Speaking ahead of today’s Champions League quarter-final clash with his ex-team, Milan’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic praised the greatness of former Barcelona teammate Lionel Messi versus Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo:
“Leo Messi is all talent, while Cristiano Ronaldo is the product of much training,” Ibrahimovic told TV3.
“Messi does not need his right foot, though. He only uses the left and he’s still the best in the world! Imagine if he also used his right foot … then we [Milan] would have serious problems!”
Barcelona are well aware of all of Ibra’s attributes after he spent two mostly frustrating seasons at the Nou Camp but what manager Guardiola is focusing on in today’s Champions League quarter-final is the player’s height:
“We need a ladder to stop a player like Zlatan Ibrahimovic because he’s so tall,” Guardiola said at a press conference.
“If it’s a high ball we know it’s for Ibrahimovic because of his height. We will try therefore to keep him away from the box.”
It’s a curious thing to focus on given all of the other abilities of the player.
Perhaps it speaks more to Barcelona’s own weaknesses in the defence?
With Carles Puyol filling in for Eric Abidal at left-back and the short and stocky Javier Mascherano taking his place centrally, Pep could have good reason to be worried about Ibra heading Milan to victory through the heart of the Barca defence.
There was a time not too long ago when Jose Mourinho was talking about Zlatan Ibrahimovic being the best player in the world.
I believe that was Jose’s first season in charge at Inter Milan. By season two, the Special One had sold Ibra to Barcelona, got a ton of cash and Samuel Eto’o in return and built the team which would dump Barca out of the Champions League and give Inter the European title.
Not only did Ibra never achieve the status of being the best player in the world, he also did not win the Champions League the way he was supposed to when he moved to Spain.
What is worse is that his time at Barca was marked by major philosophical differences with manager Pep Guardiola and limited playing time.
Apparently, not only was Ibra not considered to be the best in the world but also not the best at Barcelona.
Here’s how in his recently released autobiography Ibra described some of his exchanges with the manager and his time at Barca:
“I yelled to him, ‘You have no balls!’ And probably worse things than that, and I added, ‘You are sh***ing yourself about Mourinho! You can go to hell!’ I was completely mad. If I were Guardiola, I would have been frightened.”
“The atmosphere in the dressing room was way too quiet for me. Messi, Iniesta and Xavi always obeyed without protesting. They were like schoolboys. I’m not like that and I couldn’t be myself.
“Messi asked to be played in another position. He wanted to play as centre forward and got his way. I didn’t have a relationship with the coach. He hardly looked at me.”
Those seem to be crazy comments about the great Messi, Iniesta and Xavi. Who cares if they’re quiet and obedient when they produce genius on the pitch?
Now back in Italy and playing with AC Milan against Barcelona in today’s Champions League match, Ibra can barely conceal his bitterness toward Pep Guardiola but he does admire the great team Guardiola has built:
“We will be playing against the best team in the world, without doubt,” Ibrahimovic said. “Even when I left the team, I knew I’d left the best team in the world. But, for me and all the other parties involved, I think the best solution was to leave the club. Given the results for both sides, it was the best solution.”
