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Ibrahimovic tells all


Creed Diskenth

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Book dropping next week

They are talking about it on ESPN

In his book which is due for release next week Ibrahimovic explains his relationship with Guardiola: "He preferred to keep Messi happy. He ignored me. I was a Ferrari being driven like a Fiat. At one stage I had though of giving up."

Total hell. The 2009/10 season which he spent in Barcelona went so badly for Zlatan Ibrahimovic that he had even thought of hanging up his boots. At that time the Swede couldn't take any more and exploded, telling Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola exactly what he thought of him. You haven't got the balls. You crap yourself in front of Mourinho! F**k off!”

zlatan lets flow — So without mincing his words (”I tell it like it is and let it all hang out”), the AC Milan striker presented his book, which comes out in a fortnight in Sweden and in Italy. And it is true that he shoots from the hip, because he really does tell it all. Aftonbladet, Sweden's most important daily, published the first chapter of the book exclusively when Zlatan talks about the year he spent at Barcelona. He gives his impression of what many consider the best team in the world and of Pep Guardiola, and it isn't very complimentary. The Swede described the sensation when he first signed for them in the summer of 2009 like "walking on clouds" But right from their very first meeting, the relationship with Guardiola didn't gel. The coach told him that at Barcellona everyone had to "keep their feet firmly on the ground," and that the club didn't want players to arrive at training in porsches or ferraris, they had to keep a lower profile. Zlatan was able to accept this, but it annoyed him: why does a club have to decide which car you one drive?

"I drive like a madman. Once I got up to 325kmph and I had the police behind me. I've done so many silly things I daren't think about now"

speeding — ”I always drive like a madman. I got to 325 kmph, leaving the police behind. I've done so many silly things I daren't think about now,” writes Ibrahimovic in the book. Once in Spain after a snowfall he skidded into a wall. As the months passed in Spain his relationship with Guardiola began to deteriorate. He described the Barcelona changing rooms as a place where everyone sat there in silence, well-behaved, almost subdued: Messi, Xavi and Iniesta were like schoolboys who obeyed every command without question. "I am a guy who likes those who drive through red lights. Ibrahimovic breaks off. He says that instead of fighting back he tried to accept things as they were until he reached the stage when he didn't recognize himself anymore - a complete personality change: ”They became too good,” explained Ibra, who saw the energy he used to have when he played for other teams vanish.

fiat and ferrari — For Christmas 2009 Zlatan went skiing with his family in Åre, in Sweden. He was very depressed then on account of the Barcelona situation: he was even toying with the idea of hanging up his boots. Initially the Barcelona adventure had started well, but when ”Messi began to talk and asked for another role on the pitch, things changed, Guardiola preferred to do what he wanted." After a while Ibra asked to have a meeting with Guardiola, and told him: ”I'm a Ferrari, but you are driving me as if I were a Fiat.” After that meeting things really fell apart. Guardiola did not even look at him. Thierry Henry, who had understood the situation, asked about the coach, joking: ”Hi Zlatan, has he looked at you today?” ”No but I saw him from behind.” ”Well done, things are looking up!”

The relationship with Guardiola at Barcellona broke down when Ibra shouted at his coach: "You have no balls. You sh*t yourself when facing Mourinho"

total breakdown — Ibrahimovic, who had always been used to success wherever he played, was feeling worse day-by-day: ”I was fuming inside,” it says in the biography. He called his old friends from the Rosengård district of Malmö to ask their advice. Someone even offered to come to Spain "break some things." "They were very supportive," he joked,"but it wouldn't have been the best solution.” While he was going through that black period, the striker found comfort in his companion and their family. Ibra speaks of his respect for Mourinho, unlike Guardiola. Diplomatic relations broke down completely when he shouted: ”You have no balls. You sh*t yourself when facing Mourinho! F**k off!”. At that stage a separation was inevitable and AC Milan made an approach. Ibrahimovic arrived there in August 2010 and now ”feels very much at home.”

And, after starting his Nou Camp career with seven goals in his first seven La Liga matches, the striker says in his new autobiography that things went downhill because Messi, the current FIFA Ballon D'Or holder, demanded to be moved position.

'It was a childhood dream and I was walking on air,' said Ibrahimovic. 'It started well but then Messi started to talk.

'He wanted to play in the middle, not on the wing, so the system changed from 4-3-3 to 4-5-1. I was sacrificed and no longer had the freedom on the pitch I need to succeed.

Ibrahimovic claims that he had a major row with Guardiola after a 4-1 win at Villarreal in May 2010, a game in which he came off the bench to replace young Spanish forward Bojan for just five minutes.

article-2057549-0766E916000005DC-335_468x286.jpg Big money: The Sweden striker joined Barca for £40m plus Samuel Eto'o in 2009

article-2057549-08F34C61000005DC-274_468x303.jpg Happier times: The striker celebrates with Messi (right) after scoring at Arsenal

'(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.

'I added: 'You are s****ing yourself because of (then Inter manager Jose Mourinho, whose side beat Barca in the Champions League). You can go to hell!" I was completely mad.

'I threw a box full of training gear across the room, it crashed to the floor and Pep said nothing, just put stuff back in the box.

'I'm not violent, but if I were Guardiola I would have been frightened.'

Ibrahimovic says that he tried to make peace with Guardiola, despite Barca buying Spain's star striker David Villa in May 2010.

But the Swede alleges that Guardiola continued to 'bully' him, eventually resulting in a loan move to Milan, which was made permanent in the summer.

Need to read this

Man said if Barca block his move he will attack pep in front of the press

:rofl:

This guy is not right in the head

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theres alot of lol'z to be had from the looks of it

but in all honesty he wasn't right for that club and as soon as he said this;

The coach told him that at Barcellona everyone had to "keep their feet firmly on the ground," and that the club didn't want players to arrive at training in porsches or ferraris, they had to keep a lower profile. Zlatan was able to accept this, but it annoyed him: why does a club have to decide which car you one drive?

it was over for him

i'd be interested to read if he touches on his critics i.e. Martin O'Neil's comments

"Good grief, he is the most overrated player on the planet,"
:lol:
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Guest Portuguese

O'Neill is the most over rated manager in Britain!

To think Man Utd/Liverpool fans wanted this guy to manage their clubs

He hates Zlatan because is much more talented than his Henrik

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I actually :wub: Ibrahimagic.

My favourite player.

My 2nd best

Number 1

Bojan

Just out of curiosity why Bojan?

I feel his movement

makes sick runs

got mad pace

He has a lot of potential

Barcelona see that i think thats why they did tht fucked up deal with Roma :lol:

He is starting weekly now so hopefully these 2 years at Roma helps him a lot

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRS3lA5RDuQ&feature=related

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So he don't mention his relationship with pique in this

What is his relationship like with him

I can imagine iniesta and xavi and co being proper teachers pets and having their own clique with pique, messi fab and the others that came through the youth ranks

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