PHOTO: Bildbyrån + Youtube
Zlatan Ibrahimovic has finally put his football boots on the shelf.
The entire football world has since paid tribute to a real giant.
Now Jonas Eriksson reveals what it was really like to judge “Ibra”.
It is one of football’s most impressive careers that has now come to an end. For Zlatan Ibrahimovic has not only played longer than the vast majority, but he has also achieved triumphs that few footballers get to share.
Zlatan’s career
He made a big splash with Malmö FF in both the Superettan and Allsvenskan around the turn of the millennium and quickly caught the eye of the big European clubs. The big step into professional life then went to the Netherlands and the classic club Ajax.
The article continues after the picture.
It was the start of a very successful era that lasted a full 24 years. Zlatan managed to turn 41 years old before his body and head finally stopped and he can look back on playing in nine different clubs and a whopping 32 titles for some of the world’s most famous club teams.
READ MORE: Thierry Henry mocks Zlatan with a real grin – then “Ibra” responds in the best way and silences the icon completely
Eriksson’s words
A lot has been said since Ibrahimovic said goodbye to football just over a week ago, but now the former Fifa referee and now the SVT expert Jonas Eriksson a completely different image of Zlatan. As he reveals what it was actually like to judge “Ibra”, a hidden truth that has not been told.
– All careers come to an end and it’s not entirely unexpected that it comes at that age. And what a career he has been part of! I myself have had the privilege of being closely involved from the Superettan to the Allsvenskan to international to the Champions League and have seen one of Sweden’s best footballers of all time and perhaps for all time. It has been incredibly fun and exciting to be able to follow along, says Eriksson in an interview with the TV4 program “News morgon”.
The article continues after the picture.
One of Sweden’s biggest referee profiles admits that it was quite demanding to judge Zlatan Ibrahimovic in particular.
– He was not always completely simple, in his youth it was very difficult. It was always “me, me, me” and communication was difficult. But the older he got, the wiser and more careful and a little easier to handle. But it usually depended on the result, if he won the match it was much easier than in the case of a loss or penalty against his team, he says in the interview which you can see below.
READ MORE: Zlatan steps out onto the ice and takes over the NHL game – with the most cocky words to all hockey players
Jonas Eriksson also got to put his foot down a few times with Zlatan, see the video below.
– Sometimes you had to take him in the ear in a good and nice way to try to get him to understand. I think he was a little better and more understanding when we Swedish judges came out to Europe. Then he was a little nicer than he could be towards other judges, he says in the TV4 program before the laughter takes over.
– He has never received a red card from me, maybe he should have. But there have been a lot of yellow cards.
Will we ever get someone as good as Zlatan in Sweden again? Share the article and have your say!
Watch the video: