Put your legs up: No footballer can catch the ball in the air like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Image source: Associated Press
memorable
November 14, 2012: In their 915th international match, the proud footballing nation of England suffers a tragic defeat, caused by only one man: Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The Swedish striker scored all four goals in the 4-2 victory. A goal that went down in history.
November 14, 2024 00:05November 13, 2024 17:49
“When the long ball came out, I saw the keeper come out. I thought to myself, 'Should I duel or should I wait for him to clear?' ”
When he headed the ball I knew I was going to score, or at least try. “
Zlatan Ibrahimovic on 2013 Goal of the Year
It's just a test match, but Ibrahimovic doesn't care. The Swedish superstar put on a brilliant performance against England. He single-handedly helped “Blågult” win 4-2 against England: he scored in the 20th, 77th, 84th and 90th minutes. On top of that, making it 4-2 was a feat second to none. “His performance today was world-class. It was his night,” enthuses England captain Steven Gerrard.
No, it goes without saying that Zlatan Ibrahimovic has become what he is today. The son of a Bosnian caretaker and a Croatian cleaning lady who divorced shortly after his birth, he grew up in Malmö, Sweden's third-largest city.
The Rosengard region is notorious for its high unemployment rate and 84% foreign population. Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his five siblings did not experience the same upbringing that “ordinary citizens” of Sweden went through, as he once told the Guardian: “No one asked: How was your day? How's it going, little Zlatan?”
His former headteacher once told Kicker: “He was the archetype of a boy who ended badly. In my 33 years at school, he was one of the five most troubled pupils I encountered, literally. Troublemaker.”
A friend of his neighbor also said in the documentary “Rosengaard's More Than One Target” that Zlatan “was an excellent bicycle thief.” He also praised the football star: “He will be able to escape from the police very quickly!”
Today, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the goal record holder of the Swedish team. He may not be the king of Sweden, but he is at least the goal record holder and has played more than 100 times for the national team.
“How did that boy from Rosengard get to this point?” the 1.95-meter-tall striker replied: “No one believed I could do it. Everyone was just talking nonsense. They thought I was leaving. It's because I have a big mouth. They thought this guy's dream was crazy. But I dreamed of where I would be one day.”
«Zlatan is an outstanding player. I've never scored four goals in a game. It’s awesome, especially the hook shot. “
Zidane
A Swedish boy takes off.Image source: Associated Press
Despite being hailed as one of the best attackers in the world, the British media don't really seem to appreciate him. “If you don't score against English teams, you're not good enough,” Ibrahimovic said. «Always like this. Whenever I play against Team GB, I don’t skate. So they said I wasn't good enough. Next game, same thing. 'Oh, you see, he's not good enough. '”
The star forward continued: “But it motivated me. It gave me adrenaline. People thought they might be able to break me, but it was just the opposite. To show who I was, I got angrier. My game The approach is risky, so it doesn’t always look spectacular.”
«It was a beautiful goal. I'd rather see it against another team than our team, but it was a great goal. “
England manager Roy Hodgson
“But then England came. They said the same thing to me, but I just said: 'It's going to be great – the first game at our new stadium. “The first goal came and I was happy. When the second goal came I was ecstatic. When I scored the third goal I looked around and said: 'Well, what are you going to say?' ? “When I scored the fourth goal, I thought: 'That's it.' “I don't know what else I could do.” I must admit, it gave me a very special feeling. “
Highlights from the match between Sweden and England
Zlatan Zlatan – the official Swedish term for “ruling with strength” – spoke so highly of the Three Lions that a Facebook group was formed that day under the name It's: “I was alive when Zlatan Ibrahimovic raped England”.
“It was the best goal I've ever seen in my life. When the ball was two meters high in the air, kicking it back from 25 meters – only special players can do that and he was a special player .
steven gerrard
Ibrahimovic cannot sit idly by
Paul Clement, then PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti's (UK) assistant, described Ibrahimovic's first training session at the club after his four-goal feast as the worst he had ever seen. Concentrated training. Ibrahimovic confirmed this: “I worked harder than ever that day” and revealed: “I did the same side kick in training. It was raining and I did another backflip and hit one of them Little training goal. No one believed it. They said it was better than the goal against England.”
«Sometimes you think you're watching a video game and you can do all these crazy things… The fourth goal is impossible. »
Swedish national team coach Erik Hamlen
However, Ibrahimovic had a different view: “I said: 'No, I prefer England's goals.' But that's the way I train. “I always want to get better. If never being satisfied is a problem, then I have it. At least it's a good question. “
In 2014, Sweden Post issued five stamps to Zlatan Ibrahimovic. One shows an excerpt from his fourth goal against England.Image: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
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