Who is actually Sweden’s greatest athlete of all time?
For Björn Ferry, the answer is crystal clear – and it’s not Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
– He is the king, says Ferry.
It is an eternal discussion within Swedish sports; who is actually the greatest athlete of all time. We have been spoiled with sports stars who have made history in various sports, and icons such as Björn Borg, Ingemar Stenmark, JO Waldner and Zlatan Ibrahimovic are often mentioned.
Ferry knocks Zlatan
When Zlatan Ibrahimovic was at his very best, when he was completely conceding goals for PSG and breaking record after record, there were many who believed that he was well on his way to surpassing Ingemar Stenmark as the very greatest. In 2013, even Stenmark himself said that he considered that Zlatan was now past him. But not everyone agreed.
When Björn Ferry was asked by SVT, he instead said that as long as Zlatan did not bring home a WC gold to Sweden, he would never be the greatest.
– It’s a given, as a resident of Storuman, you hold Stenmark in high regard. Here he is the king. Zlatan? He is top ten. But if he takes Sweden to the WC and wins the championship, he will be at the top. Club football does not interest me, Ferry told SVT honestly.
The unexpected tribute
Björn Ferry also paid tribute to Zlatan with an unexpected comparison – with drug-addicted Russians.
– The big thing is that he has been so good over a long period of time. With the background he has, growing up in Rosengård and managing to maintain his sporting focus. You see many Russians who are the best in the world for a few years, live the sweet life and do drugs and then it’s over.
In addition, Ferry is greatly impressed by Zlatan’s will to always want to be better, and never settle.
– Zlatan could have retired many years ago with tens of millions in the account. It is impressive that he still has the sporting drive, that it has not only become business but 100% football. You know that yourself, staying on top for such a long time is difficult.
Sign up for our newsletter
Share