such a bad mood,” Faroe midfielder Símun Samuelsen told MARCA. “We play hard and honest, but we do not try to humiliate anybody like this.
"We are a small country and it is strange that he wants to put us down even more. Ibra tells us we are fishermen and yes we are. It is a part of our culture.
"I can't understand why he behaves like that to us. We finish work at four and then go training in the evening."
So simply for being normal people and not megastars like the great Zlatan, they’re worthy of treatment like this?
Even after the final whistle, in an interview with Swedish media, Zlatan mockingly made reference to his "no-look pass" to Faroe Islands goalkeeper Gunnar Nielsen, per "The Toe Poke."
Male reporter: Do you think it was a yellow [card offence]? Zlatan: No. Male reporter: It should be a yellow. Zlatan: Absolutely not. The goalie talked some ***t, so of course I'm throwing the ball at him.
Female reporter: Did you aim for him? Zlatan: No, I wasn't even looking, as you can see... *smirk*
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Bicycle Kick vs. England Not Greatest Goal of All Time
Nov 17, 2012
With a reverence normally befitting minor deities, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been lauded from every angle this week after a spectacular overhead kick sunk a sorry England team.
Zlatan has long maintained an enigmatic status in the mind of the European football fan. A supremely arrogant man who frequently refers to himself as ‘the world’s best player’, Ibrahimovic has, for many, done very little to justify his grand proclamation.
The furore that has been created in the aftermath of "that goal" has been of a magnitude befitting Ibrahimovic’s ego. Former player Alan Shearer hails it as the best goal ever, and even England captain Steven Gerrard called it "the best goal I have ever seen."
In my eyes, this is an overreaction spawned by the deluded perception of greatness afforded to the English national team. It was a brilliant goal, that is absolutely undeniable, but the best of all time it was not.
Gerrard and Shearer have been hoodwinked by the audacity of the goal more than anything. The shock that Ibrahimovic attempted to score with an overhead kick from 30 yards, and against England no less, has stretched the ramifications of the goal out of all logical parameters.
If Zlatan had scored the goal in a friendly against a Greece or a Finland, it would not have been afforded such reverence.
It would go up on YouTube under a caption like “Zlatan Ibrahimovic amazing goal," trend on the site for a few days and then be forgotten.
Pundits such as Shearer would, no doubt, also be quick to question its legitimacy against such an "inferior" footballing nation. “It was good, but it was against Greece," they would chuckle.
Yet the goal was against England.
I have heard other critics of the goal's ethereal supremacy, using the fact that it was scored in a friendly, in added-time when Sweden were already winning as the basis of their argument.
Whilst I can see the point, this is more in terms of the fact that in extra-time of a major tournament or qualifying match, Ibrahimovic would have been less likely to take the shot.
No, I am not going to diminish what was a fabulous finish, and undoubtedly the best of Ibrahimovic’s career, by undermining it in such a manner. That would be unfair on Zlatan and the goal, as well as disrespecting England.
Yet, in terms of technique and difficulty of execution, while it is a tangible contender, it has its superiors.
And now, the goal.
Joe Hart’s attempted header to clear a speculative Swedish through-ball caused him to run out of his penalty area, vacating a huge gap behind him. The header was spectacularly inept as it arced, without pace, almost straight up into the air.
Ibrahimovic, like all top-class strikers, had chased the ball down and so was in the perfect position. With Hart hopelessly stranded and a covering defender never going to get back in time, with fairly accurate precision the strike always had a chance.
In the event, Zlatan’s precision was exceptional, but the goal to me speaks more about the class of the player than the difficulty of its execution.
Brilliant players can score brilliant goals. Zlatan Ibrahimovic is a brilliant player, and this was a brilliant goal, but in terms of the difficulty of execution with such a margin for error, the "greatest-ever" tag is somewhat short of the mark.
This unbelievable technique in execution was mirrored in Ibrahimovic’s effort on Wednesday night. Yet it was the audacity rather than the difficulty of its execution that drew gasps.
Brilliant goals such as Marco van Basten’s volley are so outstanding due to the perfection of their execution. Try it again and it probably wouldn’t come off. The beauty of Zlatan’s goal, more than the perfection of its execution, was the fact that he tried it at all.
