The name ‘Zlatan Ibrahimovic’ is one of the most recognisable in world football today, and this is not just due to his 1.95 m or 6 ft 5 in height. The Swedish legend is one of the few players to have dominated Europe’s top leagues for 3 consecutive decades. With popular nicknames like Ibra, Gitano and Ibra-cadabra, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also a global favourite of football fans.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Early Life
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born on October 3, 1981 in Malmo, Sweden to a Bosnian father named Sefik Ibrahimovic and Croatian mother called Jurka Grafic. Ibrahimovic has two older brothers named Sapko and Seelena.
Ibra’s household harmony was not without hassles as he witnessed his parents divorce at the tender age of 2 which drove Ibrahimovic apart from his sister, Selena. This was a result of a split in custodial responsibilities, with he and Sapko falling under the care of their father, Sefik, while Selena went with their mother, Jurka.
After the divorce, the life of Ibrahimovic’s father plunged into more misery, as he worked lengthy hours and became an alcoholic. Along with this, Sefik had an obsession of becoming a famous singer, neglecting his fatherly duties towards Sapko and Ibra. A messy household life and immigrant status left little Zlatan Ibrahimovic with a tough character.
Since childhood, Ibra had a strong interest in football, beginning to kick the round leather about at the age of six. Majority of his youth was spent playing football with friends on very unsuitable and dangerous surfaces.
Among his friends, he quickly became a very prominent figure on the pitch of play. At one point, Ibrahimovic had to steal a bicycle in order to get to a soccer training ground on time. In the course of his lengthy career, Zlatan Ibrahimovic admits that the theft , helped him understand the meaning of hard work to achieve in football.
Although always drunk, Ibrahimovic’s father saw the potential in his son and set aside a significant amount of money to help him practice soccer professionally.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Early Career
At 8 years of age, Ibrahimovic joined local junior clubs, Malmo BI and FBK Balkan, beginning is football career. By the age of 15, his professional career was threatened not by an injury but by a time-consuming job he had at a dock in the city of Malmo. However, he had a change of heart when a coach of his convinced him to focus on football.
Zlatan grew up in the era of Brazilian striker Ronald’s reign, a player he has acknowledged as not only an idol, but the best striker in the world.
Malmo – Ajax
Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed his first profesional contract with Malmö in 1996, and was promoted to the Malmo FF main team in 1999.
After three years spearheading Malmo’s senior team, Ibra moved to Eredivisie club, Ajax Amsterdam in 2001. In his first season with Ajax he scored a miserly 9 goals in 33 appearances in all competitions, although this was due to limited playing time.
However, when Ronald Koeman took over as manager, Ibrahimovic became first choice in the forward line of Ajax. As a result, Ajax successfully won the Eredivisie and went the distance in the 2001/02 Champions League before crashing out in the quarter-finals.
At Ajax Amsterdam, Ibra played until the 2003/04 season, recording 15 goals in 31 games in all competitions in what turned out to be his last season.
Juventus
On August 18, 2004, the Swedish national team who had Ibrahimovic in sqaud held a trial match against the Netherlands. During the match, Ibra injured club teammate, Rafael van der Vaart, for this reason, Ibra was finally sold to Juventus on 31 August 2004.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic was sold to Juventus for a fee of 16 million euros and slotted immediately into the first team after striker David Trezeguet suffered an injury. Ibra scored 16 goals in his debut season helping the Old Lady on their way to the Serie A championship. He was rated so highly by the end of the season that the club refused a 70 million euro bid from Spanish giants, Real Madrid.
This decision was not vindicated the next season, as his output decreased the following season despite Juventus successfully defending their title. At the that time the Turin-based side were hit by the Calciopoli case which had Juventus relegated to the Serie B and their league title subsequently being revoked.
Inter Milan
In August 2006, Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed a contract with inter Milan, the club of his heart during his youth. Inter Milan paid the sum of 24.8 million euros to acquire his services.
Ibra made his debut for Inter Milan on 26 August 2006 against AS Roma in the Italian Super Cup, playing 90 minutes as Inter came out victorious in extra time.
A few weeks later, he scored on his Serie A debut against Fiorentina on 9 September, as Inter started the campaign with a 3-2 win at the Stadio Artemio Franchi.
In his first season with Inter Milan, Ibra scored 15 crucial goals, winning the Serie A title for the Nerazuri with a record 97 points.
Ibra played his 100th match in Serie A on 16 September 2007 against Catania at the landmark San Siro, where he appeared as a substitute during the second half as a replacement for Hernán Crespo in Inter’s 2-0 win.
In the 2008/09 season, Zlatan Ibrahimovic finished top scorer with 25 goals in the league, helping Inter Milan bag the Scudetto for the third time in a row. He was also voted the league’s best player.
At the end of his time with Inter Milan, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had won three Scudettos and two Italian Super Cup trophies.
Barcelona
After spending three seasons at Inter with a goal tally of 66 goals in 117 appearances in all competitions, Ibra left for Barcelona. With the catalan club, Ibrahimovic only lasted one season, joining another Milan city club, AC Milan on loan.
AC Milan
In his first year back in Italy, Ibra brought the Serie A title back to the city. This led to the Milan side permanently acquiring the forward in 2011/12 season.
He replayed the Rosseneri’s faith by scoring 35 goals in 44 appearances in all competitions that season.
After a very successful campaign with AC Milan, Ibra joined mega-rich French club, Paris Saint-Germain.
Paris Saint-Germain
It was at the French capital that he cemented his European legacy. During the four seasons of his career at PSG, he scored 156 goals in all competitions in 180 appearances. The Swedish man won the league title in every season in France.
Manchester United
After that, Ibra joined English side, Manchester United, where he spent only one season. It turned out a fruitful lone campaign, as he won the side their first major trophy post-Ferguson, the Europa League and returning 28 goals. It was also his first ever continental triumph in his career.
LA Galaxy
On March 23, 2018, Ibra signed a contract with Major League Soccer (MLS) club, LA Galaxy, making a dramatic debut on March 31 against Los Angeles FC.
International Football
Besides his prowess in club football, Zlatan Ibrahimovic also reflected his brilliant performances doning the colours of the Swedish national team.
His debut for Sweden came in a goalless friendly against the Faroe Islands in Tipshallen on 31 January 2001.
With Sweden, Ibra won 116 caps and scored 62 goals, earning the country’s all-time goalscorer honour.
Ibrahimovic has appeared in two finales of the World Cup and four editions of the EUROS, but he has not been able to win a prestigious title for Sweden.
As a striker, Ibra is known for his incredible technique and shooting ability, which has fetched him tonnes of goals, as well as laying for others.
With a burgeoning cabinet of individual honours to match, defended, Zlatan has won everything at club level, except the holy grail itself: the Champions League Trophy.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Net Worth
Having earned huge wages and lucrative endorsement deals over the past 20+ years, Zlatan Ibrahimovic is worth $195 million, according to the reliable celebritynetworth.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Personal Life
On the field of play, the disposition of Zlatan Ibrahimovic may seem tough, fiery, violent and a cause for controversy. But all of that seems to dissipate when family comes to the picture.
His life partner, Helena Seger, admits that Ibra likes to do strange things.
This was revealed in the autobiographical book ‘I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic’.
“He was happy to surprise us with many things.
Most often it is romantic things when we are on vacation,” said the older Swedish model.
When he eventually closes the curtain and hangs his boot, Zlatan Ibrahimovic will be remembered as a Swedish legend and as a lethal striker who triumphed at every club he featured.
