Biography of Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Europe’s leading striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is an ace Swedish footballer who is known for his ability to create scoring chances for himself and the other players. The imposing goalscorer’s technique, creativity, power and precision have led him to win 32 trophies throughout his illustrious career. The powerful striker also played for several top-level clubs, especially his association with Paris Saint Germain was the most fruitful of all and brought successful results for both him and the club. The versatile and well-rounded footballer reached the pinnacle of his career after scoring all four goals, including an acrobatic goal for which he also won the 2013 FIFA Pusks Goal of the Year award. Despite his unquestionable brilliance on the pitch, the footballer has also been involved in various violent incidents, especially with teammates.

Early life and education of Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born on October 3, 1981 in Malmo, Sweden to parents, Sefik Ibrahimovic and Jurek Gravic . He is of various nationalities including Croatian, Bosnian and Swedish in regards to his ethnicity, he comes from a mixed ethnic background as his father is a Muslim who immigrated to Sweden in 1977 while his mother is of Albanian descent.

Ibrahimovic’s parents divorced when he was just 2 years old. He had a very difficult childhood, as he spent most of his early days growing up in the infamous Rosengrd neighborhood, known to be one of the harshest areas in Sweden. Due to his poor background, he was involved in notorious activities; he was a bicycle thief and a school bully.

Despite his dark childhood, Ibrahimovic did not take a breather to become an extraordinary footballer in the future. And he started his early career at the tender age of six after receiving a pair of football boots. At the time, he was playing regularly for his hometown club. Malmo FF and his skills soon made him a rising national level player.

Ibrahimovic gave up football at the age of 15 to work at the Malmo docks, but luckily his coach convinced him to focus on his football career. His childhood idol was the Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s professional career

club career

Zlatan Ibrahimovic signed his first professional contract with Malmo FF in 1999 and helped the team leap to the top tier the following season. On March 22, 2001, he transferred to prominent Dutch club AFC Ajax after signing a contract for a fee of 8.7 million ($10,249,165.50).

In that time, Ibrahimovic honed his formidable skills and helped them win two titles, as well as earn Goal of the Tournament honors. He injured his Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart during the international match against the Netherlands on August 18, 2004. As a result, Vaart later accused Ibrahimovi? of intentionally hurting him, leading to Ibrahimovi’s sudden transfer? juventus .

With Juventus, Ibrahimovic reached an agreement of 16 million (18,858,160 dollars). He led the club to two Serie A championships and received the Guldbollen for Swedish Footballer of the Year. However, the club was stripped of those titles after his management became involved in the infamous Calciopoli Scandal and the club was also relegated to Serie B from A.

On August 10, 2006, Ibrahimovic joined Inter Milan signing a four-year contract for a fee of 24.8 million. He played the club’s first match against Cesena in September 2010 in the Championship League. His association with the club proved to be fruitful for him as the imposing striker won three consecutive Serie A titles with the club and became both Footballer of the Year and Foreign Footballer of the Year.

In exchange for forward Samuel Eto’o including a reported fee of 59 million, Spanish giants Barcelona signed Ibrahimovic. He finished the first 15 league games with Barcelona with 11 goals and 8 assists. He played a vital role as the club emerged victorious in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup defeating Estudiantes in the final.

Ibrahimovic is also on the 2009 UEFA Team of the Year list. After his relationship with manager Pep Guardiola began to deteriorate, he spent the following season on loan to A.C. milan . After hitting Bari defender Marco Rossi in the stomach, he received a red card and was banned for three matches in an 11-1 home draw against Bari in March 2011.

Ibrahimovic finished his 2011-12 seasons with the club scoring 28 goals in 32 matches. On July 17, 2012, he signed a contract for a transfer fee of 20 million with the club Paris Saint Germain . And he became the first footballer to score for six different clubs in UEFA Champions League history after scoring a string of goals in all of the club’s games.

In late 2012, Ibrahimovic scored his first hat-trick for the club in a 40 away win against Valenciennes . He has gained much fame and accolades for his impressive performance on the pitch after his association with the club. He scored 30 goals in a season for the club and helped the team win its first Ligue 1 title in 19 years. Not only did he reach the pinnacle of his career, but the imposing striker helped them enjoy immense success and victory as well.

In January 2018, former striker Edinson Cavani broke Ibrahimovic’s record as PSG’s all-time top scorer. Later, he made his move to top flight club Manchester United in 2016. The footballer’s weekly salary was reported to be 200,000.

For the club, Ibrahimovic scored the winning goal in the 2016 FA Community Shield in a 2–1 win over Leicester City . The veteran striker also played a crucial role in leading the club to win the 2017 UEFA Europa League final. He did not play the following season after aggravating a knee injury.

