Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story and Untold Biography

This is the untold Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: Yes, he was once a boy who shook off the shackles of poverty and discrimination to become one of the world’s greatest footballer. Indeed, he is blessings with combining grace, agility, power, guile and unmatched audacity.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: Early life

Soccer player Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born on October 3, 1981, in Malmö, Sweden, to a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother. They were both emigrant who feel in love in the late 1970’s and decided to migrate to Sweden.

However the love they had for each other was crippled by domestic violence. This happened when Zlatan was just 2 years old.  It marked the beginning of a difficult childhood for the little boy who struggled with living in the populated ghetto of Rosengård.

According to Zalatan,

‘I was left with the hard choice of choosing whom to follow after my parent’s separation. Even thou I was a mummy’s boy, i imagined how difficult  leaving my father would be. Ofcourse my mum took that advantage. I grew up besides her. My mum married immediately after separation from my dad. I spent a painful part of my childhood getting acquainted with my step dad.

Not coping with living with a step- father denotes Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s journey as a troubled teenager.

Reading books at school was never the way out.

The quest about playing football came on a Christmas evening when he received a football boot from a Father Christmas. This was the football he used in learnig the game. He taught himself to play ball on an old gravel outside his Step-father’s house.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: Youthful Football Controveries

Being a troubled youth and learning football at the same time came with a price.

According to Zalatan,

“For me to succeed as a footballer was difficult because of my background,” he explains. “But I was difficult too. At one training session I head-butted my team-mate. If I could put myself in that moment today I would say to myself ‘don’t ever do that’, but I was an angry young man.

“The player got a letter from his parents and asked people to sign it to kick me out of the club. I did many stupid things, I made many mistakes, but I learnt from everything. I still make mistakes, I still learn from them. Nobody is perfect. I had a lot of walls to break through to get here.”

School was not for him. “I’ve been at this school 33 years,” his former headmistress said, “and Zlatan is easily in the top five of the most unruly pupils we have ever had. He was the number one bad boy, a one-man show, a prototype of the kind of child that ends up in serious trouble.”

“I was rowdy, I was mental,” the striker agrees. “I just had a hard time sitting still, I had ants in my pants.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: The Turning Point

This happened when he was only 10. He was used as a second half sub and netted 8 Goals. Playing for his local team FBK Balkan when he was 10 years old, Zlatan was brought on as a second half sub as his team were trailing 5-0. A very young Ibrahimovic would turn the game on its head, scoring a remarkable eight, that’s right, eight second half goals to win the game 8-5. This was the day “The Zlatan” was born and the world took notice of this young Swedish footballer with sensational abilities at such a young age.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: Relationship Life

He is not married but he has in live-in relationship with his longtime girlfriend Helena Segar. Helena is former Swedish model. Before being in relationship with Helena Segar he had no love affair. They have two children together. He currently lives in Paris with Helena and his children. Helena has probable of becoming Zlatan wife near future.

When he was 15 years old, he preferred to work in the docks of Malmo instead of playing football. He was persuaded against the idea by his coach.
‘Ibrahimovic also found doors closing as he tried to pursue a career as a professional footballer. Even when he joined the city’s professional club, Malmo FF, at the age of 17, the parents of one of his team-mates petitioned to have him thrown out.

Part of that is down to his own admittedly wild behaviour as a young man.

“Who thought the guy from Rosengard would be the captain of the Swedish national team? Who thought the guy from Rosengard would break the goal records? I was never considered one of the big talents, never.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: Football Starts

The Swedish football player Zlatan Ibrahimovi? is a practising Catholic, the religion of his mother. Although his father is a Muslim, Ibrahimovi? has chosen to followCatholicism and describes himself as very religious. He has a tattoo on his left side that reads “Only God Can Judge Me.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Childhood Story & Biography Facts: Being a pettyThief

One day he stole the postman’s bike. “Ha ha, that was a great bike, a military bike,” he remembers. Another day, he discovered that the bike he had stolen to travel the 5km to and from training belonged to his football manager. “He took it pretty well. He could have kicked me out but he laughed.

He is the footballer with the bad attitude and self-assured air of arrogance. He is the tall one who never plays well against English teams. He is the one who fights with team-mates and is a nightmare for his managers. And, oh yes, occasionally he finds a moment of genius.

