Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no longer a name in Swedish football, but a player known as the greatest player ever to take the field for Sweden. Sweden has seen many great players take the field for them, but none of them matched the aura, and the kind of influence Ibrahimovic had on the team was nothing less than remarkable.
Ibrahimovic, 40, is still a superstar for the modern game, and a leader of his team’s attack. He is still scoring goals for fun for his team, AC Milan, which is flying high in the Serie A. With his height, his heading ability makes him a dangerous asset for his team. Ibrahimovic has scored some absolute banging goals for club and country over the years, and will be considered an all-time great when he retires.
Ibrahimovic joined AC Milan in January 2020 on an 18-month deal, with a year extension option if needed. After his extraordinary contributions over the months, it became evident that it wouldn’t be wise of AC Milan if they didn’t renew his contract. Ibrahimovic was carrying the attack for AC Milan, which led to him becoming one of the strongest contenders for the Serie A title this season. He got help from the new signing Mario Mandzukic and other AC Milan players as well. AC Milan currently is on the cusp of securing Champions League qualification for next season, a feat they haven’t achieved in a few years. They were one of the favourites for the Europa League title, and got knocked out by Manchester United in the Round of 16. They got knocked out by Inter Milan in the quarter-finals of the Coppa Italia. But what this AC Milan side has achieved alongside Ibrahimovic has nothing short of remarkable
Sweden is participating in this year’s Euros, and would have loved to take the services of the great Zlatan Ibrahimovic along with them. But unfortunately, Ibrahimovic has been ruled out for a minimum of four weeks, making him unavailable for the marquee event. At the age of 40, it looks bleak that he would participate in next year’s world cup in Qatar starting from November 2022. But Ibrahimovic keeps everything to himself and reveals it to the public in his way.
Just for now, Sweden would have loved to have Ibrahimovic. Still, the amount of potential, other Swedish players like Alexander Isak (Real Sociedad) and Victor Lindelof (Manchester United), is also something to be taken into account. Although Ibrahimovic won’t be part of the Sweden team for the Euros, he will always support them from the outside, and hope that his country does well in the tournament.
