Piers Morgan vs Zlatan Ibrahimovic | The Full, Uncut Interview

he's an Entertainer an artist the star of a oneman show the stage is always his calls himself a lion sometimes he calls himself the goat well now the biggest ego in World sport meets well a similarly proportionate ego on Center Stage it's Zlatan Ibrahimovic uncensored Zlatan how are you I'm good thank you I can't think of anybody better suited to do an interview for a show called Piers Morgan uncensored than you I think I'm the perfect guy for you do you feel like you've always been uncensored I feel uh yeah I feel I've been myself always even if people think I try to act or something but I think I look I see and I say so wrong and right I'm being myself myself I think it's very important will I get to the real you in this interview 100% you put the level youve just retired yes something I don't think you probably thought would ever happen you worried about it happening you were concerned about it happening what's the reality been like I'm I just retired three months ago and uh I agree with you that if I want it or or not is different but I accepted it because in the end I was not feeling good I could have continued I could have continued suffering in physical way and uh keep going but I wanted to feel good and I didn't want to have a consequence after my career where I'm limping or I cannot do things with my boys so I choose to to stop and I think I stopped in the right moment but to be honest with you when I see all the other Strikers out there I could still play because I I would do much more than them and better than them and that's not for my ego that's fact you want to name some names I could give you many names probably 95% of them out there so you think you're better than 95% even now I am better I don't think i' take your I would take your assle okay could be could be I had a chance to go there but I know you don't we're going to come to that it breaks my heart I can't even think about it um we're at the sh theater one of London's great theaters here you're used to being on the big stage this is one of the big stages of theater it's an empty crowd there's no one here yeah just few people you should have brought me the crowd well I wanted to see how you I I would make them bounce you would you would 100% how are you going to deal with not having the big crowds being on the big stage with a big crowd and now now this I think I don't need that I I've I've been doing it for 20 years 25 years I played in front front of 90,000 and uh I made him bounce I made him chair I made him whistle I made him hate I made him love so all these things and uh I don't have that ego that I need attention now because I am who I am I'm remembered for what I did on the field so I'm not looking for attention I'm not looking for get recognized and uh and all those things because or else I would choose to be a commentator I would do those things that you have these ex players doing because they're doing it because they still miss the attention they want to be seeing in front of the camera and um and I understand them because when you're on the field you feel alive and when you go there you get this adrenaline you feel the grass you feel the duels you feel the the heat you feel the the atmosphere and then depending on what kind of player you are I'm very emotional player when I'm on the field so I switch from one thing to another thing and uh but now is a different thing now I I will live a let's say a normal life and uh hopefully a normal life and what do you want to do have you worked it out yet I have I'm doing more I mean now three months has gone so I'm doing more things now than I did when I was active so I have my collaborations I do different things things and different projects I'm a little bit curious about the acting thing because I've been trying some things in front of the camera I mean I'm not shy if I'm a good actor I don't know I don't think I can see you playing a James Bond villain villain yeah yes I would smash James Bond but he could win in the end I'm okay with that but during the movie I would smash him and then and then probably I would lay somewhere 2 m under the ground which is okay because smile you smile you light up the room you're very Charming you seem a very nice guy when you when you don't smile yes I look you have a very severe face which I've seen on many of football field you could be a good villain I think I think also because and for my English also I sound like a I don't know criminal Russian type so could be could be but I'm I'm interested I'm I'm curious now like to see how it works and and why not I mean just to try some different uh different things at your last game AC Milan supporter is obviously going crazy for you you made a very emotional heartfelt address it was very moving actually and at one stage it was interrupted by the Verona fans booing you and you stopped you stopped talking to your fans and you addressed the Verona fans and you said keep booing this is the biggest moment in your year seeing me yes I love that I me that was me being me exactly that was me being me and uh like I said you whistle you chair but for them was the moment of the year because seeing me is not for everybody so that's the way they they enjoyed it because remember if they whistle you or talk bad about you it's because you're number one did you play better when you were in front of Home supporters cheering you or when you were away somewhere like into Myan where they wanted to kill I mean when you play on the highest level you need to fight trigger points because obviously after a while you get used to one thing and then when you're used to one thing you don't you don't get triggered the same way obviously you're a professional guy you go out you do your job but for me it was about getting triggered I needed to get adrenaline and playing home could be defense could be the opponent I I needed to find trigger points where I trigger Myself and I I became more active but I have to admit that I away games I feel alive I feel very alive where the night let's say a way against inter which is still my home because it's my Stadium still and 90,000 whistling you I feel alive because I feel with you Zlatan that your whole life has been a fight yes and that's the way you've actually liked it you were brought up in a in an environment like that you played football in that environment you were at your best when you were in a scrap and it was interesting going over your life and reviewing it you actually said you viewed football as you viewed life it's a fight you said and of course you're a Taekwondo black Bel as well so you do actually know how to properly fight I need to be angry to play well you said I need to shout and make some noise and then your uh co-writer on your autobiography uh David he said complex is the best way to describe zlat on the one hand he's a strong Warrior type who knew he had to be very tough to survive so he takes on fight all the time because he's always had to but another part of him is vulnerable he's a guy wounded by his upbringing he uses all that to create strength for himself in his position 99 guys out of 100 would have gone under but he used his anger to make himself better that's true you think that's an accurate I think it's a correct picture of me because even if I'm not in a fight I'm looking for a fight because it's something that kicks I get a kick off I get adrenaline off and where I came from it was about survival mode I mean the the strongest guy would survive and uh and to survive you need you needed to be tough you needed to show your tough and uh and that's where I came from but I brought it in my game also and um and I had moments where it was going against me moments where it was giving me advantage and uh and all around me was they were talking like it always is Media they criticize you they talk about you and uh and they they want to have something to say but that was me if I would would not be like that I would not be where I came or maybe sit here and speak to Pierce Morgan so will I get a better interview out of you by being nice to you or if I start yanking your chain insulting you a bit roughing you up a bit but I get the real Zlatan then no you get you will get the real Z in any any question I mean if you're looking for something I will give it to you if you if you just keep it on a simple way I still give it to you because I have a lot of experience I mean in front of media I gave them they gave me but I'm enjoying at that moment I think I had moments where media thought that I have some kind of acting thing image because I want to do hard hardcore image for the media and then I'm soft on the on the inside but I'm not afraid to say what I think I'm not afraid to to to do what I believe in then afterward afterwards they they give you or nothing I mean it's me I cannot change me I'm not here to to be beautiful or uh or to be perfect to somebody I think being yourself is perfect you will do mistakes you will learn from your mistakes and you will still do mistakes so I think is important being yourself I came to America I saw act no actors I saw say big shots make trying to make the perfect image and I go to one of the show and they're like where's your crew or Entourage and I'm like what about my Entourage no but normally like famous people they come with 20 people I say you're here for me or my Entourage for you I'm here so I don't need them to make my image I'm here for myself so that's why I say I always say be yourself being perfect is being yourself and I think authenticity has a power to it I think I think so yes and U me getting angry and that that's me I need I need to get fired up so that's how I bring out sharpness that's how I bring out the best out of me when I walk on fire because if you make me feel too comfortable I'm playing to win and to win I will destroy you I will do everything to win and I need to win because when I win is my is my proof that I am I am alive and that's wherever I came I was like that but then I had some I had situation where I have teammates they would cracking crack they would not make it they would cry in front of me but I don't care because I'm here to win because I played in top five clubs in the world I played maybe three of them and if I don't do my job they bring in somebody else and I'm not there anymore so that's why I say it's about survival mode I'm not here to be nice or to be bad I'm here to win so to win I needed to to get those trigger get find those trigger points to get the best out of me I think to understand why you're like this I want to take you back to to Malmo uh to Rosengard where you grew up you've described it as being like a ghetto it was a rough tough place you said you can take a guy away from Rosengard but you can't take Rosen God out of a guy yeah what do you mean by that I mean I can go I can come I can make it out of the ghetto but the ghetto will stay in me so I came from Rosen because I am still who I am even if I'm not there and that's what I say you you can take yourself out of a place but the the place you were raised and and and born in it will still be still be in you so that I would never change for success I would never change for whatever happens to me I will still be the same guy because the real the real thing will stay and survive longer not because I come in a nice area now I bought a nice house in a nice area I become them no no I'm still