A smile spreads across the familiar features of the 6ft 5in Paris St-Germain striker as he considers this popular perception of him.

And he stole. In fact he stole a lot – bikes, sweets, cars, anything and everything.

“When we needed something we went to the shop and we went to steal,” he says. “I had a particularly good relationship with the bikes.”

Until he went to secondary school, he had never seen people wearing shirts with collars. It was a different planet. One he could not fit into.

Something changed around the age of 18. He began to realise football could offer him a future, a path away from his difficult upbringing. Ibrahimovic scratches the tattoos on both wrists and exhales deeply when asked if, back then, he would have believed he could achieve the things he has.

“When I look back and think where I have come from, who would have thought the guy from Rosengard would have done these things?” he asks.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography

His goal against “NCA Breda” on August 22, 2004, in the Dutch league was voted by the viewers as “Goal of the Year”.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Rise to Dorminance

Ibrahimovic made his professional debut for Malmö FF in 1999, and helped the second-division club make the leap to the first level the following season. The 6’5″ striker then signed with the prominent Dutch club AFC Ajax and honed his formidable skills as part of two title-winning teams, though he also developed a reputation as a temperamental player.

WHY BE LIKE EVERYBODY ELSE, WHEN YOU CAN DO SOMETHING SPECIAL?

There is no player that provides as much entertainment both on and off the pitch as PSG and Sweden striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic. On the pitch he is a goalscoring machine and one of the most prolific strikers of his generation.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Tatoo facts

On Feb 14, 2015 in a match against “S.M. Caen” on scoring a goal, he took off his shirt to reveal tattoo of 50 people names around the world, suffering of hunger. This act was in support of “U.N. Food Programm.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Snubbing Allegations

A fascinating take on Ibrahimovic by his childhood friend: ‘I was better than my best pal Zlatan… now he’s a star and has snubbed me for 13 years’

‘It didn’t hurt to fall so we practised for hours and there would be pretty girls watching from the pier so each time we got more and more daring. We played for points and I’m telling you I was always better than Zlatan.’

So that’s why Flygare decided to call his best-selling book Once I Was Bigger Than Zlatan. Back in the day, way before the pair played together in the same Malmo team, Flygare and Zigge, his nickname for the notorious Paris Saint-Germain striker, were inseparable.

They stole bikes together and tore around the Rosengard estate in Malmo where Ibrahimovic’s family lived.

When they weren’t on BMXs they studied video clips of Romario and Ronaldo,  perfecting their tricks.

They didn’t always agree, particularly about football. ‘I idolised Shearer and he hated English football because I loved it so much – that’s what he was like,’ said Flygare. ‘He always said he would play in Italy and he did.’

When they were called in off the street by Flygare’s mother they would sit on the couch for hours on end, fighting over control of the games console.

‘Like twins,’ said Flygare of their relationship. ‘I was a father figure to Zlatan in many ways, he looked up to me, but he was so competitive.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Off the Pitch life

Off the pitch, Zlatan is brimming with confidence and self belief, and so much so that he will often refer to himself in third person as “the Zlatan”, or even use his name as a verb where “to Zlatan” is to do something with extreme skill or talent or to dominate. His Twitter page and interviews are something to behold and attract as much attention as his on-field antics, as he almost comes across as a philosopher at times with some of his quotes.

He has a fantastic sense of humour to go along with the talent to back up his confidence, making him a star that is never far from the limelight and a fan favourite around the world, but also a player that polarises many. When the majority of athletes have as much self belief as Zlatan does, it will often see them lose more fans than gain any. This is not the case with Ibrahimovic, who has a personality that endears him to many. This makes Ibrahimovic one of the more intriguing athletes around the world, as few are as much of a showman as the Swede is. Despite his extraordinary footballing ability and entertaining nature, Ibrahimovic is often overlooked when talking about the world’s best despite winning numerous awards and individual accolades. Some would say this could be because of his, at times, rebellious persona and a few controversies over the years involving team-mates, managers and opponents. Nonetheless, the 33 year old has played and won at some of the biggest clubs in the world and continues to dazzle on the pitch and entertain off the pitch.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Arrogance off the Pitch 