In an identical situation he could probably score again, such was the available window for error. It may not have been as perfectly executed, but an untended goal is a fairly large target, even over your shoulder from 30 yards away.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, we applaud your audacity. But the best? No sir.
Sorry, ego.
There Will Never Be Another Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Nov 15, 2012
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is perhaps as gifted as any footballer to have played the game. His outlandish goal for against England last night was further proof, but we knew it long ago.
Zlatan knew it better than most. A strutting ode to self-belief—some know it as arrogance—the pony-tailed assassin has picked up trophies wherever he's been and made himself a cult hero to millions.
He's also lost his way, made his share of rather public mistakes and enemies. And in those darker times he's underachieved on a natural talent as generous as that given to any player in his generation.
There's no doubting Zlatan's genius. And there's no doubting it's flawed.
But how flawed can a player be who's picked up nine titles in three countries, adapted his game to score freely all over Europe and made himself a national institution?
Ibrahimovic's demons—whatever they may be—certainly haven't cost him as much as those that blighted the careers of George Best and Diego Maradona, to name but a couple.
Best used to tell a famous story of a bellboy bringing champagne to his hotel room. He found the Manchester United legend holed up with a former Miss World, surrounded by thousands of pounds in bank notes.
"George, where did it all go wrong?" the bellboy asked.
The same story could be retold with Zlatan as Best, and with his nine league title medals and millions in earnings as the topless model.
And let's not forget Ibrahimovic is still just 31, staring down another title with PSG in France and on course for the Champions League knockout stages—the one competition in which his record cannot keep up to his ego.
There's still time for him to put that right. Zlatan time is not over.
When it is, he will be remembered most for his moments of other-worldliness—for the virtuoso solo goal he scored for Ajax, for his backheel at Euro 2004 and for the overhead kick that humiliated Joe Hart in the Friends Arena.
Zlatanites are ferociously devoted. Some will recall he was better than Messi and bigger than God. Others will name their firstborn son after him. Many will do both.
As a football fan, I will miss him. As a football writer, I will miss him terribly, because without Zlatan my world will be a drearier and less interesting place.
He is to this generation what Eric Cantona and Zinedine Zidane were to the last—an enigmatic figure who stands apart from the ordinary and lives by his own rules. And he'll be an entertainer until the end.
If world football put a rock band together, Zlatan would be the lead singer.
He's not perfect, but he's ours. And football should celebrate every last red card, ridiculous quote and fantastical golazo until the day comes when Zlatan hangs up his giant ego and makes a new career doing something pretentious—and probably being rather good at it.
"I am Zlatan" he called his biography. A lot of people would like to be able to say that today.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Scores Long-Distance Overhead Volley Against England (Video)
Nov 15, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQhuE3b_GBU
This is why Ibra is allowed to speak about himself in the third person.
Ibra, Zlatan. Whatever. Call him what you want. Just make sure it includes the word brilliant in the title.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic scored all four goals as Sweden defeated England 4-2 on Wednesday in an international friendly at Stockholm's newly opened Friends Arena.
The fourth goal, as you probably already know, was brilliant. It appears in the video above. It's our Set Piece Video of the Day. Enjoy.
Let's set the scene, shall we?
Ibra had given Sweden a first-half lead with a 20th-minute goal before Danny Welbeck and Stephen Caulker put England up 2-1 at the break.
Zlatan equalized in the 77th minute then put Sweden ahead seven minutes later. He wasn't anywhere close to finished, though.
In stoppage time, Ibrahimovic pulled off his best of the match, a stunning overhead volley from well outside the corner of the box.
With England keeper Joe Hart off his line, Ibra's volley fluttered into the net to complete Sweden's victory.
But get this. Zlatan was more impressed with his first goal (per The Guardian).
"When it comes off it looks fantastic but, for me, I liked the first goal more because it was history: the first in the new arena," he said.
England captain Steven Gerrard thought otherwise (via The Independent):
It is the best goal I have seen live. I think the best goal I have seen before that was Wayne Rooney's.