Having accepted the termination of his contract with the club, Ibrahimovic was transferred to the Major League Soccer club. LA Galaxy . He scored two goals in his first match for the club coming on as a substitute against Los Angeles FC at El Trafico. After his brilliant performance, he said:

I heard the crowd say ‘We want Zlatan, we want Zlatan,’ so I gave them Zlatan.’

international career

The versatile and all-round footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ability to play anywhere on the front line, as well as his burgeoning career at the national level, earned him the golden opportunity to represent Sweden, Bosnia, Croatia or Herzegovina at international level, but ultimately decided to go with Sweden.

After becoming part of the under-18 and under-21 teams, the footballer opened the doors for the Swedish team to play in a friendly draw against the Faroe Islands on January 31, 2001.

Ibrahimovic recorded his first international goal after playing his first competitive match against Azerbaijan in a 2002 World Cup qualifier and played a key role in leading his team to a 3–0 victory. He played for the Swedish national team in the 2002 FIFA World Cup hosted in Korea and Japan. But the team was knocked out in the early stages of the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal.

Ibrahimovic rose to prominence after scoring three goals during UEFA Euro 2004 qualifying and leading his side to become group winners.

Unfortunately, being one of the greatest footballers of all time, Ibrahimovic missed a penalty in the quarter-final against the Netherlands that resulted in his elimination from the competition.

Ibrahimovic gained more attention when he scored 4 goals in the 2006 World Cup qualifying matches and helped the team confirm their place in the tournament. However, the team was thrashed by the 2014 FIFA World Cup champions Germany in the round of 16.

Ibrahimovic received the Swedish Ballon d’Or in 2007 as the country’s Best Player of the Year. He became Man of the Match after his amazing performance against Greece in Sweden’s first Euro Cup game on June 10, 2008. The team was knocked out in the group stage by Russia.

Although Ibrahimovic scored twice during the 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign, the team failed to even qualify for the tournament and ended their World Cup journey by finishing third in their qualifying group. He later played captain of the national team during Euro 2012. Despite a series of victories in the tournament, they were eliminated in the group stage. Following his key role throughout the tournament, he was also named to the Team of the Tournament.

During the 2014 World Cup qualifier against England, Ibrahimovic scored all four goals in a 42 win on November 14, 2012. Following his incredible performance in the match, he was also awarded the 2013 FIFA Puskas Award for Goal of the Year. Subsequently, he again scored another international hat-trick in a 42-friendly win against Scandinavian rivals Norway. However, the team did not get a place in the 2014 World Cup.

The footballer scored his 50th international goal playing in a 20-win friendly match against Estonia and his goal in the match led him to become the all-time top scorer for the Swedish national team. He made his 100th appearance for the nation by playing against Austria in the Euro 2016 qualifying match at the Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna. He scored 11 goals in qualifying becoming his second highest goalscorer behind Poland’s Robert Lewandowski as well as leading his team to qualify for the Euro 2016 final.

Under his own leadership, Ibrahimovic did not score any goals, as a result, the team finished in last place in their group. And immediately he made an announcement about his retirement from international football.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Net Worth and Salary

During his illustrious football career, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has raised a great deal of money. In 2014, he was ranked as the 12th highest paid athlete in the world according to Forbes. In August 2017, he also became the third richest footballer in the world behind only Lionel Messi $309,833,230 (230 million) and Cristiano Ronaldo $336,775,250 (250 million).

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ibra’s estimated net worth is around $190 million, as of 2018 and according to The Richest, his net worth is $90 million. Her salary is around $35 million as of 2018. While she was playing for Manchester United, her maximum annual salary was $35 million. With the same club, her salary last year was $27 million.

In 2018, Ibrahimovic accepted a $1.4 million salary from his last club, the LA Galaxy. He has also earned a lot of money from his endorsement deals with various world renowned companies like Nike. In 2015, he earned $6 million from endorsements alone.

The list of your transfer to the club including fees

profit 2012

Transfer to Paris Saint-Germain: $27,000,000

win 2011

Transfer to AC Milan: ,000,000

win 2009

Transfer to FC Barcelona: ,000,000

profit 2006

Transfer to FC Internazionale: ,000,000

win 2004

Transfer to Juventus: ,000,000

Profit 2001:

Transfer to Ajax: ,000,000

In 2015, he sold his Malmo mansion to the ice hockey star. Carl Sderberg for $3 million. The property had been on the market since April 2013 for 30 million kroner ($4.73 million). The 1,854-acre site boasts five bedrooms, three bathrooms, a fabulous imported Italian kitchen, as well as incredible views over the Oresund Strait.

