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Zlatan Ibrahimovic: Troubled genius
Nobody can doubt the exceptional raw talent of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but Susy Campanale warns that his greatest strengths are also his biggest weaknesses
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Expect the unexpected – that is the joy and the torture of watching Zlatan Ibrahimovic play. The man is “a genius” as Luciano Moggi put it, “a creator of football” in the words of Massimo Moratti. But has he got what it takes to win the Ballon d’Or? Can the sensational Swede turn on the style and make the difference in the big games? And if he doesn’t, where do Inter look for their spark?
The nickname Ibracadabra – given to him by the Hurra Juventus magazine – sums him up better than any other, as Zlatan is capable of sheer magic on the ball. We have seen him score backheeled goals, perform flicks that need to be seen endlessly in slow motion to appreciate just what he did and create chances from nothing at all. “For me a backheel is a perfectly natural thing to do,” insists the wizard. “It depends on the situation, of course, but if I can then why not? I don’t play to humiliate my opponents, it is simply the fastest and most comfortable course of action.
“So many Coaches have told me to take the easy option – Ronald Koeman, Marco Van Basten, Fabio Capello and Roberto Mancini. I know it is right to find a certain balance in your play, but at the end of the day this is my style of football. I have to play my way to give my best. If I didn’t rely on my instinct, I wouldn’t be myself, I wouldn’t feel like Ibra. The ball has always been my best friend. Besides, what is something ‘difficult’ anyway? Some of my moves may seem complicated for others, but they are not for me. It’s also not necessarily true that simple play really is that straightforward when you are in a pressurised situation.”
This is precisely the reason why Mancini has just one name guaranteed in his first-choice starting XI at Inter and without Ibra it is difficult to see title-winning creativity in that side. Their forwards are mainly finishers, their midfielders for the most part ball-winners or set-piece specialists, but the former Juventus star is the one who can turn a game at any moment. “We are glad he is doing so well and for us strikers it is just a competition to earn some space alongside him,” admits David Suazo.
“Zlatan can decide when to score a goal, as he has the technique and physical strength that makes him unstoppable for defenders,” added Mancio. “The moment will come when he decides he wants to score and he will. It will take a little more time, but in the end he’ll be able to do whatever he wants. Zlatan is among the best in the world – someone, like Ronaldinho or Thierry Henry, who can win a match in an instant.”
Yet Ibrahimovic’s name does not appear in the 30-man shortlist for the FIFA World Player of the Year award. It is particularly galling considering teammate Patrick Vieira, who has barely set foot on the field in the past 12 months, makes the cut. “I’m obviously disappointed not to be on the list because I always want to win everything,” Zlatan confessed. “Every award is important to me. A little while ago I won one for the children’s TV channel Nickelodeon and even that made me very happy. But the important thing is to succeed with Inter and Sweden – the rest is just a bonus. FIFA decide on the nominees and I guess I will just have to work hard to be the best. You have to remember that there are so many great players in the world – even David Villa and Europe’s top scorer Francesco Totti aren’t on the list.”
One reason why he has not been included might be the only massive weakness in this player – inconsistency when it counts. While at Juventus he would often disappear for entire matches, obstinately trying to dribble past five defenders when a simple pass would have been wise, Inter have given Zlatan free reign to invent and experiment without the shackles of Capello’s tactics. This has seen him vanish generally for halves rather than the whole 90 minutes, but keeping a cool head under pressure remains a problem.
“I understand Ibra, as I was like him,” conceded former Sampdoria and Lazio legend Mancini. “When I was 24-years-old I too played to the gallery and for my own entertainment, not keeping my concentration and caring little how clinical I was in front of goal. I was pulled up many times by my Coaches. Ibrahimovic has to learn to get to the meat of a situation quickly, but technically he is extraordinary.”
Too often Ibra has failed to deliver in the big games, most glaringly the 0-0 draw that eliminated Inter from the Champions League at Valencia last season and the recent 1-1 at Juventus in November. In these instances Zlatan wasted golden opportunities, which were few and far between, by going for the spectacular against all odds. He wouldn’t be Ibra if he didn’t, but therein lies the difference between an entertainer and a champion. Kaka has succeeded in achieving this balance, as has Ronaldinho, but for the giant Swedish magician it’s a trick that he is still to master.
“Both my parents have very strong personalities and I have inherited that,” said the son of a Bosnian father and Croatian mother. “That must be why even as a child I was always told ‘Zlatan, you don’t listen’! It is true, I like doing things my way, but with time I am starting to learn that sometimes you do need others – even on the field. Playing for the kids is the best thing I can do and Moratti gave me a great compliment when he said I create football. I love it when children watch me play and try to copy me. It means my style entertains, and what else are we players here for but to make people enjoy the sport?”
Ibrahimovic’s record in the Champions League has been woeful, as ahead of his brace against PSV Eindhoven he had not netted in the competition for 19 months, since Juve’s 3-1 victory at Rapid Vienna on December 7, 2005. This could be psychological, considering his European record was not exactly impressive when he was at Ajax either, or the sign of a player who still needs to find his feet on the grand stage. “I am not worried about whether I score goals or not, the important thing is that the team wins.”
He may well have broken that taboo too after inspiring the turnaround from 2-0 down to a 4-2 triumph over CSKA Moscow. The second goal was classic Ibrahimovic – with his first touch he spun round and left two defenders for dead, then unleashed an unstoppable rocket into the top corner before the goalkeeper knew what was happening. “I have run out of adjectives to describe Ibrahimovic,” grinned Moratti. “The moment he trapped the ball you could tell he was going to score. It was all in the determination and desire. That can be a very useful character trait for himself and the whole squad.”
If Ibra can take that final step and become a consistent match-winner who can entertain the fans, inspire the kids and make the most of his chances on the pitch, then nobody will be able to keep him off the end-of-season awards podium. “My idol is Muhammad Ali, because he could always deliver what he promised. If he said he’d knock an opponent out in the fourth round, in the fourth that guy would be on the floor. Nobody has ever been able to say Ali was all talk. One day I’d like the same to be true of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.”
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| Words: Susy Campanale – December 2007 |
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