The current star of the Swedish national team, Zlatan Ibrahimović, was reportedly put on the bench for bad behaviour during one of the matches for the Balkan children’s team. His team was “crumbling” at 0:4, and there was nothing else for the coach to do than to suppress his pride and let the squabble onto the field. Then Balkan gained a victory with a hockey score, 8:4, and obviously, all the goals of the team, which was made up of children of former Yugoslav emigrants, were scored by Ibrahimović.

EIGHT MILLION FOR A YOUNG GUY AGED 18

That incident became a king of lesson for the Gypsy: Zlatan got this nickname for somewhat savage behaviour and ethnic origin. But the young football player drew other conclusions than the ones to which he was urged by way of different punishments. He never even tried to become obedient. On the contrary, he did whatever he wanted, and he got away with everything.

Even now he reacts to penalties and suspensions in a contrary way to accepted moral standards. What is wrong if he kicked the top of Cassano’s head with his foot, or almost injured Materazzi? Ibra guiltily apologizes, but further behaves like a boy quick to take offense. He also lectures his fans. He even dedicated his book “I, Zlatan” to them, having written the following message in the preface: “I dedicate this book to all children who feel somewhat strange and unusual because they do not fit well into life for erroneous reasons. It is normal to be not like all others. Carry on believing in yourselves, and it helps: it has helped me”.

Nevertheless, Ibrahimović had to adjust to life. Our hero was born in Malmö to the family of Bosnian Šefik and Croatian Jurka. The emigrants did not have enough money to sustain their living: one cannot get rich from setting walls which was his father’s source of earning or cleaning rooms to which his mother devoted time. There were four children brought up in the family: three sons and a daughter. Zlatan was the third to be born, and he grew up supervised by Sapko, who was eight years older. The diaspora provided substantial assistance to the family, and Sweden’s best football player of all times found his way in football thanks to it.

Ibrahimović’s first acquaintance with a football team took place when he was six years of age. It was followed by the aforementioned legendary football match and eight goals, transfer from Balkan to Malmö and dissatisfaction with the regulations that existed in the children’s sports school. But Zlatan opportunely understood: if they are not accepted, he will have to bid farewell to football ahead of time. He will take his toll later on, when he gets financial independence thanks to playing.

Ibrahimović promptly caught the eye of agents. The Swedish Bosnian’s robust constitution and rich technical arsenal drew the attention of Arsenal coach Arsène Wenger. Meanwhile, this happened back when Malmö played in the second Swedish division. However, the Frenchman was turned down. Ajax made a more persuasive proposal: Malmö’s management was quite happy with eight million dollars for a youth aged 18. The transfer was also in line with Ibra’s plans, as one could hardly seek a better transfer club on his way to fame.

A PROPOS…

Zlatan Ibrahimović was born in Malmö on 2 October 1981. He took an interest in football at the age of six. His first team was Balkan, in which exclusively people originating from Balkan countries trained.

Nicknames: Ibra, Ibracadabra, Gypsy.

Best Swedish football player in the last five years. Best football player in Italian Serie A: 2007, 2008, 2010.

He changed five clubs from three countries in the last eight years, and there he won the championship title every year: Ajax (2), Juventus (2, the club was stripped of them because of a corruption scandal), Inter (3), Barcelona (1), Milan (1).

He has played in 75 matches for the Swedish national team and scored 28 times. He has played in 429 matches and scored a total of 210 goals in his senior career.

RECORD-BREAKING TRANSFER

The forward was invited to the Netherlands by Co Adriaanse, known to Ukrainian fans for his work with Donetsk Metalurh. The Dutchman almost immediately began admitting the Swede to the first team, but Zlatan managed to get a six-week suspension in a match against Groningen. For educative reasons, the football player was excluded from the first team, but on that occasion the coach turned out to be guilty. New coach Ronald Koeman based his relations in the team on full confidence, Ajax returned to the first roles, and Ibrahimović’s price began growing as if yeast-leavened. His participation in the Champions League and regular invitations to the Swedish national team were conductive for this. Italy’s strongest team, Juventus, with Fabio Capello at the helm, became Ibra’s next club. The transfer price paid by the team from Turin was 19 million dollars.

Two Italian championship titles brought Ibrahimović not only world fame, but also disappointment. A corruption scandal over bribing referees and betting stripped the club of the gained titled and shifted it down to Serie B. The Swede did not wish to waste a season, appealed to the management and found it understanding: he was purchased by Inter for 30 million dollars.

