Marc Wilmots, Belgium coachThey had to open up, so that's why we defended a bit deeper. We stuck to our plan. Both teams attacked and tactically we were better on the counter. It must have been a difficult watch for people with heart problems.I said bravo to Zlatan Ibrahimović for his career. I was a player myself and know how difficult it is when you finish with the national team. You have to be careful with him because he is very intelligent. Sometimes he drops deep and is then one on one against a central defender. They were obliged to open
Tag: ibrahimovic
Stars of UEFA EURO 2016: Zlatan Ibrahimović
At a glanceIbrahimović's ten (and counting) Swedish player of the year awards speak for themselves. That haul, as well as his 62 international goals, is a national record. The impressive feats don't end on the pitch, though, Ibrahimović having sold 830,000 copies of his autobiography – proof, if it were needed, of his hero status in his homeland. At club level, the Blågult captain has won league titles in the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and France.EURO pedigreeIbrahimović got his first taste of major tournament football in 2002, when he came on as a substitute at the FIFA World Cup finals. Two years later he was a starter, scoring in ...
Ibrahimović calls on Paris to take ‘the next step’
It was another UEFA Champions League victory over Chelsea but this time it felt more significant than the one 12 months ago, an irresistible sign that this Paris Saint-Germain side could indeed answer the post-match call from Zlatan Ibrahimović and take the next step to greatness.Ibrahimović's challenge to his team-mates after his show-stopping performance on another thrilling west London occasion was to use their 4-2 aggregate win to take them to the next level. "Today we did well, but let's see what happens in the quarter-finals," he said after the Ligue 1 club's 2-1 second-leg triumph. "If we do well there, then it looks good."The Sweden captain believes Laurent Blanc's...
Trap insists Ireland ready for Ibrahimovic threat
Updated: Thursday, 15 Aug 2013 17:26 | Comments Zlatan Ibrahimovic in action against Ireland in March Giovanni Trapattoni insists Ireland can handle the threat of Zlatan Ibrahimovic in next month's crucial World Cup qualifier against Sweden in Dublin. While Ireland were playing out a goalless bore draw against Wales in Cardiff last night, Paris St Germain striker Ibrahimovic was sending an ominous reminder of his attacking gifts by scoring a hat-trick in Sweden's 4-2 win over Norway. Trapattoni was forced into defensive alterations in Cardiff with keeper David Forde and defenders Sean St Ledger and Richard Dunne unavailable. While the Italian is trying to keep a positive outlook, Forde and St Ledger face a race against time to prove their fitness for the Group
Wenger has no regrets over Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Arsene Wenger says he does not regret the decision to ask Zlatan Ibrahimovic to undergo a trial with Arsenal despite missing out on one of the world's finest strikers. PA PhotosZlatan Ibrahimovic scores a stunning overhead kick to seal Sweden's 4-2 victory over England • Blog: Ibra, the Marmite Man• Arsenal v Tottenham preview Wenger welcomed a youthful Ibrahimovic to the Arsenal training ground more than a decade ago, but the forward ultimately ended up moving to Ajax as he told the Gunners boss: "Zlatan doesn't do trials." Ibrahimovic told journalists in France this week that he "then gave me one of his funny Wenger looks". Wenger said at his press conference: "He was here at the training ground many years ago, but he went somewhere else
Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I turned down Arsenal trial
Zlatan Ibrahimovic says he turned down the chance to move to Arsenal when he was a teenager because boss Arsene Wenger wanted him to go through a trial. Zlatan's 13-minute hat-trick v Palermo Ibrahimovic, 30, met up with Wenger in 2000 to discuss a possible move to north London, but was not impressed when asked to prove himself. The AC Milan striker told The Sun: ''Arsene gave me the famous red and white jersey - the No. 9 shirt with Ibrahimovic on it and I was so pleased I even posed for a picture wearing it. ''It was a fantastic moment for me. Arsenal had a great team then and here was an Arsenal shirt made just for me. So then I waited for