It is the goal that no Swede will ever forget.
But the bicycle kick against England was close to never even coming off.
– I was close to ruining it, a teammate has revealed.
There are many classic goals in Swedish football history, but none are as memorable as Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s against England in 2012. Friends Arena, Sweden’s national arena, was to be inaugurated, against the toughest possible opposition.
Senseless dream goal
Zlatan Ibrahimovic had for several years been sawed in England by the tough press, but he proved all critics wrong by scoring a total of four goals. A better start in a new arena could not be wished for, and a prettier goal could not even be dreamed of. When goalkeeper Joe Hart was out and nodded away a ball, Zlatan was alert, and he struck with a bicycle kick that went over all the players and into the goal.
The next day, the British Daily Mail wrote that it was the “Goal of the Century,” i.e. the goal of the century, and to this day it is the absolute favorite goal of many football lovers, and even though Zlatan himself said that it is not his best looking in his career, it is difficult to say other than that it is at least the most skillful. But the fact is that the goal was actually close to not being scored at all, and if Tobias Sana, who was on the field for Sweden when the goal happened, had had to decide, then Zlatan would never have even tried.
The teammate’s reveal
In GP’s previous football podcast “Håla Marbella”, former national team player Sana revealed that Zlatan would have chested the ball down to him.
– I really wanted the ball, that he would chest it down, I’m right behind there, says Sana.
When asked if he is disappointed that Zlatan did not pass the ball, he answers, with a laugh:
– A little…no kidding aside.
Tobias Sana made only two international appearances for Sweden. One was against Germany, when Sweden brilliantly pulled up to 4-4 in Berlin. In the second, he got to see Zlatan’s unforgettable bicycle kick from the first floor. But he could have destroyed the masterpiece.
– (laughter) Exactly. Nah, but jokes aside, what a player, what a player, says Tobias Sana.
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