The Cult of Zlatan Ibrahimovic
According to Wikipedia, a cult ‘usually refers to a group whose beliefs or practices are considered abnormal or bizarre.’ When it comes to Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his supposed ‘world-class’ ability, the fervent and somewhat bafflingly ignorant predisposed nature of his supporters begin to take on a similar leave of their senses. Call it semantics if you will, but the term ‘world-class’ is one that is bandied around with far too much ease and regularity, with people often choosing, rather ironically may I add, to ignore the selective meaning of the term itself. With concerns to the curious case of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, much like everyone else of a sound mind and in possession of both a measure of common sense and a fully functioning pair of eyes, the jury is most definitely still out.
Ibrahimovic has come into the news again recently after the publication of his controversial autobiography modestly titled ‘I Am Zlatan Ibrahimovic’ which is currently being serialised in the Gazzetta dello Sport. Here are just a couple of snippets which go some way to displaying the tone of the book: “I had done a lot to adapt – the Barca players were like schoolboys, following the coach blindly, whereas I was used to asking ‘why?’ I like guys who run red lights, not pedantic and strict rules.”
On another occassion following a 4-1 win against Villarrael.
“(Pep) was staring at me and I lost it. I thought ‘there is my enemy, scratching his bald head’. I yelled to him: ‘You have no balls!’ And probably worse things than that. You are s****ing yourself because of (then-Internazionale manager Jose Mourinho, whose side beat Barca in the Champions League). You can go to hell!’ I was completely mad. I’m not violent, but if I were Guardiola I would have been frightened.” (Yahoo)
While obviously serving to highlight the astounding and somewhat misplaced level of arrogance that has become Ibrahimovic’s staple throughout his career, his version of events is as large a rewriting of history as the forged Hitler Diaries were. Here lies the crux of the issue – a bitter example of a player being proven to not be as good as he thinks he is on the biggest stage of all, Barcelona Football Club. All we are treated to now is a quite frankly peculiar rewriting of history to suit his needs; a version of events as believable as his world-class status is. A cathartic propaganda effort of sorts.
Ibrahimovic has long been a favourite of the FIFA generation. He is in possession of a sublime first touch and superb technique, but there have always been questions marks over his temperament and with good reason, too. For football fans that place skills above substance, Ibrahimovic is undoubtedly the standard-bearer. It seems that people are simply surprised that such a giant can have such a balletic elegance to his natural game – is he little more than a puffed-up version of the often derisorily used phrase ‘good touch for a big man’?
It’s worth noting, though, that the Swede has won eight straight domestic league titles in three different countries and for four different teams. A remarkable feat it has to be said. There’s obviously something to the man that keeps big sides coming back in for him.
Another stat that has often gone unnoticed, though, is that in his final season at Inter in 2008/9, while Ibrahimovich top scored in Serie A with 25 goals, leading Inter to the title in the process, 12 of the 25 goals were penalties, and the lanky striker failed to score a goal from open play against any of the sides that went onto finish in the top 8 in the league that season. In short, he’s a flat-track bully. He’s Dimitar Berbatov with a better agent.
The criticism often levelled against Ibrahimovich is that he is often found wanting against top class opposition. The fact that he has failed, ever (that’s right, EVER) to score a goal beyond the Champions League 2nd round knockout stage makes a mockery of his fanboys claim to be genuinely world-class striker. His record of 29 goals in 80 European games is pitiful considering the quality of the sides that he’s played in.
What do the years 2009, 2010 and 2011 have in common? They’re the years in which Barcelona and Inter won the Champions League, each time without the presence of Ibrahimovic in the side. Clubs struggling in Europe should simply purchase the player to sell him the year after – according to the stats (and I know you Ibrahimovic lovers out there love a stat) it practically guarantees a Champions League title.
The crusade to label Ibrahimovic world-class is little more than a campaign based entirely around a series of stats and a Wikipedia page. It simply flies in the face of any semblance of common sense. It’s telling that Barcelona won the Champions League either side of him being a regular in their side. It’s also telling that the year after he departed from Inter, they went onto shed the image of an underachieving side in Europe going onto claim their first European trophy for 44 years in the process.
Ibrahimovic has always played in great sides that have failed to live up to their billing – much like the player himself, it has to be said. The fact is that Ibrahimovic was the fortunate recipient, during his time at Inter at least, of playing in an era widely regarded as the nadir of quality in modern Serie A history; a league crippled by the Calciopoli scandal, a scandal so far reaching that it managed to rob the prestigious championship of any modicum of competitiveness with Inters nearest rivals dealt with harshly after the fallout.