It may be pointless to name the club that was the strongest one in Italy during the next three years. Inter blossomed, and Zlatan scored goals for different tastes: from long distance, with his head, with his heel… He became top goal scorer. There was just one club in the world better than Interisti. He was sold there for an incredible 46 million euros with a free-of-charge supplement in the form of… Samuel Eto'o. Life seemed to be a success. However, it turned out that he had been sold into slavery, and Gypsy did not find happiness at Barcelona.

Ibrahimović recalls: “Barcelona is the best team in the world. I was in the seventh heaven from happiness. Only scribbling in newspapers hindered me. They made a bad boy of me. But I tried not to pay attention. Being here was of utmost importance, and my wife Helena and children were happy.”

Lars Lagerbäck, former coach of the Swedish national team:
Ibrahimović is the best development in Swedish football since the time of Göteborg’s victory in the UEFA Cup. I have never seen talents of this kind. If he decides to win the fight for a ball, he will do it.”

MESSI’S COMBINATION

Problems began almost since the first day in Barcelona. When he spoke to coach Guardiola, the latter made it clear that it would not be worth much sticking his head out, as there were enough stars even without Ibrahimović there. The Swede was not the one to decide how he should behave. “Barcelona had something in common with school. The masters of extra class, Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, behaved like students,” Ibra smiles. “The best players in the world bowed low before the coach. I could understand nothing: this behaviour made me laugh. It is necessary here to say the things they want to hear, saying figuratively, to drive to the green light and not to argue. You feel as if you are on the verge of peeing yourself because of worrying. On the other hand, I came to the place where I aspired to be since childhood. This is why I decided to keep silent."

The beginning of the season was not bad for Ibra: he scored goals in matches in the UEFA Super Cup and quickly understood Barcelona’s philosophy. However, he began losing his charm while playing. He confesses that, in order to play well, he needs to be reckless, live all out, shout in happiness and cry in sorrow. The forward even began thinking about ending his career.

Ibra began coming back to his wits after Christmas, which he spent on snowmobiles in the mountains and froze his hands. On his way back to Spain, he felt inclination to speed again, and even escaped from cops in his Porsche Turbo. Then he was on the verge of losing his life together with his friend: he lost control of his car in a snowstorm, fell from a mountain in his car and hit a concrete wall. He laughed when he said that he had even won a contest in accidents: his one turned out to be most spectacular.

Zlatan continues: “I feel well when I have an inflow of adrenaline. I understood after the Christmas holiday and the accident that I can experience the joys of life even at Barcelona. Messi is there. He is a great player, and team playing is being built around him, everything is logical. But as regards me, the most expensive player in the team, I came there to score goals. He went to Guardiola to request to be transferred from the right flank to the centre where my place was. Messi wanted to play in the whole field. The coach depends on him, and this is why I found myself in a shadow. Guardiola changed the 4-3-3 scheme for 4-5-1. After the reshuffle, I became an ordinary player, and my friend joked about this: ‘All Barcelona players have got Ferrari cars, but they drive them like Fiats.’ I said this to the coach, and he stopped saying hello to me…”

LAST TOUR

Guardiola could not completely ignore the Swede, and this is why he chose the elimination tactics. He did not let Ibrahimović play full matches, let him out onto the field five minutes before the final whistle, did not look him into the eyes and asked the game plan several times. The Swede’s patience snapped…

After a year of being on loan at Milan, the club bought out the contract from Barcelona for 24 million euros. Zlatan felt the taste of life again, won the Scudetto and is presently making preparations for conquering the heights of Euro-2012. He reluctantly speaks about the chances of the Swedish national team, but he is not accustomed to pull up the rear, and he will lead teams to new achievements, even despite the fact that he has already been beyond the national team twice: once because of his indiscreet behaviour, and then due to failure to qualify for the most recent World Cup.

As any rebel, he needs a whirl of events. He says that he will soon become prudent. Zlatan Ibrahimović sums up: “I am the best football player in the world. And I want to leave football as the best. Milan will be the last club in my career. I shall most likely hang my boots on a nail at the age of 33. I do not wish to spit with blood on the field.”

Ibrahimović’s tattoos

There are11 tattoos on Zlatan’s body. Almost all of them are related to his family.

* “Red dragon” is the forward’s most impressive tattoo. It is located on the right side.

* “Мaximillian” is his first son’s name on the right hand.

* “Vincent” is his second son’s name on the left hand.

* “Ibrahimović Code”: his parents’, brothers’ and sisters’ birthdays have been put on both wrists. The dates of birth of his sons appeared later.

* The surname “Ibrahimović” in Arabic is on the right hand.

* A tribal picture symbolizing family happiness is on the right shoulder.

* His mother’s name is on his right hand.

* His father’s name is on his left hand.

* “Only God can judge me” is on the right side.

* “Two aces” are on the right side above the dragon.