Never mess with Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
World goalkeeper Julio Cesar was one of the few who dared to try.
And it wasn’t long before he had to eat it…
Since his breakthrough in Ajax over 20 years ago, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been one of the football world’s most popular players. He has not only had the physique, the technique and the sense of purpose – but also had that little something extra. Always with a twinkle in his eye, and someone who always offered that little extra.
Made it forbidden
There has never been anything wrong with Zlatan’s self-confidence, and considering his enormous winning skull, not many have dared to argue with him over the years. Ibrahimovic has always been the erratic one, the one who can catch fire at any time, and he is not shy to psych out opponents, or taunt if something goes his way.
One of the few who dared to try to psych Zlatan is world goalkeeper Julio Cesar, and it is a moment that the football world will not soon forget. Zlatan was a teammate of Julio Cesar during his time at Inter, but in 2012 he was a striker in Milan, and in front of 80,000 in the stands in the scorching derby, they both faced each other, when Milan were awarded a penalty kick. Unsurprisingly, Zlatan Ibrahimovic stepped forward.
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Zlatan’s clever answer
Julio Cesar then did what few others dared, and set out to psych Ibrahimovic. He walked all the way to the penalty spot, said a few well-chosen words to the Swede, and grimaced and licked his lips. In retrospect, Ibrahimovic has said the following about the situation:
– He tried to psych me out and told me: “Shoot hard and in the middle of the goal”.
However, Zlatan Ibrahimovic did not say much back, but let his right foot do the talking. And then it went exactly as it usually does. Ibrahimovic was as confident as could be with his penalty kick, and immediately after the ball hit the goal, he turned and let Julio Cesar have a spoonful of his own medicine. Then and there, the world goalkeeper learned a valuable lesson: Never argue with Zlatan.
– After I scored, I answered him: “Nah, I’ll score instead”.
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