“I read all the time that people think I’m arrogant,” he says, settling down for our one-hour interview in Stockholm. “They say I am cocky, a bad character. I had that from a young age. But when they meet me, they say ‘that image doesn’t fit you.’ Where I come from you never judge a person until you meet them. I would never do that.”‘

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Making Money

According to Celebrity Net Worth, Ibrahimovic is worth $140 million. Forbes also reported that the player earned $40.4 million in 2014, making him the 12th highest paid athlete in the world for that year.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Law issue

He was once again in the wrong side of the law when he received red card for slapping Salcatore Aroniaca in a goalless draw against “Napoli.” He was further banned for three matches by the Sports judge Gianpaolo Tosel.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Winning Titles

“I always put myself second – I like to make others happy,” he explains. “Wherever I have played, I have won (nine league titles in the past 10 seasons with five clubs). But I only feel satisfied if my team-mates, the fans, everyone is happy. I have a big heart.”

Part of that is down to his own admittedly wild behaviour as a young man.

He held tight to football from an early age. On a small, dusty pitch in the estate, Ibrahimovic and his friends tried outrageous tricks and flicks, spins and shots. The lack of space meant you had to be quick with your head and your feet. Zlatan quickly found his calling.

“When we played football in Rosengard, it was all about putting the ball between people’s legs, doing different things,” he adds. “After every trick people were like ‘oohhh’ ‘eeeyy’. It was all about who had the hardest shots, the best trick, the craziest move. I loved it.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Heroes

His heroes were not Swedish, even after they finished third in the 1994 World Cup. He only had eyes for the brilliance of Brazil, studying the likes of Ronaldo and Ronaldinho watching how they performed their dribbles until he too could dazzle his friends.

“I did not watch Sweden, I never watched Sweden,” he says. “I loved Brazil because they were something different. They touched the ball differently, like field hockey where you drag the ball. That was magic and it felt totally different to anything I had seen before.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Issue with Guadiola

Ajax saw off interest from Arsenal, AS Monaco and Verona to sign the player from Malmo. After that came spells – and titles – at Juventus, Inter Milan, AC Milan, Barcelona and Paris St-Germain. Two managers have had the greatest influence on his career: Juventus coach Fabio Capello – “he gave me my winning mentality” – and Jose Mourinho – “[he] turned me from a cat into a lion, dragged things out of me at Inter that no one had done before”.

He also praises Carlo Ancelotti, who managed him at PSG, describing the Italian as “the most fantastic man, almost like a father”.

But his dream move to Barcelona ended in disaster and with a total breakdown in his relationship with Guardiola. “I had a dream to join Barcelona but now I think maybe you should keep your dreams instead of making them come true, because it could have destroyed me.”

For the first few months in Spain, life went well, but then Guardiola stopped communicating. “I still don’t know why, I may never,” Ibrahimovic says.

“I tried to make contact with him – but he didn’t want to speak to me, he was avoiding me. I walked into a room, he was sitting there drinking his coffee. But he got up, didn’t finish his coffee. I thought: ‘I’m not the problem, he is the problem.’ But there were no words, no answers, nothing.

Ibrahimovic’s frustration spilled over after a match with Villarreal. “I screamed out at Guardiola, I was screaming that he had no balls and that it was ridiculous that he did not talk to his player. I kicked over a box in front of him and sent things onto the floor.

“My idea was to get angry so that maybe he would talk to me. But nothing. He picked up the box, put it back and then walked out of the room.”

Everywhere else he has played, Ibrahimovic has been regarded as a hero. In two of the five countries he has played, verbs inspired by him have officially entered the language. In France, the word ‘zlataner’ now officially means “to crush”. In December, the Swedish Language Council registered the verb ‘to zlatan’, meaning to do something audacious or outrageously brilliant. He is more than just a footballer, he is a word, a way of behaving, a way of life.

What goes through his head when he is at the top of his game? “It goes quick, the thinking goes quick,” he says. He pauses as he attempts to explain the inner workings of his mind. “I see pictures of what could happen in two or three steps ahead and I choose one. It is the way I play.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic Biography Facts: Wonder Goal Against England

He still plays with anger pulsing through his veins, but now it is channelled. “First the anger controlled me. Now I control it,” he says. There was anger when he took to the field for a friendly against England in Stockholm last November – anger at the British media who questioned why he had never fulfilled his potential against English sides.