myself but my proof to them is I can I can also live here even if I'm from that area and I think is important because you need to represent where you come from but obviously then you need discipline you need respect you need education cannot be an animal in your own where you come from and then animal there you need to you need to keep the discipline and the respect which you said that where I come from people were always judging me and telling me no that's not possible I want to show kids growing up like I did that anything is possible I'm the living proof you can succeed do you think you've had that impact on young people who were in your position 100% because where I came from with my background if you look of the the history like the in my game my football game there were not a lot of players with different background that would make it or that would get the possibility or the chance to just to show themsel and and I'm happy that I I went through all these walls just to open the door for the Next Generation so I open the door they have to step in so I cannot talk for them I cannot uh prep I mean do the things for them I just open the doors and I had to go through a lot of to come where I am and to show everybody that it's possible and make them accept also that it's okay whoever you are to give you a chance then I talk Sweden because that is my base then obviously you become a global person and and it spreads out because for me we're all the same but still different so all of us has the same possibilities to make it but then it's up to you also whatever you want to do tell me about your parents um your father first of all sephi he was a caretaker yeah um I was interested that he he suffered quite a lot of Torment as a result of the war in Yugoslavia um it affected him quite deeply I think have you ever had a chance to really talk about that with him no because he never spoke about it with me I I had to so I was living with my father we were like five children my my my brother passed away my big brother a couple of years ago I have two bigger sisters that I don't have contact with h i have another bigger sister than me that we have the same parents it's a big mix yeah and we still have contact contact and my little brother we we still have contact today but I was living alone with my with my father and in the beginning was okay because I mean the father he did every my father did did everything to to survive to to bring in money to to pay the bill to pay the rent to make me feel happy he did his maximum and the best out of the conditions that was there and then the war started started then he was more distance from me because he kept everything away from me and uh and he took it very hard because I remember like it's no secret that my father was he drink and he was sitting there with his phone tried to reach out for the family members I don't know what was going on because I was pretty small at that time and but but I could see and often what you see stays longer than what you hear so but we never discussed about it he never put me in between he tried to help family members so fugitives came to Sweden family members and he helped them and he put his name on it and and I remember he was up during the night and that always with the on the phone and uh tried to help out but I was I was young and I was crazy I was wild I was out I was playing football a lot I still had the discipline to go to school because if I would not go to school my my father would smash me which is which is normal in our world so how would he do that no he would he would become aggressive he would he would make sure I do it he would not hit me my mother would hit me she was the one hitting not my father my father I read your mother used a wooden spoon wooden spoon and hit me so when that would break she would say to me go buy a new one but I didn't break it you broke it but was still by fault how many spoons did you have to buy a lot a lot a lot then it came to a certain moment like how do you call the thing you put when you press their bread like the round when she came with that part yeah yeah then I run away I said this is too hard this you cannot touch me with but for us was normal for us was normal understand but it there'll be people watching this who have not experienced that from their parents do you feel that you carried mental scars from the from no being hit or not no it made me stronger It Made Me Stronger because now when I'm a parent myself I understood what my parents went through and uh and he not easy I mean we live now in 2023 different conditions I live different I can come with a suit whatever for this kind of a moments they couldn't they couldn't do those things my mother had five children she was a cleaner your mother she was a cleaner she brought home probably I don't know in pound like let's say, Euro and to feed all these five children and and she was working from from 7 to 4: so we went to school I have older sisters I had older brother but my big brother was from my father's side so he was not involved in my mother's case and she had to feed everybody and it was not easy and we were all young crazy and wild so it was not easy so that was her way to to put the discipline on us but if I would go back and say it's not okay no I would say it was okay because it made me who I am today and I understand in many eyes is not okay but on under that conditions different mentality different approach they're from Balkan ex Yugoslavia and and it's different mentality and it's normal there in some countries is not normal it's I mean you can even Sue or whatever you say what's your relationship like with your parents today I'm closer with my mother with my father it's it's it has been like it was before before not so close as my mother cuz he's two big egos to I am my father so when he fights me he fights himself which he doesn't understand because I am like him he made me who I am so let's say he he would come in my garage and I have it's not secret I have a lot of nice cars and he would said what are you doing with those course cars you you should sell them I said listen you do your thing I do my thing so he triggers me he he he challenges me but I am like him is he proud of you though for what you've achieved yes he's very proud because when when I became professional semi-professional in my team in Sweden he started to he he had his living room only pictures of me it was like a museum so he got a new perspective in life to follow me to he would give me even advice how to play and he would say he was good at the game but it's okay he's still my father so I would listen but still do my thing and he would be the first one to to criticize me to complain so even if I would be let's say out of balance on the field which he would also be he would be the first one to say to me it's not okay you need to have discipline you need to respect the referees when I would attack the referees you cannot do that and all those things but he's talking to himself now so but you learn he's a learning process so there's a story I I love about you and your dad that he bought a a bed from Ikea to bring home and you couldn't afford to for it to be brought home for so you you both carried this bed he carried the bed I had to carry the the side things of it which was you carried all the way back from my kid all the way back so he would he would say we went to buy bed because I said to him Papa I'm growing I need a new bed okay let's go buy it and we went to buy it and uh it would cost money to transport the bed to home and he didn't have the money and I was like what do we do now I carry it and he started to carry it and he was walking and I could see him getting pumped adrenaline and and I was walk walking behind him with the how do you call the side things of the bed like yeah I know yeah whatever and uh and I would slow down because I was I was still small and not strong as today so I would slow down and he would get angry with me because I was slowing down and he said hurry hurry and uh and he was getting angry for me for slowing down so I tried to catch him and to stay with the same Rhythm but obviously I couldn't because was heavy but it took us one and a half hour to come home to carry the bed so he would do everything for me everything he also paid he paid once gave all his salary the bill he to travel to a training camp even though he could barely pay the rent so he made a lot of even though he was this macho guy and that maybe gave you that streak as well he was also a father who tried to give you everything that he could he gave me everything he gave me everything and uh he even gave me more than than he should because like you the example you gave he paid my football trip instead of paying his uh paying the rent for our apartment so he would delay it one two months and uh he just wanted us to have good have but with discipline with discipline mentality of the way he wanted it to be what being do you think the proudest he's ever felt for you in your career he will not show it he will not show it what do you think it might be I think me being on the big stage playing my game it's his moment of proudness because I wear his last name Ibrahimovic and I did one mistake when I came to Ajax I don't know if you're familiar with it I had lot on my shirt and I every time I met my father he wouldn't say to me like he didn't like it but I could see it but I didn't understand because I was full of adrenaline and when I was in the papers when everybody would talk about me they would say Zlatan Zlatan Zlatan so in my head was Zlatan Zlatan it was not Ibrahimovic so I say let's make something difference why be like everybody else I put Zlatan and the first year and I know on him he he was not okay with it and then I say I bear my I wear my last name and I continue to bring that generation from generation and I will bring it to the next Generation in my boys so I changed it to Ibrahimovic and uh and I think me having Ibrahimovic on my back in the big stage for him is a proud moment is a very big proud moment and uh even if he's strong macho guy he would not show it because that's who he is I will give you another example that I think not many knows I came home I bought a car for him said this is your car you I want you to have it I want you to drive it and that I don't need a car what what was the car it was like a Mercedes cclass cuz I said like big car you need to look like the balcon type cool say you drive around with it you're my father and uh and you should be proud and he said I don't need a car and I said then now he triggers me because now he's talking to himself I said listen it's your car you drive it and there is not a sub let's say we we sit in a table I would say can you hang me over the butter that would be the polite way and I would say stupid give me the butter but not to my father to my sisters and brother so when he say I don't need the cisen it's your car I don't care you do whatever you want with it and I throw the key on the table and it's funny because after one week I'm driving in the city and I see that car I recognize a car and I say that's a car I bought and I go close to close that was him driving it so in front of me he would not show it but then when I'm not there he would he would use it so is this proudness like he's the bus under his roof so he would say I don't need nothing from you this is my roof I I am good as I am what about your mother you