Depending on how strict you are, the term ‘world-class’ should apply to the top five or ten players in each position in the world. Off the top of my head, here are ten strikers more worthy of the tag ‘world-class’ than the AC Milan striker – Robin Van Persie, David Villa, Sergio Aguero, Edinson Cavani, Samuel Eto’o, Diego Forlan, Falcao, Neymar,Mario Gomez and Wayne Rooney – I’m sure if you delved a little deeper that you’d be able to find more than that too.
Steven Gerrard looks unlikely to ever win a Premier League title. George Best and Ryan Giggs never represented their country at a World Cup. Ronaldo (you know, the real one, the goofy fella with a penchant for curb-crawling) never won the Champions League. Does this then mean that they ultimately fall short of the world-class mark? Of course it doesn’t. Those that place too much stock in Ibrahimovich’s tally of league titles take note - Phil Neville has six of them for God’s sake.
Prior to signing for AC Milan, Ibrahimovic had just 13 Champions League goals in seven seasons. To put it into context, in roughly the same period of time, Ruud Van Nistelrooy managed to bag 50 goals on his way to becoming the tournament’s 2nd highest ever scorer in what was a deeply average side by Man Utd’s standards. Now that, is world-class striker.
Ibrahimovich will always have his fans. The sort of people that have their own names inscribed on the back of their replica kits, the sort of people that use words such as ‘sick’ and ‘bruv’ and cheer at the sight of a pointless step-over, but when it comes down to it, could he do it on a wet Wednesday night at the Britannia? I wouldn’t hold my breath if I were you.
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zlatan ibrahimovic is an excellent soccer player. i am an ibra fan but i dont have my name on the back of any replica kit, nor do i use the word ‘sick’ or ‘bruv’ like you narrowmindly say james. nor do i cheer at the sight of pointless step-overs. instead i use the words ‘bad sports writer’ directly after the words ‘James McManus’.
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1. You spelt his name wrong, which leads me to believe your research was far from vast.
2. I am an Ibra fan and I don’t believe I’ve ever used the words ‘sick’ or ‘bruv’, nice generalisation though. Quality journalism.
3. You name the likes of Neymar and Cavani as world class yet dismiss Ibrahimovic? These are players who have been performing at a high level for less than two years and they merit that title more than a player who has scored goals and won Championship for close to a decade? Laughable.
4. The fact you dismiss a lot of Ibra’s goals as being penalties yet laud van Nistelrooy is ironic. Good job on that.
Generally your whole article is based on an agenda and has a smug, self-righteous, sarcastic overtone. The fact you insult the intelligence of anyone who rates not only one of the most skilful footballers in the world, but one of the most successful is a joke.
Obviously you have written this to be controversial, wind people up and get hits, so good luck to you.
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So ‘bad sports writer’ equates to someone with a different view from you. If that’s how you go through life, God help you.
Plus, you kind of lost a credibility after you called it soccer.
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Matt, you’ve unveiled yourself to be an absolute clown.
1. Ibra is definitely a player as the article calls it ‘for the FIFA generation’. All fancy flicks and hot air but little quality in games of substance. Aside from his goal against Real Madrid when they beat them 1-0 2 seasons ago, I can’t remember a thing of note that he’s done in a big game before.
2. Those striekrs weren’t labelled as world class, they’re just examples of 10 strikers more fitting on the term should you want to use it. I’d much rather have Cavani or Neymar in my team than Ibra. He can swan around like a spoilt little child all he wants, but if he doesn’t produce when the going gets tough then he can sod right off.
3. Take Ibrahimovich out of most of the teams that he’s apparently ‘won championships for’ and they’d still most likely win the league every time.
4. I hope to Christ for your sake you didn’t just suggest Ibrahimovic is better than ruud Van Nistelrooy. If you have, for shame. Any argument you’ve made after that kinda falls flat on its face out of sheer blind loyalty to a good but not great player.
The irony of calling the tone of the article ‘smug, self-righteous and sarcastic’ also raised a laugh. If you’re to have a career in anything other than Sainsbury’s, I strongly suggest you go for something in the region of satire.
