Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an exceptional footballer noted for his many performances on the field. Through the years of his career, his impact in the game of football has rubbed off on many people around the globe. The legendary footballer exudes class on the field of play, in fact, the player has his first name; ZLATAN added to the English dictionary.
Ibrahimovic has played for several known clubs starting with Malmö FF to Ajax, and Juventus. The star footballer also played with Inter Milan, Barcelona, PSG, LA Galaxy, including AC Milan (with whom he had two spells). Zlatan may still have more active years before retirement. In addition to his exploits in football, the Swedish football star has a charitable heart, giving freely to charity. He is a married man and a father of two.
Here Is A Run Down Of Zlatan Ibrahimović’s Clubs – Both Past And Present
Before venturing out from his locality, the emerging football star first did exploits at home with one of the clubs in his locality.
Malmö FF
Zlatan Ibrahimovic landed his first professional contract with his hometown football club side, Malmö FF after he inked a contract with them in 1996. The rising star got his senior debut for the club in the 1999 football season. After playing for two seasons, and refusing Arsène Wenger’s request for him to join Arsenal, he left the club to join AFC Ajax.
Ajax
On the 22nd of March 2001, Zlatan was officially transferred to Amsterdam where he joined Ajax for 80 million Swedish kronor which is equivalent to €8.7 million. There, he recorded five Champions League goals. His solo effort against NAC Breda on the 22nd of August 2004 where he dribbled five opposition players before scoring was compared with Zinedine Zidane and Diego Maradona; Eurosport viewers later voted that particular goal as the Goal of the Year.
Juventus
A €16 million deal in the summer of 2004 saw Zlatan Ibrahimović move to Juventus and he assisted the club finish at the top of Serie A and reach the quarter-finals in the Champions League. At the conclusion of his first season in Italy, Zlatan Ibrahimović earned the title “Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year” and was awarded the Guldbollen (a prize awarded to the best Swedish footballer of the year) in November 2005. His ensuing seasons in the club were not so good which led to Juventus being relegated to Serie B. Then, the footballer was hatching plans to move on despite attempts by the team to persuade him to stay on.
Inter Milan
Joining Inter Milan on the 10th of August 2006, Zlatan Ibrahimović inked a €24.8 million four-year deal. According to the player, he supported the club as a child. His debut match with the club was on 26th August 2006 against AS Roma in a Supercoppa Italiana where they emerged victorious in extra time.
The same year, on the 9th of September, the football star scored in his first Serie A match against Fiorentina. Inter later won the league that season with a total of 97 points while Zlatan emerged as the team’s top scorer. Leveraging a backheeled shot, the striker scored the goal of the year for the next season. He became the top scorer in the league with 25 goals in the 08/09 season, won Footballer of the Year, as well as Foreign Footballer of the Year for the second successive season while helping Inter to another league title.
Barcelona And Loan To AC Milan
In 2009, Zlatan Ibrahimović inked a five-year deal with the Spanish outfit, FC Barcelona, there, he emerged as the first footballer to score in his first five league matches and was picked to join the 2009 UEFA Team of the Year. Resuming at the club, he had issues with Lionel Messi who was preferred for the central role by the then coach, Pep Guardiola, thereby displacing Zlatan from his natural position.
AC Milan
Consequently, the football star went on loan to AC Milan on the 28th of August 2010, and after the loan spell, Milan activated the purchase clause to purchase him outright for €24 million at the end of the season. There, he inked a four-year deal hoping to win the Champions League with Milan which he did in 2011. He assisted AC Milan in winning the Supercopa Italiana against Inter Milan in a 2-1 victory where he scored the first goal in the finals. A second backheel goal was recorded by Zlatan Ibrahimović. Even though he picked a good number of match bans, the football star finished that season as Serie A top scorer, scoring 28 goals in 32 matches.
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG)
In July 2012, Zlatan Ibrahimović signed a three-year deal with Paris Saint-Germain that made him the 2nd highest-paid player worldwide after Cameroonian striker, Samuel Eto’o. After assisting the team win the Ligue 1 in 2013, he had his contract extended to 2016 on the 24th of September 2013. The famed player won many titles while recording outstanding career stats with several goals with PSG (156 goals) before leaving the club at the end of the 2015/2016 season. When he made known his intentions to leave the club, Ibrahimović joked that he would stay if they replaced the Eiffel Tower in France with his statue
Manchester United
As a free agent, the famed footballer joined Manchester United on the 1st of July 2016, signing a one-year deal with an option for extension depending on performance. Playing with jersey number 9, he recorded several wins which made him a nominee for the PFA Player of the Year award. Impressed with his performance, Manchester United secured his services for an additional year on the 24th of August 2017, switching his jersey number from 9 to 10. His time with the club saw United winning the Europa League in a final against Ajax, which made it his first major European title, he was later named in the UEFA Europa League team of the year.
LA Galaxy
In March 2018, Zlatan Ibrahimović signed with Los Angeles Galaxy of the Major League Soccer (MLS) as the team’s captain in anticipation of the 2019 season. His exploits with the team (a whopping 53 goals in only 58 appearances) saw him emerge as the leading all-time highest scorer in Swedish football history ahead of Gunnar Nordahl. When he left Galaxy, Zlatan became co-owner of Swedish top-flight side Hammarby, which drew the ire of rival fans from Malmo FF (which was his first professional club). This led to his statue being set ablaze by the angry club fans.