have a better relationship with her a closer one with her closer how's her life now what have you been able to do for her I mean you bought her a lovely home I think didn't you I bought a lot of stuff which is normal you Tred to help out what I understood fast quick in my in my life when I became successful was I will help you but I will not interfere in your private life because I'm not the one to choose for you or change you but I will help you I will make it easier for you so that that had changed very fast so I help everybody I made it easier for everybody but under condition still you have to work for yourself because I don't want to change your life I said to my father you are who you are before and you will be who you are afterwards also you cannot become who you are and then become a rockstore because I help you because from a rockstore what do you become come and then when I stop and there's no more helping what happens then then you go back from Broar to then you become depressed you change your life so I help you I make it easier for you so my mother let's say I gave everybody a home which is standard because everybody should have a home and live good and then I I always say because my image because I say image stays longer than the than what you hear here so when I was I grew up I had an empty fridge which is not a secret I always make sure they have a full fridge because that when I moved together with my with my Helena I said listen the only demands I have from you that the fridge has to be full because every time I open the fridge I want it to be full even if I will not take something out I just want to take away that image where it's empty and I have milk I have cheese I have ham and nothing more and I want to take out that image from my ra when I was raised and have a full fridge even if I would not pick up something and and I make sure they have full fridge and and an extra penny in the pocket so whenever you need something in Emer emergency case you buy but don't go out and buy spend if you don't just for fun because it's not the way I totally understand that did you feel as you grew up that you had love from your parents even if they had a strange way of showing it I think we show love in a different way in my family we show Love by aggression we show love in a hard way we are not the ones we clap you on the back we hug you we we hold you around that is not the way we show love we have a more rougher environment you were bullied when you were young you said I was a small guy had a big nose had a lisp I speech therapy a woman came to school and told me to pronounce the letter S I thought it was humiliating I had to prove myself you were hungry as you've just said you began to steal a lot of things bikes Suites cars everything and anything you said um one day you stole the postman's bike that was a great bike a military bike you said um you could have I guess like a lot of people in that world you could have just continued down a life of crime maybe ended up in prison or Worse dead do you think about that Crossroads in your life the football gave you the way out I think football it it it rescued me because obviously where I came from there is right side no you go right side or you go left side and you choose what you want but I think with my father with the discipline because every time I did something stupid and he would know about it he would let me know and he would let me know in his own way so that gave me a little I I was scared about it but at the same time I contined to do it because I wanted to do things I wanted to have things like the other ones had and I didn't have things like my my friends have like the people in school had so and I did it in my own way because I couldn't get it from my from my father because I was raised up by by my father so he made me scared of doing stupid things but still I did it because it it triggered me and then football I always played football because my mental where I came from we played football we played football and the mentality was I'm the best he uncensored the rest so that was my mentality and my my motto so everything I did I wanted to be the best and playing football playing football and then one day my father said let's go play or try in in the higher level of football we and I came there and they took me in straight so football was always my main thing even if I did all these things around around the stupid things which which I think many many many does but I speak for myself so have you ever met any of the people that bullied you yeah many of them I think I was more bullied by the media than than people around me really if I'm honest but the one the ones who bullied you when you were young you've met them since you were successful I've seen them but I haven't really really talked to them because friends friends come and go because you have friends when you're young but you will understand who your real friends is when money come in the picture what do you feel though about those bullies do you feel I showed you or do you feel anything you know what everybody has a dream to become something if we share the same dream I cannot I don't have any hate for that person because if we share the same dream we believe in the same thing and then I make it you don't make it and you treat me bad when you were young I cannot dislike you it's the same thing now on the field if I fight with somebody if I don't like somebody on the field I cannot hate that person because we share the same dream but is the best revenge success in some moments yes because like I describe my anger when I do things let's say the media attack me the they they call me they say stupid things about me they they say things because remember I played when you didn't have digital platforms so I could not react like the way we can react today because you can do whatever you just use digital platform you get your saying on on my time I had to wait I had to wait until I see next time that person and I would say it in his face or I would catch him and I would do something there and there was no limit there have you actually have you hit journalists no but I've been close by to to have that anger to hit them but I didn't come so far because I was always like it will come back to me what would annoy you the most that the media would say about you I mean when it becomes personal I had moments where they would say personal stuff about me Judge Me by where I come from the way I look the way my style was the way I show my love because I didn't show my love by hugging people I was very very aggressive as a type when I was young and but that didn't mean I want I want bad I want to do you bad I want something bad to happen to you that was the way I was was the family upbringing you had was my family well the upbringing you had was that you showed love in a different way that love was quite they didn't understand me the thing is they didn't understand me and I was not there to explain them who I am or or whatever I was but when it came moment like I had certain moments where it they would put out a a thing outside like stupid thing like I would look for a girl I'm 190 tall you want to win whatever with me and that that's still in my head and this happened 20 years ago so it's not okay you don't do those things because I was fighting to survive I was fighting to to be successful to make it the maximum what I could and you had these these people pushing me down and and or pulling me down and just and just being in my way but I think also that may be stronger because I am who I am in every situation and I will say what I think and what I believe in then if you're right right or wrong listen it takes two persons to to discuss not one you said the two most important people in your life uh one was your great friend and longtime agent Amina Rola who died last year yes that must have been a huge blow to you I I lost my agent several years ago suddenly in his 50s same thing and he was a one of my closest friends knew everything about me I mean it's a very unique relationship you have what what impact did his death have on you it was a big loss it's still a big loss and uh and I still miss him today and uh and I will miss him forever because he was not only agent for me he was everything my career started when I I moved to Ajax but my real career started with when the first day I met him and uh and we did everything together the football outside football I shared every moment with him happy moments bad moments and uh and even in my private life I would present him a girl and I would say what do you think is for me or not he would say yes or no so he was involved in everything I did but but really everything and uh and when that tragic moment happened to me last year I was it was not the same thing football became different for me and and in everything I do because everything we did was was sharing moments obviously I became older he saw me grow from a baby to a man I became who I am because of him also and uh and we would challenge each other all the time he would give me so much I would give him so much and we would go in fights but hard fights and uh we would swear each other we would we would say nasty things to each other and like then I would say like you you don't work for me anymore you fired and he would be to fire me you need to hire me so he would always trigger me like that see and I would leave the leave the room and he would say you too and never call me so was ha and love but the hate was actually love because if if you really like somebody you're open you're direct and you would say anything but would not change anything between the the two persons so I took it very hard and my game would not be the same because I'm doing things now on my own not the with somebody which I would always do because before I do something I would call him what do you think so this interview would be Mino what do you think and he would say he would say yeah go destroy him or go make him famous we would disc this guy he would give which one are you going to do here no I'll make you I don't know you're you're big shot so I'm not worried about you so no he would be positive he would he likes he likes the challenge he doesn't he's a he was an agent that was working for the player he was not working for clubs he was working for the player and he would he would change the player's life that was his aim he had some players where I would say you don't need him he's waste of time he said no no I need I need to change him I need to let's say save him what was the best advice he gave you he always said to me be happy and enjoy for what you do because he wouldn't see me always happy he wouldn't always see me enjoy in what I do so his motto was like happy and enjoy which is difficult because the person I am I'm never satisfied because I always want more and uh and like I said I needed this kind of anger on the field and and like you did like you said before like to bring out the best out of me you described me before bring out the best of me I needed to find these things so Mino would say because he knows me he knows me perfect when I didn't want to go to a club he knew exactly how to guide me versus whatever he want because he had a vision he he saw the the the future before it it like it happened he knew we would stay short time in let's say in Barcelona but not because to make money which would sound and make sense we change commission whatever you