Ibrahimovic also founded his own company under the title AZ Sportswear in June 2016 to sell sportswear for men, women and children. And the company is a collaboration between the footballer and the director of the Norwegian clothing giant Varner Petter Varner. His main intention is to ‘make sport accessible to everyone’. Most of the products have an average of 12.95 (15.27 USD) to 19.95 (23.52 USD).

Ibrahimovic also launched Ibrahimovic Parfums to create his own exclusive fragrances for men and women while at PSG together with a world leading perfume manufacturer. Olivier Pescheux .

Here is the list of his luxurious car with its price,

• Maserati GranTurismo: $116,000 to $132,000
• Porsche 918 Spyder: $845,000
• Ferrari Enzo: $2.4 million
• Lamborghini Gallardo: $181,900 to $259,100
• Ferrari F130 Convertible: $219,956 $276,516
• Audi S8: $116,850
• Audi RS6 Avant C7: $87,090
• BMWs: $30,025 and $103,225
• Mercedes: .475
• Volvo Xc90: $50,095

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s personal life

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is not married but has been in a long-term relationship with his partner Helena Seger since 2002. His girlfriend Seger is a Swedish former model and actress born in Lindesberg, Sweden. The couple welcomed their first child, a son named Maximilian Ibrahimovic on September 22, 2006.

LEGEND: Zlatan Ibrahimovic together with his family. SOURCE: YouTube

Ibrahimovic’s girlfriend Seger gave birth to their second child, also a son, Vincent Ibrahimovic , on 6 March 2008. Maximilian and Vincent followed in their father’s footsteps when they joined Manchester United’s academy in 2016. The family of four currently resides outside of Los Angeles.

Before Helen, it was reported that the footballer became engaged to Maria Olhage , in 2001 and they separated after a year. Reportedly, he also had a run-in with Erika Johnson in 2002.

In addition, Ibrahimovic is also fluent in five languages, including Swedish, Bosnian, Spanish, English and Italian. He was also a black belt in taekwondo as a child.

Ibrahimovic also wrote his last name in Arabic on the back of his right arm. He tattooed the names of his sons Vincent and Maximilian on his right arm.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s charity work

Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is also involved in various charitable projects. For several years he has worked with the United Nations World Food Program (WFP). One of his shows was called 805 Million Names during which the footballer tattooed 50 names of people who were suffering from hunger to raise awareness.

On August 11, 2014, Ibrahimovi? donated more than 30,000 ($51,000) to the Swedish national team players with intellectual disabilities, all of whom participated in the INAS World Championship in Brazil.

The Zlatan Ibrahimovic controversy

Despite his unquestionable brilliance on the pitch, the footballer has been involved in several violent incidents with his teammates. Some of which went viral on the internet and attracted a lot of media coverage.

During the international match against the Netherlands on August 18, 2004, Ibrahimovi? Injured Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart , who later publicly accused Ibrahimovi? of deliberately injuring him between matches. Following the incident, he headed to Juventus on August 31.

In the locker room, Ibrahimovi? He once again punched his Ajax teammate Mido after he threw a pair of scissors at her. During the stage in Barcelona, ​​the relationship between Ibrahimovi? and coach Pep Guardiola worsen. Guardiola eventually denied speaking to him, as a result he was sent to Milan on loan.

In 2010, Milan’s teammate Oguchi Onyewu and Ibrahimovi? they engaged in a fistfight at the training ground. He tackled him and then headbutted Onyewu. They were separated by teammates and neither played that season. Following the incident, he also suffered a broken rib in the fight.

In March 2011, Ibrahimovi? received a three-match ban after he hit Bari defender Marco Rossi during a game. The same year, Ibrahimovi? hit Antonio Cassano in the face while Cassano was speaking to reporters. During a training session, he also kicked his Milan teammate. Rodney Strasser .

In February 2012, he was handed another three-match ban for slapping the Napoli player. Salvatore Aronica . After kicking AS Saint-tienne goalkeeper Stphane Ruffier in the chest, he was banned for two matches in November 2012. Speaking of his inappropriate behavior on the pitch and off the pitch, PSG winger Lucas claimed, stating:

He always asks for the ball and insults a lot. Sometimes he is a bit arrogant and complains.

In addition to his violent incidents during club matches, Ibrahimovi? He was also involved in several incidents while playing for the Swedish national soccer team. In October 2012, following his tenth win over the Faroe Islands, he was accused of foul play by Faroese captain Vie Benjaminsen , insulting him as ‘arrogant’, ‘childish’, ‘ignorant’ and a ‘dirty player’.

The five facts of Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Here are the five interesting facts about Swedish giant player Zlatan Ibrahimovic that you love to watch.