AC Milan
Zlatan Ibrahimović returned to AC Milan in December 2019 on a six-month contract with the option of extension to the 2020/2021 season. The football star is still with the club at the time of this writing. Zlatan’s excellence has touched most people around the globe; he has been celebrated not only as a skilled footballer but as a national hero.
In fact, his first name Zlatan is an English dictionary word used to describe one’s awesomeness and uniqueness. He is a polyglot, speaking five different foreign languages including Sweden, Bosnian, Italian, English, and Spanish
Zlatan Ibrahimović Raised A Lot Of Storms During His Football Career
Controversies is something Zlatan Ibrahimović seems to thrive on. He enjoys the attention it brings to him and he sure knows how to stir up one from anywhere possible. The football star has a knack for causing trouble and he has recorded quite a lot.
Sexist comments about Swedish women’s national football team
Zlatan Ibrahimovic sparked another controversy when he said men’s football cannot be compared with women’s football and that they should be rewarded in terms of the finance they generate.
Threats to break Rafael van der Vaart’s legs
In 2004, Rafael van der Vaart was a captain in Ajax FC while Zlatan Ibrahimović was a member of the team. However, they came against each other when Sweden played against the Netherlands and Ibrahimović tackled Rafael so hard that his ankle ligament got torn. Back at the club, Rafael made a fuss, insisting that Zlatan Ibrahimović injured him intentionally. The accusation made Ibrahimović threaten to break Van der Vaart’s legs if he kept accusing him.
Publicly screaming at PSG Sporting Director, Leonardo
The Swede lost his cool at a PSG’s post-match celebrations, screaming publicly at the team’s Sporting Director Leonardo when he was forcefully taken away from the celebration to take a dope test.
Punched his Ajax teammate, Mido
Though they were friends during their time in Ajax, Zlatan Ibrahimović and Egyptian striker, Mido fell out after the latter stormed the dressing room to violently express his displeasure at being benched with threats to leave the team. He ended up throwing a pair of scissors at Ibrahimović who wasted no time in delivering a punch to bring the Egyptian back to his senses.
Calls France a “s**t country” while condemning the referees
He once attacked a referee calling France a ‘s**t country’ which sparked a political row. The football star was shouting so loud and the words “Wake up, wake up, we’re not amateurs. The words, ‘F***ing a**e’ were also heard loudly.
Told Wenger he doesn’t do auditions while playing for Malmo FF
Even as a young player of 17, Zlatan Ibrahimović had the audacity to tell Arsene Wenger off after the Arsenal coach approached him to do trials to prove his skills. His exact words were ‘Zlatan does not do auditions.’
Fistfight on the training ground with teammate Oguchi Onyewu
Zlatan Ibrahimović got into a training ground fist fight with US defender, Oguchi Onyewu after the Swede deliberately went for a two-footed lunge on Oguchi from behind. This happened because the American player had accused Zlatan of trash-talking, which the striker denied.
Here is What We Know About Zlatan Ibrahimović’s Birth Family
The Swedish footballer was born on the 3rd of October 1981. His parents have been identified as Šefik Ibrahimović and Jurka Gravić who practiced different religions. While the Swede’s father is a Muslim, his mom is Catholic but Zlatan was raised as a Catholic. His dad is a Bosniak who emigrated to Sweden in 1977 while his mum is of Croat and Albanian descent.
Ibrahimović came from a family of six children and grew up alongside five siblings comprising of two brothers and three sisters – Sanela, Sapko, Aleksander, Monika, and Violeta Ibrahimović.
The Footballer is A Devoted Husband And a Caring Father
Zlatan Ibrahimović is a married man. He started dating Helena Seger in 2002. Sources say that the two dated for a long period of time before eventually tying the knot in a secret wedding as Helena often refers to the footballer as her husband. However, there are others who claim that the couple is not yet married.
It is also worthy of note that Helena is way older than the footballer. The couple’s age difference has however not affected their love for each other in any way. Together, they share two children; Maximilian Ibrahimovic – born September 22, 2006 – and Vincent Ibrahimovic – born March 6, 2008.
Helena Is Busy With A Career As A Model Cum Business Woman
While her husband created a blooming career in football, Helena Seger is no idle woman. She is a Swedish model and a business tycoon. The mother of two was born on the 25th of August, 1970. Before she became established in business and modeling, Helena did menial jobs to survive. She formerly tried acting before settling for a job at Bonnier Presenta.
What Is Zlatan Ibrahimović’s Net Worth?
Zlatan Ibrahimović’s football career success is not hidden. He has played for several clubs and has made most of his fortune from his football career. When he played for Manchester United, his peak annual salary was $35 million. In his last year as a United player, he earned $27 million. He equally earned big in the MLS with LA Galaxy. Currently, his net worth is pegged at $190 million.
Apart from donating heavily to charity, Zlatan Ibrahimović has invested in real estate with quite a few luxury homes to his name. The Swedish football star also invests heavily in automobiles, amassing an impressive car collection. Among his latest rides is a rare Ferrari Monza SP2 ($1.75 million). He also owns a Porsche 918 Spyder ($845,000), a LaFerrari ($2.2 million), Ferrari Enzo ($3 million), Lamborghini Gallardo ($210,000), a Maserati GranTurismo ($107,000), and a Volvo XC90 ($49,345).
