Some observers say that Ibrahimovic is the most overrated player in the world.
This is in sharp contrast to the opinion that Ibrahimovic holds of himself, he has compared himself to
Muhammad Ali and claimed that "only injury can prevent me becoming the world's greatest player".
Born in 1981, Ibrahimovic signed for Ajax in 2001. At Ajax, Ibrahimovic
forced himself into first team contention and secured his place as an integral member of the team.
Following a confrontation with fellow Ajax team mate Rafael van der Vaart, Ibrahimovic left the club
signing for Italian giants Juventus. At Juventus, Ibrahimovic quickly stamped his authority on the team becoming
a regular and he continued to impress with his prolific scoring ability. Due to his outstanding efforts
Ibrahimovic received a nomination for the 2005 FIFA World Player of the Year. However, the following
season saw Ibrahimovic struggle to score consistently and pressure mounted. After Juventus were relegated
due to a match fixing scandal Ibrahimovic left the club for fellow Italian side Inter Milan.
At Inter Milan Ibrahimovic has shown consistent form helping the club to
secure the Scuddetto at the end of the 2006-07 season. Ibrahimovic's strong performances led him to
be compared to legend Marco Van Basten.
Ibrahimovic debuted for Sweden in a goalless friendly match against the
Faroe Islands in 2001. His first competitive match was a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against
Azerbaijan on October 7. Ibrahimovic was part of Sweden's 2002 World Cup finals squad who were
eliminated in the round of 16 by Senegal.
Ibrahimovic was a fixture in the starting lineup for Euro 2004, scoring
a penalty against Bulgaria and rounding off a fine performance against the solid defense of Italy by
scoring a late equaliser. He went scoreless during the 2006 World Cup finals as Sweden were again
snuffed out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.
On November 12, 2007, Ibrahimovic was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball
as the country's top player of the year.
|