make no he would say after a short way he say you don't fit in here this will last short he he would say when I move from Milan they cannot they cannot pay anymore it's like it's like sinking and then he he would say in Paris we go to Paris because that project only you can you can change that project then when we would leave it's finished so he had this Vision when before it before it happened he he he said it and he would say like we need to create problems we need to make problems and I would say why because we are we are at the best when we have problems because we need to solve it when things are normal it's not okay because we are not normal we're above normal so so he would he would trigger me in that way I say okay tell me what you want you be the bad guy be the nice guy so when we would change Club he say you go and you say some words we open the door then I go and I be the soft guy so we would we would play the game good cop bad cop yes but the thing is he would be the bed cup because if he doesn't get what he wants chairs are flying tables are flying and I would say like listen the deal you can break the deal I don't give a and I would say listen don't do that listen you focus on yourself I focus on me you do your thing I do my thing so yeah yeah he would he would put the wall between us and it's your problem not mine like like this we would trigger so when it happened was a big loss because he was like like a role model for me Father friend agent example and uh yeah I learned a lot about from him so like I said I still miss him we all miss him the other you would enjoy with him 100% I I met him once very briefly this interview uncensored you would he was a great character agent everyone knew that and I'm very sorry for you that you lost such a close friend um the other person you said was the most important of course is your partner Helena uh she was an economics graduate uh she was a successful former children's television presenter 11 years older than you and you meet uh at Malmo train station outside of buo Des and her first impression wasn't great Zlatan no you were 20 she thought you were pretty rude pretty cocky a bit of a a bit of a Yobo you turned around how did you manage to convince her you weren't her worst fears I mean I didn't give up because I saw this blonde blonde girl and I was in my in my Ferrari I wanted to act cool be cool but she had a pretty cool car also so and I parked the car and I was like listen try to be cool and she saw me she was ignoring me totally and I was like like that was not the response I wanted to have and uh and I was shy when I was young I was shy because I wasn't feeling I wasn't feeling the guy I am today let's say because when I came first time in the city I was 18 years old I did I didn't know about these blonde girls because where I came from we have we had a different backgrounds so we're different type of U of persons girls so when I came in the city suddenly saw all these blonds I saw who different movements which I didn't know it exist because I was never in the center because I was always where a in my in my neighborhood then I saw this Helena and I was like beautiful girl wow wow wow she ignored me totally and I was like that's not okay and I knew a friend that knew her and I was sending message she was like ignoring me there also but I didn't give up and I think when you don't give up you you reach out and in the in the end I got a possibility and uh but the funny thing is in that message I sent her the first message I wrote a storytale whatever and then I finish with the red one so she would know who it is and the red one was my red Ferrari because like yeah and she would answer and she would say with the black one because her sport car was black I was like okay and then from there we started to talk get to know each other but she was 10 years older than me 11 years older so I was a little child for her I was like unmature little for her so she was this elegant moving around good knew what she was doing knew what she want and date date date and I think we we dated for for for two years then when I moved to to Italy I say listen it's time to come over and let's try you never know what how it will be what will happen and uh and I had to say if she would wouldn't be 11 years older than me I don't think she would hold out because like I said I was very wild a different way of showing my love I had a different temperament and uh but she had a lot of patient and I think because of the age she's still there today because she being more mature than me and having patient or she or she saw an investment in me maybe she might want have seen it she saw the future she might have seen a better you down the line right I mean you said she understands my character and accepts I'm a bit crazy I was surrounded by chaos when we met I was out of control I'm Cal her today maybe she realized she could calm the Beast could be could be I mean like I said the age I think made a difference because and then you get to know each other obviously I think a partner every five years Chang I don't think you're with your wife you have the same wife like the first day you met her is not the same you don't actually have a wife you never actually because I don't want to lose 50% you have two children I don't have have two I have two boys I think why why have you never asked her to marry or have you H I have and what happened she said no really yes so she strong eh when was this this was a couple of years ago because I said after 20 years you deserve to be married with me she said I don't I don't need to be married with you to be with you she's strong she's very strong how did you feel about being rejected I think it's cool because if you do that you you gain more respect for me because I don't have to win all the time are you going to keep trying no she had one chance she will not get a second chance but she has two boys from me so that's even even bigger than being married is it true that um when asked what You' bought her for a Valentine's Day gift you replied what do you mean present she got Zlatan that was another girl that was not my another girl yeah yeah you wouldn't try that with Helena that was not Helena because she will step out of the door the straight that was another one so when everything happened around me a lot of adrenaline a lot of media tension every day was a was a was a highlight of me in the Press so I was like this adrenaline needs to continue and my friend was like and I met this girl and uh and I asked to how do you say to how do you say to not marry but you the first step is you engagement engagement and she said yes and uh and was cool because was adrenaline but I didn't really understand what it meant because within one year you need to get married and I said no no I don't want to to get married but I got a kick of it like I have a ring I have a girlfriend I'm engaged then the media said what what kind of present journalist said what what do you mean present she got me she don't need a present so that was it engagement gift I was the gift and then you broke off the engagement brazili then after when I was told you need to marry within within one year the next day I broke up because I said I don't want to marry I I was like I didn't do it to marry I did it because was I thought I was cool so I didn't understand I was young and I didn't but do you think Helena saying no to you was was payback then for the for the no no no no she don't care about the past she was like listen I don't need to marry to show that I'm I'm together with you and uh and uh we have two boys and and to be honest I don't need a piece of paper to to show that she's mine she She's Mine whatever paper we we have Among Us I'm told she doesn't allow you to have any pictures of yourself on the walls she said none I have none just a picture of your feet but that's my idea because the family has to remember where all these things comes from where all the food comes from it's because of my feets so it's a reminder for them every time they step in my gym they see these Feats so what about your head the feet magic but the head I mean shouldn't you have a picture of your head somewhere no because because of my Feats yeah but my head controls the feets you're right but also you scor some great goals with your head I mean nah no no my feet talks more for my for my game The Heading came in the end when I was not fast enough but no he a reminder and it's a cool picture but the mostly it's a reminder where where everything come from so not to forget why we are where we are because of what so but actually no pictures of me because she says I've seen so many pictur and also for my kids because my kids I am a father for them it's important for me to see me as a father and not the the the professional player Ibrahimovic because they should not grow up grow up in uh in my in my shadow shade let's say because they are more important than me and uh and they will never come in a situation where they feel second or third they are in pull position so it's very important with for me this would you want your boys to play Elite level football having been through all the ups and downs you've been through yeah yeah why not they choose themselves I mean they're playing football today they play for Milan and they do they're very focused and and the important thing they don't do it for me because I see a lot of parents now when I have boys I bring them to the the game football but also different kind of sports I see they push their kids they they oblig them to do things and uh because you have this problem because everybody in the world now think because football is a is a biggest sport in the world ER they make a lot of money to doing to do little they make a lot of money so these parents they invest a lot in their kids so suddenly they're not parents they're coaches they're agents they're lawyers they're everything because they see the possibility in their kids but what they don't understand you cannot transform the kid to do it for you they have to do it for themselves and I'm lucky in my situ no not lucky I guided this way that they're doing it for them all for for them themselves how do you give them the hunger that you had given they're not hungry I treat them like they would be my teammates I don't treat them like they're my boys if that is okay or not I don't know but I treat them like they would be my teammates I'm direct to them tough love very tough very tough I I judge them like I would judge my teammates not my boys so I'm I'm honest I'm direct and I push them push them high but they choose if they want to do it it's not like I tell you I oblige you to do it like I would bring them to to training let's say we were living in La which you are familiar about the traffic there is not a is not a normal traffic you go and I drive one and a half hour to bring them to training and I said to them you do 200% in training because me bringing you to training I do it for you not for me I could do something else but you give 200% or else I'm not doing this but in the end you're doing it for yourself because every time you step on the field when players get angry for Co at coaches teammates or whoever surrounding all media they forget every training they do is not for the surrounding you do the training for yourself you do it to become better and make a better version of yourself and test yourself so I get I tell them you give 100% if it's a good or bad training can happen but you do it for yourself and you give 200% because I have other things to do and and I push them so hard that they they do the best and more than that they cannot do then if they become professional or not people think it's easy it's not easy because everybody think hey I train I go do individual skills I don't go do that I get an agent I get this coach and I'll become a pro doesn't work like that it's it has to be about luck hard work where you come it's meant that you should be where you are and it's easy to say hey I could have been a pro I would be the best in the world no it's not like that it's all this combined and then we see what happens they have to be happy healthy healthy but with discipline they have to do the things because my philosophy is why be normal when you can be the best I don't want to be normal I want to make the difference so everything I do I want to make the difference because when I make the difference I'm the best and that is not arrogance that is confidence for me your tal your talent has made you extremely wealthy do you know how rich you I always say money is not important you are agree with me or no I think it can be important no no yes or no well here I no no I just want to yes or no then you explain what's the question money is not important money is important I'll tell you why no not having a lot of money wait wait a lot of money is important I think removing no no I think I would say that removing the worry about not having money is important in other words the stress that many people feel from not having enough money just to get by I think that is a terrible stress so having enough money where you you have security and comfort in your life I don't think you need to have gazillions I think when it comes to money I always they that that was a joke that I was saying because when I say money is not important people would always say no no money is not important then I would say a lot of money is important because me and me always when we do things a lot of money is important so it was more not to have the money it was more a trigger thing a challenge because obviously you have a successful company you don't want to sell it low you want to sell it maximum as possible but not maybe not to survive or to have it just for the challenge because you create something and then you get a big Jackpot by selling it high and I agree with you money creates problems even in families money brings stress the more you have the more stress and and where is the stop you could live a good life with normal money but what is normal money now I've been on the both sides I've been without money grew up with a family where my father made, EUR in pound I don't know how much it is and still we had a good at that thousand EUR over what period monthly monthly monthly thousand then you pay bills and that I don't know how much is left and uh and we have to share it not share it it was his he gave me whenever I needed and uh but I had a good life I had it good at that moment so were you happy where is the stop were you happy then but what is happiness well you tell me it's moments I'm happy now in 10 minutes I could be unhappy so it's moments uh money makes it easier makes your life easier but I don't think it gives you happiness because for me happiness is moments you're happy with one situation now my dream was come to Barcelona after one year was my nightmare yeah so it's moments but I agree with you I think when it comes to having a lot of money it's a ego thing because you your life would not change let's say the Saudi situation now a player that made a lot of money goes there to make even crazy more money does it change your life because I will tell you you will die before you waste your money you already earned than the money you get in Saudi so it will not make a difference you must have had a big offer to go to Saudi I had an offer also from China I had offer also from uh from from Saudi but the situation is what do you want what is your what objectives do you have I said before we started like certain players need to finish his career in big stage because that is like the high end of your career because you have to be remembered for your talent not for what you earned because if you be remembered in opposite way what we are training every day for what we are being recognized for is our talent and that's what you want to be remembered for so I think certain players that reach a certain level they have to stop in a certain stage and that's the big stage you cannot go in a lower stage and and finish your career in a different way but some players needed the the situations where you can earn a lot of money because they didn't earn enough how much have you turned down to play in Saudi I mean in Saudi no I had a bigger offer in China I had a 100 million offer in China but I and I went to America because I got injured and the situation change but I turned it down before I went there because it's not what I wanted and I would instead of getting a lot of money straight I would I would challenge myself to arrive there by different different ways of coming to there but the challenge to get it not because I needed or because I wanted would you have any moral problem in playing in Saudi Arabia no no what would no absolutely not I mean you have the golf situation now they they came together and they made it made it one so I'm just sorry for the players that didn't go before because they didn't get the money that the players got it so no the football listen wherever you play football it's football football connects people like it's a dream we share both of us you were a fan you were not a professional you're an Arsenal fan and I feel sorry for you a little bit but as a professional football player as long as you play football and and Saudi is growing MLS is growing I mean China had a peak and then I don't know the situation changed there but a moral thing no no we are still I mean we do things for ourself and our our family who would judge you in five 10 years when you have a healthy wealthy healthy life and have a good life because I don't think nothing is for free you don't work for free I don't work for free I don't need money but I'm very expensive that's the difference if you were to fall over dead tomorrow how much would you be worth I mean I have I don't we have to talk Valuta now because we have crones we have dollars we have give me any any currency you like US dollars here lies Zlatan he was worth I don't know I don't know probably half half a billion yeah half a billion US Dollars yeah but it's not important for me because I don't care about it because if I die tomorrow what what understand no no I understand you but I'm thinking Next Step it's not important my point did the kid in Malmo on those rough Streets Could you ever have imagined no ever that one day you'd be worth half a billion dollars no no and what does it feel like it didn't change me because I'm still who I am and I will not probably see those in front of me like Mayweather he has everything in front of him I have everything mine in digital numbers so it makes it easier for you but like I said it's not important for me because it doesn't trigger me I still get angry I still get aggressive even if I'm in that situation so I need to feel alive I need to do different things you talked earlier about having this dream of playing for Barcelona and it did turn out to be a nightmare and probably the main reason for that was the breakdown in your relationship with the manager Pep Guardiola who right now many would say is the best coach in the world you had a very different experience with him uh you called him a coward with no balls uh you said when you buy me you're buying a Ferrari if you drive a Ferrari you put premium petrol and a tank you hit the motorway and you step on the gas guarda filled up with diesel and took a spin in the car Countryside he should have bought a fat I think Guardiola is an amazing coach when I was there the coaching was different compared to what I had before he totally on a different level that's why he's successful because if you see on his career if you take the last 15 10 to 15 years the guy never came third place he's always first or second so the coach is amazing and uh but I had a different situation with him because I had the coach and I get to meet the person and we it became a problem a problem I I was not aware of because I solve my problems I look in the eyes doesn't mean I have to like you or dislike you we will solve it and it takes one second to solve it we go straight and we solve it but solve a problem if the problem is between two persons it takes two to to solve it and especially when the other side doesn't know when I remember when I was there I was was like because before I came to Barcelona always media have their input and saying they would go like you don't fit in here you don't fit in the culture it's different different because who I was and my mistake was there I try to fit in instead of being who I am because I think is important like I begin the interview being who you are is being perfect but there I tried to be somebody I was not and I said to him listen you if I have two big noes for you you tell me if I walk strange you tell me if I'm not good enough you tell me if you don't like whatever I do you tell me I resolve the problem I leave I'm not here to disturb I'm need I'm not here to create I'm just here to F fulfill my dream and uh and I didn't hear nothing about it the the thing was it kept kept first six months was okay everything was good no but the strange thing the first meeting I had with him was like remember players here don't come with Ferrari Porsche and that then it it felt like why he's already judging you but why you call me every day to bring me here and then you want to send this message to me don't worry I will not bring my car and I didn't bring it didn't bring it for six seven eight months and then I started to the directors because I I would perform bad and the the people above him would complain but they said we cannot engage if you don't open the door so I would have to go to him and say listen what's going on so I create a situation so the people above him could interfere because they could not interfere if there was nothing and I went to him listen can I talk a friendly talk like simple even I wrote it in the in the book I say I said to him listen I'm not doing good I think with the situation with mess see putting him I need more space you brought me in so I need my space to do my thing because the way you want me to play now is not I'm not good enough then better you put the other players so I was direct and open and we spoke normal normal conversation because I never had a problem with a coach in a professional way so the case with him was the first time I had I had not discussions because we didn't even come there like a problem without knowing problem and he said in the endend which was cool don't worry I take care of this I was like okay cool everything is done next game I'm know I'm on the bench said okay no problem and I'm not the type that would go to the coach why am I not play why am I not playing you should play me cuz remember I come from hard work you get what you work for so for me working hard I would get and not I need to play I want to play cuz it's not how I get my my my proof of playing because I prefer you hate me but I play then I know why I play because I'm good second game bench third game bench said okay and now I'm getting pumped up because obviously I need to do more to show myself but I noticed it was not about me performing anymore it was I think my opinion he felt offended for me saying to him I needed more space and the way I wanted to to play he punish which is okay yeah which is okay he's the coach bad results he leaves player stays and I respect that but be open to me be direct to me so we understand each other fourth game bench and then I started to make noise because it's not okay for me anymore now I'm on the bench and I have on I'm on the bench because of a s situation I created not by my own ER how do you say by my own choice because because of the people above him because for them I was a big investment and the fourth game I bring my Ferrari and I bring the end of Ferrari and I knew it would create another situation so I parked the car in front of his office so you with me I with you that was my motto you parked it in front of his office in front of his office I said this is you want to play with fire I'll bring you fire but I will burn you but obviously he's the coach because what punish most the players player if he doesn't play because obviously you want to play but the boss is the coach but in that moment I understood this will not be okay because there is something how did he react to you parking your Ferrari outside he would not say nothing to me because he would avoid me but then they came the strange thing is I would go in a in the breakfast we have a breakfast area where both of us would come I go in he would go up and go out of the room on the field he would never connect with me like this because you can connect by passing each other then you start to talk without looking for it because I can pass you on the street oh what's up P everything okay you know you understand so we would go against each other he would take a whole round and go around me and then I noticed something was more than just the player because was too strange is that why you used the phrase cow but no balls yeah because he would not confront his whatever problem he had and he would use his right guy to resolve H his problem and probably he would say now I don't talk about it and is him still have it in the head him still talking about it when this will come out but you give me the question and I answer your question so he need not me still think about it it's me only answering it came to a head there a dressing room incident after Bara lost inter uh and it's alleged that you threw a training kit box across the room yeah guard is that true versus him yeah did you hit him no he didn't hit how did he how did he react it was a message no he stepped out of the lockum he would not confront me he will not confront me like I see him because I follow football I see him in the press conferences now and that saying his thing this didn't happen here so maybe become bigger man now spoken to him since he left no no we met we met uh when I was in United he was obviously in city so you pass the players but I would not see him there and this is not me looking for him or something because for me is the P because what happened happened you cannot go back and change you grow from that you become different from that you get experience from that but what I know his his closest friend would stay out of the out in the hall and wait for me to pass and and when I pass he would come out and the funny thing is if I would see him nothing would happen because for me I'm a man I take it as a man if I have a problem I resolve it if he's watching this interview what would you say he would say I still think about it still I I am crying no I think he's amazing coach don't get me wrong I think he's amazing coach what he's doing he changed the game 100% he's being very successful as a man as a man I see him do some press conference I see him he has been stepping up so he not he not the one I know I mean that I met so I'm happy for him I mean remember we share the same dream we work I was a professional player he was a professional player so I don't want any harm for him dislike or like still we we we share the same dream you cannot hate a person because of the situation like that he thinks about him I think about me so like I said he's a coach I'm a player so I think about me he think about him he has his responsibility I mine the difference is I resolve my problem if I have a problem so if he would say to me listen your nose is too big listen is the last time we meet you're not happy I go I resolve it but I didn't know that's my still until today I don't know what what the problem was you think you should have the courage to tell you no he shouldn't he should run away one coach you loved was Jose Mourinho and you had great success with him what was it about Jose you you said I think that Jose when he when he comes in a room the lights go on whereas Guardiola pulls the curtains back first time I met Jose I mean first time Jose presented himself was when he won the Champions League with the with Porto and then he came to England and he made a lot of noise but you walk like you talk no he did everything he said he would do and for me that triggers me because that is not arrogance for me that is not you think you're something that for me is confidence he really believes in it and and he's outspoken and I'm and I'm the same I believe in certain things and I will say it and I will do everything to reach to my objectives and I met him first time in inter and it was all it was all different because I came from Capello and capella was was old school but very hard the mentality he he he smashed me every day he brought me down then he pulled me up he brought me down he pulled me up so he created my mentality on the field because he never made me feel satisfied and he put me in front of the goal and he said I need this from you bom and we were shooting shooting and some trainings I try to hide myself so I would hide myself among canaval Patrick viea and all these big players because I was the young guy like just to go home and he would scream my name ibra that was when my nickname came out so he would scream and I was like and I would go back to the field and we would train extra for one hour shooting shooting but that was fun but was hard for me because I did it every day so that was old school uh mentality and the way of working then I met Mourinho what which was hardcore ality but new new thing like every training we would do something new we would never repeat an exercise twice so he would divide the fields in four four areas so we would go from every area so everything was new and he would sit in front of the team and he would say Direct in our face listen you will all get a chance if you would get a second chance no so he was direct to everybody in that but the the thing thing with Mourinho is he makes you feel so strong that you go out and you fight for him and you do whatever it takes to win so he's like a like a teacher which he I think his background is also a teacher so he would he would motivate you on High level that you would do anything to go out and as a as a man no he's cool he's cool he's direct he's direct and he's he's a winner he's a winner and he's he says what he thinks and but he's very well informed before he goes into something he would know about me more than I would know about me before we start to talk just like you said before you know more about me than I know about me so as a man no no he he's cool you scored over 500 goals uh you played over 100 times your country and you're that Sweden's top scorer what's your favorite goal if I could relive a moment would it be the bicycle kick against England yes because it was Eng I tell you why because of many reasons because the goal is amazing I mean the goal for me not because it's me not because of my ego who would do that thing I don't see many players do that thing because many players in that situation we winning 32 it was the last minutes would take down the ball and waste time because you want to win the game obviously but when I saw the moment I said heart was a goalie and I said I will fool him now when I saw him run out I will pretend to go forward towards him then I will back off because I know by experience you go through towards somebody he will just head it and it will go far out but I will do opposite I will pretend to go with him so a certain point you will see me slow break slow down then go back then it was all about where the ball comes because I don't know and then I took it instinctly from there like turn around and as a striker you know where your goal is you don't need to see the goal you can put me in every angle on the field I will know where the goal is because as soon as you hit the ball with the bicycle kick you knew it was going I knew already where the goal was the let's say and did you know when you hit it it was going in yes you could feel it yes the only tricky was here I needed to change my angle body angle versus the goal so I could not let's say bicycle kick so if you want to kick it straight with a bicycle kick it goes straight back so the only thing I needed was to change my angle body where the goal is and I knew where the goal is so I just needed to change and I know the goal is there and now just hit the ball and I was focused on hitting the ball because that was the most important how I fell or not I didn't care you you said you were stopped outside of in the street by some paparazzi and asked was Cristiano Ronaldo's bicycle kick goal the best you've seen and you said yes do you still think that I was being sarcastic oh you were yes you meant your not many understood but I'm not there to explain that because if you cannot read my mind it's not my fa so you think yours was better 100% 100% I said in an interview later you should try it from 40 m is a big difference even if his was beautiful but this was from 40 m is it is it I've asked I actually asked him the same question but when you score a goal like that is it better than sex I mean in my game that in that game was crazy because why it was that's what I wanted to come that's not the answer yeah but you have to see the whole package the goal no sex is better come on my friend sex is better we don't even go there sex is 10 times better not one time better 100% is this in case Helena is watching this yeah no no no no no no no no sex is better whoever thinks different he has a problem with his sex life he should get help but uh would I never scored a 40 yard bicycle kick so no you get a lot of adrenaline so after the goal I saw wilbeck I think he was the striker and I took off the shirt and I said enjoy because something like this he will never see again and he was watching me so you see even in that moment I get anger out instead of just enjoy so I throw it out and I look at him actually I was rude but I don't know why I was rude to him I needed to find OB so I said enjoy because you will never enjoy this again but he hasn't done nothing for me but that's me looking for it's your natural fight so he's not personal against him so that's me and he was watching me he didn't understand nothing because I have nothing happened but the game what the goal is why the goal is most beautiful because of England because before I came to England they talk bad because if you haven't played in Premier League you're not good enough that's the mentality here which I