Ibra will always be an enigma. Yes he has played for good club, but that doesn’t really tell the story of what will ultimately go down as an unfulfilled career. he could have been brilliant, but he just didn’t have it upstairs enough to do so. Mind you, I’d rather have him than Shola or Leon up top.
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Matt, oh Matt. No Matt. No.
That is all.
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Do people honestly still think that Ibrahimovic is world class? I thought that debate came back with a resounding NO after his failed spell at Barca.
There’s a debate to be had over whether Ibra is even the best striker at AC Milan with the likes of Pato, Robinho and Cassano (get well kido) to contend with.
I think people forget just how much Guardiola personally staked on the Ibra deal. He took the best side in Europe and sold his best striker at a massive loss. A huge risk if ever there was one in terms of the transfer market. Complete madness in hindsight.
I’ve always just had him down as a good player struggling with his own demons due to his admittedly crappy upbringing. That’s what will ultimately stop Rooney becoming a legend. His fire.
YNWA.
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Surely this is a pointless debate? The nature of the tag ‘world-class’ is transient in it’s meaning. It’s very rare that players stay it for the entirety of their careers.
Ibra was once world class, now he no longer is. Simple.
Plus, Matt, I know you’ve taken a bit of slating, but it isn’t spelt incorrectly you massive cretin.
If I take you to mean his record is favourable when compared to Ruud’s, then you sir don’t deserve to be looking at a football blog. I imagine you trawling through wiki every day looking for the best stats nto goals ratios in world history. The sort of person that uses the word ‘tekker’s whatever the hell that means and idolises Tim Lovejoy. A modern day football fan in every sense of the word and the worst kind for it too.
As a season ticket holder at Spurs for 23 years and counting, I think it’s fair to say that I’ve earned my stripes as a proper fan. I’d be shocked if you were over 23 years old, for you clearly don’t watch enough football.
COYS
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1- It’s spelled Ibrahimovic
2- Ibra put Inter on the map, before he came along Inter had not won a scudetto in years. Look it up.
3- In Barcelona Ibra contributed to a record 99 points in La Liga with both goals and assists not to mention the only goal scored in El Clasico that year when Messi was nowhere to be found. In that year’s champions final Guardiola refused to play Ibra as their relationship had deteriorared.
4- Ibra goes to Milan wins scudetto, beats Inter- twice I believe
5- Every goal he makes is a masterpiece. the funny thing is Ibra’s 16th best goal is usually in Messi’s and Cristiano Ronaldo’s top 5
6- It sounds like ure a Barcelona fan scared about Ibra and Milan beating ur team after they drew 2-2 in their last encounter. he is definetly world class you are just a barca fan like everyone else who pretends to know about football
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Abi, I’ll try to talk slowly and using small words so that you can keep up.
1. The article spells the name correctly. You’re either misinformed or silly.
2. You’re right in stating that Inter hadn’t won the Scudetto for years. Not since 1989 infact. However, what makes the 8 straight titles allegation completely false is that 2 of them were revoked after the Calciopoli scandal mentioned in the article while Ibra was still at Juve and they were then handed to Inter. Thus taking out Inter’s main opponents in the process, and changing the entire face of Italian football, a demise and slumber from which it is only just beginning to fully recover from.
3. Yes, he did score in the El Classico (don’t call it that please, it’s not big and it’s not clever) but that’s pretty much the only goal of note that he’s ever scored in his career in a match of any importance against a big side. The fact that he was in and out of the side by Christmas would go some way to suggesting that the 99 point record tally was achieved despite Ibra and not because of him, if he was the disruptive force it’s been widely accepted he was at the Nou Camp during his time there.
4. Milan’s success last season was because Inter were such a shambles, the ruination of all the hard work by Mourinho can be layed squarely at Massimo Morrati’s door. A tight Chairman whose failure to invest currently sees them hovering over the relegation zone so far this season with a 3rd coach inside a year. Were AC Milan all that good – the fact that they went out to Spurs in the CL suggests not.
5. Is that actually a fact? Or just a biased opinion of a person without any basis of an argument. I think I’ll go for the 2nd option there.
6. ‘Ure’ really? Can we not use actual English now? Is this even legible? I am not a Barca fan, as stated by my previous post which states that I am a Spurs fan.
Quite possibly the worst post ever made on a football blog. Congratulations Abi.
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Abi what has the 2-2 draw against barca have to do with Ibra?? he was absent for that game as far as I know…
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