Zlatan Ibrahimović built a career on spectacular goals and an even bigger personality. He conquered the top leagues in Europe while referring to himself in the third person. Furthermore, his athletic ability allowed him to score goals that defied the laws of physics. Consequently, he remains one of the most quotable and controversial figures in sports history. Explore these fascinating details about the lion of football.
Zlatan Ibrahimović
Zlatan Ibrahimović famously refused a trial with Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger when he was a teenager. He simply told the legendary coach that “Zlatan doesn’t do auditions.”
He earned a black belt in taekwondo in his hometown of Malmö at the age of 17. Consequently, he uses these martial arts skills to score acrobatic kicks that other players cannot reach.
The Swedish Language Council officially added the verb “zlatanera” to the national dictionary. The word translates to “to dominate” or to do something with extreme force and skill.
He stands at a towering height of 6 feet 5 inches (1.95 meters). Despite his large size, he possesses the agility and balance of a much smaller winger.
Astonishingly, he played for all three of Italy’s biggest rival clubs during his career. He wore the jerseys of Juventus, Inter Milan, and AC Milan, winning trophies with all of them.
Fans voted his bicycle kick against England as the best goal in the history of the World Cup. He struck the ball from 30 yards (27 meters) out while his back was turned to the goal.
As a child growing up in Rosengård, he frequently stole bicycles to get around town. He once admitted to stealing his own coach’s bike to get home after a training session.
Zlatan Ibrahimović bought a church in Stockholm and converted it into a residential property. He spent millions to renovate the building into a unique investment rather than a home for himself.
Zlatan became the oldest goalscorer in the history of Italy’s Serie A. He scored a goal for AC Milan at the age of 41 years and 166 days.
He surprised the world by taking out a full-page newspaper ad when he moved to Los Angeles. The page simply said “Dear Los Angeles, you’re welcome” and included his signature.
His hometown of Malmö erected a bronze statue to honor him near the old stadium. However, angry rival fans vandalized and toppled the monument multiple times until the city removed it.
Zlatan Ibrahimović speaks five different languages fluently, including Swedish, Bosnian, English, Spanish, and Italian. This linguistic skill helped him adapt quickly to locker rooms across the entire continent.
During a game for Ajax, he dribbled past five defenders and tricked the cameraman with a fake shot. The goal remains one of the most famous solo efforts in Dutch football history.
He has his own brand of perfume and formerly ran a clothing line called A-Z. Unfortunately, the clothing business closed down after two years due to high costs.
Finally, he gifted his AC Milan teammates the new PlayStation 5 consoles on the day of their release. He managed to secure the rare devices for the whole squad while the rest of the world waited.
