"Before winning the 2012-13 league title, we were getting ready to play against Lyon," Marco Verratti said. "Carlo Ancelotti was a bit tense, so Ibra approached him and asked him if he believed in Jesus. Ancelotti said yes, so Ibra told him: 'Good, so you believe in me. You can relax!' Zlatan is like this.”
Verratti’s little story is as good as any when used to describe the kind of figure that Zlatan Ibrahimovic is.
Sometimes a story comes along that just feels right. This is one of those. Mino Raiola, the super-agent who represents Manchester United new boys Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, has purchased a Miami beach house once owned by crime boss Al Capone.
After a first half for Manchester United that could be described as "about as anonymous as is possible," Zlatan made good on his track record in major league debuts and scored from 25 yards out. He's now scored in every major league debut: La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1, Champions League...and Premier League.
Here's his long shot at the 64' that managed to slip past Bournemouth keeper Artur Boruc:
Maybe there is a new God of Manchester. With continued efforts such as these from Zlatan, a god he will be. BUT CRIKEY MATE! WHAT A FINISH! Are you serious, 3 minutes into his Man U debut, who else could pull off a stunt like that. The King of Sweeden started off his English debut in stunning fashion. An incoming ball from Valencia was chopped by Ibrahimovic and bounced into the top corner. Brillaint, elite and classy. Man this EPL season is going to fun isn't it eh?? The King needs a new crown!
Superstar striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is headed to Manchester United this season, a move that prompted one of my Manchester-supporting friends to assure me they will win the Premier League this season.
Ibrahimovic is known for his ability on the field and his ego off of it, and he may have finally met his match, ego-wise, a man who can stand toe to toe with Zlatan in the self-confidence arena: former Manchester United striker Eric Cantona.
Zlatan's international career is over. That feels weird, now that we type it. It feels like all of Sweden's international career is over, although we say that as someone who has never been to Sweden, so what the hell do we know.
Sweden did not have a good Euro 2016, and that probably had some effect on Zlatan's decision, even though he announced in the middle of the group stage (which Sweden would not make it out of) that this would be his last ride in the yellow and blue. Highlights of Sweden's Euro 2016 can be seen below.
And here I thought today was going to be a slow news day. Zlatan Ibrahimovic announced Thursday his next destination will be Manchester United, where he will be reunited with his coach at Inter Milan, Jose Mourinho.
The move has been speculated for quite a while, basically since he announced he was leaving PSG, but Zlatan made it official Thursday on Instagram. Premier League center-backs are on notice.
As Sweden failed to find the back of the net for the 2nd straight game, their looming elimination became a reality in the 84th minute when Nainggolan packed their bags for them with a screamer. With many chances getting denied in their group stage run, the only goal they scored was actually an own goal by the Irish. It was a bummer to see such a legend like Zlatan go out without a win in his final major international tournament but Belgium made them pay. A beautiful moment of Zlatan playing his last game in yellow and blue is the end of an era.
The Euro 2016 group stage is done and dusted, providing its fair share of heroes and villains. Players like Gareth Bale, Dimitri Payet and, just recently, Cristiano Ronaldo have enlivened the proceedings, but which five supposed stars have flopped at one of the world’s most prestigious events?
Thanks to the forgiving nature of the expanded tournament format, a few players on this list still have time to make amends for their performances. For a couple of them, it’s off to the beach and an early summer break.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic is having a busy summer. He's one of the most sought-after players on the transfer market and just retired from the Sweden National Team after being eliminated in the group stages of Euro 2016. One thing not lost in the commotion of the summer: Zlatan is very rich. To find out just how rich, we examined Zlatan's net worth and salary.