PHOTO: Bildbyrån
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always evoked strong reactions during his career.
But we’ll never forget when he made all of Norway go completely nuts.
– Zlatan? He is an arrogant piece of shit!, said Rosenborg’s former club director Rune Bratseth in an interview.
41 year old plays Zlatan Ibrahimovic still football at the very highest level in Milan and the Swedish national team. He also continues to evoke as strong reactions as he always has during his long career.
Ibra’s behavior
Just like a young Zlatan did in 2002 when he made the Norwegians tear off their lice cardigans in pure anger. At that time, a 21-year-old “Ibra” played in Ajax and during a Champions League match against Rosenborg, the Swede was hated throughout Norway for his behavior on the field.
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With his physical style of play, Ibrahimovic provoked bile fever in the Norwegians and after double incidents with the RBK player Erik Hoftun emotions overflowed. The Norwegians demanded a red card but the Swede managed to complete the match with only one caution.
– I lose respect for a player who behaves so ugly, said Rosenberg’s coach Åge Hareide in a play.
– The referee should have sent him off, that’s not how you do it on a football pitch.
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Norwegian anger
Hoftun claimed that Zlatan punched him several times during the match.
– He hit me and that kind of thing doesn’t belong on a football field, Erik Hoftun told the Norwegian newspaper VG about one of the incidents.
– He was holding me, so I knocked his arm away to get free, answered Zlatan.
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Zlatan also had to defend another attack in the mixed zone after the match.
– I have never met another player who played as ugly as he (Zlatan) in the Champions League, no doubt about it. I asked what he was doing but got no answer, Hoftun said again.
– He got in the way and I couldn’t move, so I ran into him, Zlatan answered again.
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Zlatan’s answer
To Ajax’s delight, Zlatan was allowed to stay on the pitch and he also scored the game’s lead goal to make it 1-0 before the Norwegians equalized at 1-1 on penalties at the end of the match, see the goals below. But despite the tied result, Rosenborg really couldn’t let go of the irritation and the next day, a new Norwegian went out in a strong attack against Ibrahimovic.
– Zlatan? He’s an arrogant piece of shit! Feel free to put five exclamation points on that, said Rosenborg’s then club director Rune Bratseth to the local newspaper Adresseavisen.
But a young and cocky Zlatan simply took that criticism with a heel kick.
– Did he say that? I belong to Ajax, one of the biggest clubs in the world. Why should I care what anyone in Rosenborg thinks? I don’t need that, Zlatan told Aftonbladet at the time.
– Well, I don’t care. People have always talked, but I answer with my game on the pitch.
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