respect because they want to see you challenge your game here and then during the game they they were calling me the diva they were calling me a fake Carol the fans are doing yeah the fans so it was going on and before that the media was writing I never score against England teams in Champions League I always fail against the english team so everything this was going around my head so that's why I say it's a whole package I score four goals and I don't know I think F Baston or I have the record against England and this was a whole package because of all the I got that is the most beautiful goal and it's a goal England will always remember for the rest of their life that's true so that that's why it feels better I personally think you've scored a better goal okay and I'm going to tell you I had many goals that is crazy I'm going to tell you the one I think is your greatest goal see what you think this was for ax against NAC breeda yeah where you basically terrorized their entire team their whole team you go through the whole team and then you score that to me as a because the bicycle kick is a brilliantly executed goal no question but the way you tormented that team for that goal was really extraordinary yeah that was that was was nasty because often the beautiful goals is the one the the goals you will remember is the goals you cannot repeat that is often I mean a bicycle kick from 40 Metter maybe you can repeat maybe you can repeat the drib because I saw I saw Messi I saw I saw Maradona half field doing against England doing these crazy goals and uh it was a crazy goal but it this is Instinct these things happen at the moment this is nothing you plan this is nothing you you you try to do what's the best goal you've seen scored by somebody else the one you wish you'd scored I think my goals not for my ego my goals for crazy goals crazy because I'm 197 and I'm 97 kilos so it's not normal to score these goals if you have this size but a goal I would like to score I mean I like the Zang goal in the final when he with the left foot cuz it's difficult to repeat and those goals that you cannot repeat is the most goals you will remember but I have top top from top 10 I have maybe five goals who is the who is the best player you've ever seen for me best player is the one that changed the game the one that you will go out as a young fan and you will do what he does for me Ronaldo phenomenal when he came out was bra Brazilian was different because I remember I was young young boy and um when I saw his games and on that time we didn't have digital platform we have we had only YouTube so we could see on YouTube this tricks this dribbles these goals so I remember all of us we we were on YouTube and YouTube you didn't have even on your phone you had it on computer so in the we were in the school we were going in the how do you say the the room full of computers and we would go there and watch YouTube and study the tricks study the dribbles and uh and we would go out and try these things and for me he changed it he was football he he was not playing he was football because everybody wanted to be him today I see a lot of players that score a lot of goals they they do amazing things but they don't change the game like he did because because I don't think they go out and they do things like the players do today the Young Generation don't go out and try to do that when Ronaldo came they went there and they tried to do whatever he did so what was totally different I mean I would say that he was absolutely Sensational but obviously had a very short career comparative to say the other Ronaldo Lionel Messi yourself in fact the phenomenon has said about you that he really respects you for the longevity of your career and I I think there is a special thing about you Messi Cristiano Ronaldo the ones who've had these long long careers that is an extraordinary achievement isn't it when so many other players injuries how you say continuity yeah I that shows to me it shows to me a Steely discipline about what you what you do and a bit of luck you got to be luck you don't get bad injuries but also a discipline to do that and a hunger that you want to keep doing it it's a big discipline why because you can have players that had a amazing year and then falls out you can have players that won the World Cup then you don't see them anymore or you don't remember them you can have players that won the Champions League and you don't remember them I didn't win the champions league but they will remember me I'm not worried but in the long term you have players that played 15 20 20 years and they kept that high level but then we talk different how long did you last like let's say is a different different different situation we talk about when we talk about the proper player the individual player obviously we have different Lifestyles we have different profession we have different mentality for me I stopped now three months ago I came to 41 and I still played on top I went to visit to America I came back normally you go to America you don't come back but I went there I came back and I prove num is age is just an age you can still play it depending how you take care of yourself and how you approach things obviously you need to be intelligent because the player I was when I was 25 I'm not the same player 35 so if you're intelligent and you can manage that situation to change your game because obviously you have to change the game I'm I'm not the same type of player when I was 20 2530 and you go up you have to play different in the in the list of alltime great footballers where do you put yourself I mean now I have to speak as a fan because what are we judged after what we win Collective what we win individual I'm talking about individual quality as players just the skill without winning anything I think I'm the best without joking I'm the most complete player that ever exists skills and all this if we talk about I I didn't win the golden bow no I didn't win I didn't win the Champions League no if those things matters no I'm probably not on that list I had the honor and luck to win 34 trophies and the collective trophies some individual because the collective comes the individual comes with the collective so if the collective does good the individual will do good so but when we talk pure only the player the abilities no I think 100% not joking see I I love that about you I would love every Striker that's ever played for Arsenal to have that mentality yeah they had their chance yeah that you have to discuss with vanar I'm going to come to that I'm coming okay okay let me ask you first of all no but I think it's not about being arrogant and that I think if selief surely is confidence backing yourself but also backing It Up by I believe it listen I mean you love Muhammad Ali right wait I will do another example when I say I am God you think I'm joking or not you tell me I'm not joking when I come on the field I feel like that you feel like God I feel like God when I'm on the field an omnipotent I feel Untouchable and I feel I will smash everyone that comes in my way that is a mental part let's say boxing Tyson Fury is the champion if you ask me if I could smash I would say yes I would I would and in my head yes but when I come in the ring he would knock me out after two seconds but the mentality is yes I can yes but in the ring he would he would eat me alive without doubts but my mentality is I can Muhammad Ali said who I know he's one of your Your Heroes he said if you talk the talk you've got to walk the walk yeah 100% And he did that you you did that I mean for all the trash talking and the boasting and everything thing the truth is you delivered on the pitch if you hadn't done but then you're a clown I agree you're a clown you don't do that you have to back up what you say then it's better to be silent and and not saying nothing but but I'm that type of guy I believe it I have I have a vision and and I will arrive there and I'm 100% I will because I'm a winner what do you make of what's happening in Manchester United they were the dominant team in the Premier League for so many years under Sir Alex Ferguson they've not been able to replicate that and right now they're really struggling what what do you put it down to I remember when I came to United and uh whoever I met there everybody was talking about how Fergie would do it Ferguson this would not happen with Ferguson this Ferguson would not do and I was like listen I don't care what happened before I'm here to do my own story my own present time and be remember for what I did now not for what he did something I respect that he brought the club wherever he brought it the club is because what he did but time goes on like he the Next Generation and that and then when I came we won three Trophies the first year and uh but I don't know if it's the England English system or not because above the coach there was a gap from the coach and the there was no really football people between there so what I was used to we had football people between there that would come and smash us when it was bad not giving a lot of credit when we win because if they pay you a lot of money you play in a big Club it's normal to win but I think now in United I don't know there's some kind of how do you say demonstrations about the owners to sell it and that but just a reminder the owners are investing it's not like they're not investing because they they brought in many players for high amount of money so T I think it's it's a little bit wrong saying that they're not doing what the fans expect them to do then I don't know what the real reason is behind everything are the players under performing I think with the new coach the new coach came from where he was a i i was in ax also Ajax is a talented Club they have the best talents in the club they don't have big stars what is the experience of this coach young talents he comes to United United is different mentality different players so the players there supposed to be big stars so I think with his experience being there I don't know if it talks for him or not because he he I think he's in a different situation and then above him there is a gap where he doesn't get the help to manage the team listen this is what I read in the paper so it's not I have all the situation that H that is happening but I can just imagine him coming from Ax to to United is a big difference because I've been in both clubs you manage talents up growing is different kind of approach because there you have a different kind kind of discipline you come to United you you do the same thing I don't know I don't believe and I don't think it's the same treatment you give I mean Cristiano Ronaldo when he gave the interview to me when he left United he said that he felt he didn't have the respect of Eric ten hog you see with Jaden Sancho now a similar situation tenal criticizing him in public and so on maybe that is an illustration of his of his problems in managing big talent but I don't I don't say it's the coach fault because experience you cannot buy you just have to get time to get the experience but it's two different situation being in Ajax being united then if it's his fault I don't think because I think everybody has a responsible in the whole situation we are a piece of puzle from the big puzle so everybody have uh a responsibility to do and to to fulfill the the the demands United has to win they the they have to win every title they