“I scored one, two and then three,” he says, but it was his fourth goal that left mouths agape across the world, as he jumped high into the night air to bicycle-kick a clearance from England goalkeeper Joe Hart into the net from fully 30 yards – a goal that is regarded among the best ever scored.

Was it the best goal of his career? “I think so. It is a goal you don’t repeat often. It is nice when you do something like that and it comes off.”

It was a goal borne of the barefoot brilliance he developed as a child in Rosengard. “It is the way I always wanted to play,” he says. “Why be like everybody else, when you can do something special, different?”

In the hallway of his Malmo mansion, a photograph hangs on a red feature wall. It is not in keeping with the lavish surroundings, it is of two dirty feet – “the feet that have paid for all of this.”

They are the feet that took Ibrahimovic from the depths of a Swedish ghetto to the top of the world.

Listen to the full interview with Ibrahimovic in an hour-long programme on 5 live from 2030 BST on Wednesday.

HE HAS WON SWEDISH FOOTBALLER OF THE YEAR 9 TIMES

A testament to how dominant Ibrahimovic has been, he has won the Guldbollen (Swedish Footballer of the Year) an incredible nine times. He picked up his 9^th award in November of 2014, which was his 8^thconsecutive award with Freddie Ljunberg winning in 2006 after Zlatan’s first award in 2005. After picking up the latest award, Ibrahimovic stated that he was still “living my boyhood dream” and that he wants to win “a lot more”. He also paid tribute to Klas Ingesson and Pontus Segerstrom as well as his brother, all of who recently passed away.

0. THE GRAVEL PITCH HE LEARNT ON HAS BEEN REMADE IN HIS HONOUR

via thefootballmind.com
via thefootballmind.com
Although it may appear like he always has his heads in the clouds, Ibrahimovic never forgets his roots. When he was just a young boy he would practice and learn the game on an old gravel pitch, located just outside his mother’s house. After turning professional, Zlatan and Nike completely remade the pitch with rubber ground and hadthe goals painted in gold. The court in which it is contained is now called the “Zlatan Court”, and will enable a whole new generation to learn the game in better facilities than the Swedish striker did when he was young.
9. HE IS HEAVILY TATTOOED

via petra.de
via petra.de

It is no surprise that Ibrahimovic has a number of tattoos, but he has a number of interesting ones with meanings that give us an insight into “The Zlatan”. He has a large red dragon on his side which is supposed to be a metaphor for his warrior like personality, and similarly he has a Koi fish on his left shoulder which is a fish that swims upstream and goes “against the grain”. He also has the Five Deva Faces Yantra, a Buddhist image representing the elements which is believed to fight off illness. The birthdates of his parents and siblings are tattooed on his wrists, and he also has his sons’ birthday and fathers name on his right arm with his mothers on his left. A few other tattoos are the words “only god can judge me” (a Tupac song) on his ribcage, and the ace of hearts and clubs on his right rib cage which are supposed to represent good luck.
8. HE HAS A BLACK-BELT IN TAEKWONDO

via blick.ch
via blick.ch
Being the sort of player and character he is, Ibrahimovic finds himself in quite a few arguments and fights both with the opposition and teammates. He is one player that you don’t want to get on the wrong side of however, as he became a black-belt in Taekwondo when he was 17 years old in his hometown of Malmo. He also received an honorary black-belt from the Italian Taekwondo team. His martial art abilities also help him on the pitch, as he has a phenomenal ability for acrobatic and overhead kicks despite his size, which has stunned the world with many times (with England being on the receiving end of one extraordinary goal).
7. HE’S MADE MANY ENEMIES

via politiken.dk
via politiken.dk

Although an incredible talent, Zlatan has had clashes with those around him everywhere he has played. This could be as a result of his arrogance, but also goes back to his troubled childhood where he exhibited a fiery temper which he struggles to contain at times.