Everyone knows how special that was but this one tonight—an overhead kick from 25 yards when the ball is six feet in the air—only certain players can do that. And he is a special player.
Gerrard is right, of course. But we already knew Ibra was a special player.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no stranger to scoring goals that blow your mind. The Swede's effort on Wednesday against England did just that...
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Scores 35-Yard Overhead Screamer to Defeat England
Nov 14, 2012
Zlatan Ibrahimovic proved, if there were any doubters, his world-class credentials when he single-handedly subjected England to their first defeat under manager Roy Hodgson.
The Swedish native pounced on a loose defensive header by England goalkeeper Joe Hart outside the box and scored with a bicycle kick from 35 yards out.
The bicycle kick caught out Joe Hart and evaded other onrushing defenders who tried to prevent it from crossing the line.
It was the fourth goal of four he scored to hand Sweden a win over England in the friendly between the two nations.
Ibrahimovic began the scoring in the 20th minute by toe-poking a powerful shot into the roof of Joe Hart's net from a Martin Olsson cross after England defender Stephen Caulker had blocked his initial attempt.
England hit back through Danny Welbeck in the 35th minute. The Manchester United striker latched onto the end of Ashley Young's cross in the six-yard box to equalize for the visitors.
And not too long afterwards, Stephen Caulker added England's second just before halftime, capitalizing on some slack defending to turn in Stephen Gerrard's cross.
England then controlled the game for most of the second half till the 77th minute of the game when Sweden's Anders Svensson lofted a through-ball into the penalty area that Ibrahimovic controlled on his chest before firing a shot past Hart, who couldn't get enough on his block.
Ibrahimovic added his third from a free kick with a low drive from about 30 yards that evaded England's wall and found its way to the bottom of the Joe Hart's net.
Ibrahimovic's fourth and final goal of the night came as Joe Hart, running out of his area to head a lofted ball clear, messed up his attempted clearance leaving Ibrahimovic, with his back to goal, to aim for the empty net with his audacious attempt.
Surely the winner of the Goal of the year award.
England vs. Sweden: Score, Analysis and Grades
Nov 14, 2012
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a one-man wrecking crew as Sweden took down England 4-2 in an International friendly on Wednesday at Friends Arena in Solna.
The 31-year-old turned in a performance for the ages on this day. He opened and closed the scoring on his way to a four-goal performance, and those goals only got more spectacular as the match wore on.
He netted a goal in the 20th minute, another in the 78th and the go-ahead in the 84th minute on a free kick from 30 yards out.
That came off a splendid low ball that slid just past goalie Joe Hart's outstretched hand and inside the far post.
He saved the best for last, though.
Hart came up the pitch to clear a ball, but he kind of lofted it and Ibrahimovic positioned himself under it, about 40 yards from the goal. He then took to the air and launched a bicycle kick that sailed safely into the net.
Ibrahimovic's goal-scoring burst at the end turned what looked like a certain defeat into a victory.
England dominated this match as the first half came to a close. They began to control possession and got some solid looks out of it. Danny Welbeck converted one of those in the 35th and Steven Caulker in the 38th.
However, Sweden's defense tightened up, which allowed this one to turn into the Zlatan Ibrahimovic show.
Grades
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: A+
As you've probable gleaned by now, Ibrahimovic was amazing. It was just one of those days where everything that touched his foot did exactly what he wanted it to, and he kept getting chances. It was a phenomenal display.
Andreas Isaksson: B
It was a nice day for Sweden's keeper, as he helped shut the door in the second half. He did allow the two goals late in the first, but that can't be put entirely on him and he ended the day with four saves.
Joe Hart: C
Hart appears to be a victim of destiny on this day. There was just nothing that was going to stop Ibrahimovic.
That said, Hart had a shot to stop Sweden's second goal. He was certainly close enough to the ball to at least deflect it, but that ball got on him quickly. Also he should have done everything possible to keep the ball away from Ibrahimovic before clearing the ball, which turned into the spectacular bicycle kick.
Danny Welbeck: A
Welbeck tried his best to push England to a win. He was extremely active in this one. He had the goal in the 35th and was forcing the action all game.