play for now they're being dominated by the neighbors and uh and it's a totally different situation there and uh you need to find the right path again and to to push for that now it's I think it's you need a plan you need a project to follow and it feels like you follow a project plan and then it goes wild in a moment because of the results either you believe in it or you don't believe in it so but with the thing situation of the coach I think he's living two different situations now then obviously what happened with Sancho and and Cristiano I don't know because is he do you think he's out of his depth a bit ten hog I think he needs more time to get the experience how to handle a team but you don't really get time at a club likeit no obviously not because we need to win that's the reality you come to my when I was in Milan I cannot give you time to to develop to to to perform you need to perform straight because like I said survival mode it's you or another one because United is in a situation you don't do good enough the next day there is another one and the result speaks for itself so that's why that is tricky but how much time do you give a coach I don't know depends of the owners what they want but if you listen to the fans you don't have a lot of time because they want to win absolutely and I understand them because they're used to win and they want to still win so so I think it's a lot of things the small details often makes the difference it's not the the the whole the big pictures you see because when things are good there were there are still errors and problems but you don't see it because we are winning did you feel when you were at United one of the things Cristiano suggested to me was the younger players didn't really show him the respect he was expecting that when he was a young player at United when he was 18 He hung on every word of ke and Neville and skols and all these guys that because players now get paid so much more money that they don't have the same respect for the older players they used to did did you find that but respect is nothing you ask for respect is something you take so it depends on you I have to make sure you respect me it's nothing you ask for you don't ask the young guys for respect you take the respect and you put them in the place then the situation that they earn more money yes they earn much more money for doing so so little compared to before before before you needed to do much more to come to sign a piece of contract and to get what you deserve under the circumstances of that situation now you you see a lot of the new generation they fly very fast without even walking so walking is performing for me so it's up to him to make sure they respect you if it was me and he don't respect me that young player is the last thing he would have in his life cuz I would make sure he respect me and he would know it for the rest of his life so it's up to him to make sure they respect him one of your great friends is noat jovic yeah and he's I mean he's an extraordinary dedicated Supreme athlete a champion what what do you make of him as a sportsman never mind as a tennis player I think he I think he's an amazing amazing example for what he's doing we have different philosophies and uh he has all these things he he does to to perform and it and for for him doing that he's doing an individual sport I was doing a collective sport I think he's a vegan he's a vegan he does this things getting energy G from different kind of things I'm not 100% in it I'm opposite I mean I don't do that I am more those things doesn't change me I change my own game you tell me good luck I don't need luck to perform I decide when to perform good I am in control to do good or bad that is what I believe I don't need to knock wood three times to go out and it brings me luck I decided who are the sporting champions in history that you most relate to I mean Muhammad Ali for me was because my father has had these old tapes black and white the big cassettes how do you call it tapes VHS I yeah and he was a big fan of boxing because his brother was a boxer and I was watching all these boxing fights and uh and movies but the movies was Bruce Lee Jackie Chan so my whole world was like doing all these crazy movements but at the same time I was playing football so I tried to bring it in in my game for me Muhammad Ali was the greatest sportman ever because because as I feel today the sportman tries to be as perfect as possible he wants to have the perfect image he wants not to say wrong in a interview he's afraid to say certain things um he's afraid to to cross the red light on the street h so it's like afraid that somebody would judge him in a wrong way Muhammad Ali was not that Muhammad Ali was himself and he was himself in the ring outside the ring and I think it's important because if you create an image of yourself that is not you I mean let's talk about charity we do charity things but you do it to have a image or you do it because you really want to do it I do a lot of things but I don't want to be seen because I do it from my heart because I really want to do it but I see other ones do it and then they go in the media I donate 1 million to a hospital I open a school for children I did this but if you do those things you don't have to be seen because a third person has to say to you oh what a lovely guy you are you're such amazing guy no I don't need that I do it because I want to do it not to get an image that I think today in this sport world they're looking they're focusing too much on their image instead of being who you are people have to accept you for who you are and that is important when you see the the top Strikers of today earling harand yeah kilan mbappe what do you think of those guys I think they're both amazing I think Holland is very intelligent in the way he's playing he doesn't touch the ball more than he needs to I see he has this Killer Instinct even if he has the hattrick he still wants to score the fourth goal fifth goal and I think he's in the perfect environment and uh is there more to do for him I don't know what is more for him to do if you say to him to get better what is that from three goals to six goals from 6 to n so is he maximum out of what he is because what you expect from him is goals so if you don't get goals you will say he didn't have a good day mbappe is more of a complete player he can do more things than Holland he can do the unexpected he will do things that you will react wow he reminds of Ronaldo the phenomenal the Brazilian and he would do things that other ones cannot do can he get better yes he can get much better much much better so he just need to focus on football that's the only thing he needs to do you said about yourself I can't help but laugh at how perfect I am yeah you don't see it [Laughter] is there any perfect looking sharp I went to buy told me for you you made you cost me €3,000 you know what it was worth it you're looking sharp thank you thank you but is there any imperfection I mean I had moments where criticize yourself what would you what would you choose I mean for me the confidence is is bulletproof I have a strong confidence uh I would not go and have complex on myself and do and say I need to fix this this obviously I could do certain things but I am who I am I cannot change that I was created by my parents and I became and I look the way I do so for me that is perfection because I cannot CH I have a big nose yeah I have a big nose I have a space between the blah blah blah but that's who I am I cannot change I don't want to change because you should believe and in who you are because you are perfect then if you like it you don't like it the second one like it but I'm not here to be to be judged by other ones I judge myself and the way I judge myself I have no complainings I am perfect so that's the way I think and that's the way I do things and that's the way I am then if I critize ize myself yes I could do things better I could speak English better I could do my game better it's that's how I CRI but if I hear some third person say something Fu he's not important for me he has more problems than me probably that's why he's judging me so we all have our Our Own Story let's say but I'm good I'm good about myself I'm not worried there's only one thing you got wrong oh no I'm telling you what it is there's one thing you got wrong so it's your birthday next week right will have just before this show end and there's one big mistake you made in your I know already what you will say what am I going to say because I I didn't go to Arsenal yes you see first of I predict future first of all tell me why you didn't join ARS when you were 17 so when I was young I had a lot of interest from a lot of clubs and one of them was Arsenal so I came to the office of Mr aren vaner and was was big hype because I saw these players be Camp HRI I saw yungb I saw Vieira I saw all these players and I was like this is this is big because these players I see in TV even if I already played in high level Sweden but this was big because this was like I am here now last week I was playing PlayStation with these guys and I spoke with vanar and he has this French he he was tall I didn't expect him to be so tall I come in his office and we speak and yeah and he was like what do you want he wanted to get to know me to feel me because I think he is a type of person he just don't buy the play he wants to know what he's buying I think and yeah and then in the end he had Arsenal shirt with number nine and uh he want you to come and do a trial for two weeks and from all this everything was good until until he said you come and do a trial and I was looking at him obviously he's V I'm nobody in that moment said don't do trials and he was like what do you mean I don't do trials either you want me or you don't want me or else why am I here like that was my but it was not to play a game it was me no but you have to come and do a trial and that no no you don't understand I don't do trials and that's was it I didn't I never went to Arsenal well and then I yeah this story breaks my heart right cuz you would have been fantastic at you are exactly the kind of Striker we need right now I can tell you we would win a lot of trophies I'm 100% true we would have won even more tro but I also know I can tell from your face it's a big regret of yours okay you wish if you had a good time again so this is your birthday present okay thank it is uh Ibrahimovic wow nice number 11 it looks good looks sharp I think it's your size and you know what it's never too late you can come out of retirement thank you slip it on looks good right thank you thank you very much H it was a great interview nice meeting you a real pleasure finally to do it you're everything I hoped you would be thank you thank you very much thank you

Channel: Piers Morgan Uncensored

Views: 3,117,777

Keywords: piers morgan, piers morgan uncensored, interview, piers morgan interview, zlatan ibrahimovic, zlatan ibrahimovic interview, zlatan ibrahimovic interview piers morgan, zlatan ibrahimovic piers morgan, zlatan piers morgan interview, piers morgan ibrahimovic, piers morgan zlatan, piers morgan zlatan ibrahimovic full interview, zlatan ibrahimovic pep guardiola, sky sports news, football, tv, zlatan, ibrahimovic, ibrahimovic piers morgan, ibrahimovic ten hag, ibrahimovic interview, news

Id: TJW9XtSfFxc

Length: 105min 10sec (6310 seconds)

Published: Thu Oct 05 2023