He has recalled hospitalizing a teammate when he was 13 years old, and he has also had high profile fights with former team-mate Rafael van der Vaart where he injured the Dutchman during an international game, Oguchi Onyewu which left Zlatan with a broken rib and numerous other players. He has also accused former manager Pep Guardiola as being a “coward” with “no balls”. This is one reason why he has played at numerous clubs, and also a reason why some players and fans are not the biggest fan of “The Zlatan”.
6. THERE IS A WAX STATUE OF HIM IN A PARISIAN MUSEUM

via psginfo.fr
via psginfo.fr
Zlatan has been immortalized at the Musée Grévin in Paris with his own wax statue. The statue is of his trademark celebration, both arms raised and pointing to the sky. There is only one other non French player to have their own wax statue in the museum; Brazilian legend Pele, so he is in fine company indeed. This goes to show what an enormous impact he has had on Paris and the entire country of France since arriving at PSG in 2012, and you can be sure that it did wonders for Zlatan’s ego too.
5. HE WAS ELIGIBLE TO PLAY FOR BOSNIA AND CROATIA BUT CHOSE SWEDEN

via eurosport.com
via eurosport.com

Ibrahimovic was born in Sweden to a Bosnian father and Croatian mother, with both parents immigrating to Sweden (where they would meet) when they were younger. This meant that he was eligible to play for Bosnia, Croatia and Sweden, but he would select Sweden as it was his birth country and where he grew up. He would make his international debut in a goalless draw in a friendly against the Faroe Islands in 2001, and would bag his first international goal in the same year in a World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan.

Ibrahimovic has been sensational for Sweden and is their all-time top scorer, but they have not enjoyed much success and missed out on the 2014 World Cup much to the disappointment of Sweden, Zlatan and his fans around the world.
4. HE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK AND IN THE DICTIONARY

via eurosport.com
via eurosport.com
After watching a few interviews with the Swedish striker you will quickly notice one thing; he likes the sound of his own name. So much so, in fact, that he had it trademarked in 2003. With both “Zlatan” and “Zlatan Ibrahimovic” trademarked, it means that he has exclusive rights to the name for products such as clothes, shoes and sporting goods. The term “To Zlatan” has also been added to the Swedish national dictionary and is widely used around the world, with the meaning to dominate or do something with extreme talent.
3. HE IS THE ONLY PLAYER TO HAVE SCORED IN THE CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WITH 6 DIFFERENT CLUBS

via mirror.co.uk
via mirror.co.uk

Zlatan has proven how deadly he is no matter what shirt he is wearing by scoring in Europe’s greatest club competition with six different clubs. Not only does this show that he is a ruthless goal scorer that can play under different managers, but it also demonstrates that all of the top teams in Europe want him in their squad. In the Champions League he has scored for Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan and PSG. Many of these have been stunning goals, but he has never lifted the trophy. PSG will face Chelsea in the last 16, and they will need Ibrahimovic to be at his best if they are to advance.
2. HE HAS THE HIGHEST COMBINED TRANSFER FEE TOTAL IN FOOTBALL HISTORY AT €171 MILLION

via mirror.co.uk
via mirror.co.uk
Ibrahimovic has made a number of high profile switches during his career, and this has led him to top the list when it comes to combined transfer fee totals with a staggering €171 million. He has moved from Malmo FF to Ajax (€7.8m), Ajax to Juventus (€25m), Juventus to Inter Milan (€24.8m), Inter Milan to Barcelona (€69.5m), Barcelona to A.C Milan (€24m), A.C Milan to PSG (€20m). This goes to show what a valuable asset he has been throughout his career, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the fee is higher than what it now by the time he hangs up his boots.
1. HE HAS WON DOMESTIC LEAGUE TITLES AT EVERY TEAM SINCE ARRIVING AT AJAX

via beinsports.tv
via beinsports.tv

Every club that Zlatan has played for since Malmo has lifted the league trophy at some point during his tenure; coincidence? Unlikely. Ibrahimovic has been lethal at every team he has played for, and although all good teams, he has played a huge role in helping them to succeed and top the table. Eleven league titles in 13 years, Zlatan has won two titles with Ajax, two with Juventus (although revoked due to the 2006 Italian Football Scandal), three with Inter Milan, one with Barcelona, one with A.C Milan and the last two with PSG. Few players in the history of the game can claim this much domestic dominance at multiple clubs. Perhaps a Premier League title will be next on his list?