Euro 2008 Player Profile: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Name: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Team: Sweden
Group: D; Spain, Russia, Greece.
Caps (Goals): 49 (18) as of May 7, 2008
DOB: October 3, 1981 (26 years old)
Position: Striker
Club Team: Internazionale

Probably the globe’s most gifted big man, he’s also simply one of the most obnoxiously talented players in the world, and a pure pleasure to watch regardless of the scoreline. One who has been so appropriately dubbed “half-gangster, half-ballerina”. Not yet the leader for Sweden, he is quite clearly their best player and the player who impacts the side the most. When he’s on, he can take on entire teams - something he actually did once with Ajax against NAC Breda, a goal considered by some the greatest of all time, top 5 surely.

Zlatan made his debut with Malmö when he was 17, and that is where he began to make his name. After becoming the most expensive Swedish export ever, he really arrived on the continent with Ajax and began stamping his status as a legitimate superstar in the Netherlands, and particularly during those European nights. Post-Ajax he moved to Juventus and then onto Internazionale in the wake of Calciopoli.

Though born in Sweden, both of his parents are Bosnian, thus making him eligible to play for internationally for Bosnia & herzegovina. Legend has it while at Malmö, Zlatan was open to the idea of playing for the country of his blood but the suits at the B&H FA deemed him good enough only for the “B” team, which would clearly be the biggest faux pas in the history of ever. His quotes have backed up at least part of the theory, because if Zlatan wanted to play for B&H, there’s no other reason he shouldn’t be:

“I have Swedish passport, Bosnian blood. I am aware of the fact that the Swedes would not let me go but if I was in a position to choose, I would most certainly play for Bosnia-Herzegovina.”

But Sweden is mighty happy that he wound up with them, surely.

Fantastic technician, amazing dribbling skills, precision passing, power, pace - if you want it he’s got it. Unfortunately, he has a bit of a temper, too, not a mention a penchant for disappearing and being easily frustrated when things aren’t going particularly well. With the good comes the bad, and though he’s shown some maturity, acts like slapping Daniele Dessena during a Serie A match earlier this season aren’t helping.

Still, he’s not the first superstar to have a bit of an edgy, perhaps cocky, side. And he surely is a superstar, especially in Sweden, which you can tell quite easily by the soundtrack of the first video:

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