If there’s one player whose personality in his interviews can sometimes overshadow his greatness on the pitch, it is the indomitable, larger than life, Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic who recently said that he’s the one who put France on the map.
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34-year-old Zlatan Ibrahimovic came to Paris Saint Germain in 2012 and France has never been the same again. The Striker who has played for the biggest clubs in Europe is never one to shy away from speaking of his achievements.
According to goal.com, he continued in a similar vein in his latest interview, ahead of Sweden’s Euro 2016 play-off game against rivals Denmark, where he told the world exactly who it was that put France on the map.
“I would love to play in the European Championships in France,” he said. “I’ve had a fantastic time in France and will have great memories when I leave. I put Sweden on the world map and now I’ve put France on the map of the world. I’m very happy for that.”
When the interviewer questioned whether age was catching up with him, he said, “I’m less strong now? I have nine goals and five assists in 10 games — I have better statistics than before.”
“If I’m old and getting weak and doing what I do then imagine what I’d do if I’m young and good. If I’m old and weak and doing what I do, I’m more than happy to continue like this.”
Will Zlatan Put Sweden in France 2016
Sweden finished third in their Euro 2016 qualifying group, behind Austria and Russia and will have to beat their rival Nordic country Denmark, who are 10 places ahead of them in the FIFA world rankings. Zlatan will have a huge role to play in the game as he is the linchpin of the Swedish side and he has the unfortunate record of never scoring against the Danes. But confidence is something he is not lacking in, judging from his latest comments. One can only hope it translates into a great performance on the field too.