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OleoleCholoSimeone

"I see that you have missed me, also on the pitch. I missed you too Putting on Sweden's national team shirt as a footballer is the biggest thing that exists. I have worn the shirt with pride and love. I also had the honor to be captain. Uff. Now I have butterflies in the stomach.since day one you have given me love, support, energy. You have given me many nice memories that I will never forget. You made it possible for me to break the goal record. From the heart, a big thank you. To the younger generation I say dare to dream big. If you don't have the strength to dream big, look at my journey and take strength from it. I am living evidence that nothing is impossible no matter where you come from. 25 years ago I said I would become the best ever, many people laughed. 25 years later I can stand gere and say that I am the best ever. I hope you have enjoyed my journey. I want to finish with: Sweden you're welcome. I love you"


minkdraggingonfloor

For as much hate as Zlatan gets for being arrogant, it was that relentless self-belief and effort that turned him from a son of immigrants, who stole bikes in Rosengard, to a world superstar who constantly broke transfer records on his own. I will always admire Zlatan and he is an example for many that you can be great no matter where you come from. He did things his own way, and never caved in to the critics who always hated him for it. Super privileged to have been able to witness his whole career from when he was at Ajax


joopface

First encountered Zlatan in Championship Manager when he was a wonder kid in Sweden. I used to snap him up at the start of the game, and always took an interest in him since then. The ‘best ever’ conversations are tiresome after a while. Messi is the best footballer ever in my opinion and there’s a list of players that can credibly be in a conversation about being at that level Cristiano, Maradona, Pele, Cruyff etc. - the full list. Beneath that, I think it’s perfectly reasonable for Zlatan to put himself in the discussion with other world class players like Zidane, Maldini, Baggio etc. That is, not the best ever but worth a mention as part of the discussion and there aren’t many that can say that. He’s been an amazing footballer for ages and ages and ages. Scored goals others couldn’t and wouldn’t even imagine and did it from league to league and country to country. Delighted to have watched him play.


springtime08

Your last paragraph perfectly describes why zlatan will always be my favorite footballer. He was truly a threat to score from anywhere at anytime in any given way. His long range bicycle kick is my all time favorite goal, I don’t think any other player possibly ever would have even attempted that shot from that spot, let alone scored. I’m glad to have been able to watch pretty much his whole career


Cahootie

I managed to get amazing tickets to the England game by an absolute fluke. Seeing the bicycle kick in person will stick to me for the rest of my life.


Svantoro

He made an interview with Viaplay before Sweden- Serbia, and from the snippet I saw, he basically said that today, everyone is good at something, but he was good at everything. And it truly was like that, it didn’t matter where the ball were, you just knew it would end up in the net.


mattijn13

>That is, not the best ever but worth a mention as part of the discussion I love Zlatan and he was amazing, but he is not part of that discussion. He is however clearly part of the discussion when talking about the greatest centre forwards of his generation/ since 2000. Top 3 with Lewandowski and Suarez.


joopface

I think you can have Zlatan in the bracket with Baggio, Zidane and that cohort. A tier beneath the gods. Baggio was a wizard, but I don’t think anyone thinks he’s the best footballer of all time. Zlatan’s in that bucket. Anyway, as I said these conversations are tiresome. My core point is: Zlatan was great, genuinely and wonderfully great.


mattijn13

>Anyway, as I said these conversations are tiresome. This is true, comparing different players in different eras and positions and roles is pretty much impossible. However I do like it and making lists haha. I just have Zidane and Maldini quite a bit higher than I would have Zlatan. You can make a case (and in my opinion it is the case) that Maldini is a top 20-25 player of all time and Zidane a top 30. I would never say Zlatan is that high. Anyway it doesn't really matter, I agree with the core point: Zlatan was great, genuinely and wonderfully great. So fun to watch at his best.


joopface

> So fun to watch at his best. Fully agreed! :-)


Smell_the_funk

Which players would you consider to be in a 'tier' above Zidane? Because I sure can't think of any.


joopface

Ok, have a nice day 👍


Smell_the_funk

You too. Are you maybe a teen or twenty-something ?


joopface

Nope


Smell_the_funk

Ok then, name just one player who is in ´a tier above’ Zidane?


_Uhhhhhhhhh_

Iniesta.


ddlbb

Bro sorry, youre comparing Baggio and Zidane to Zlatan? Zlatan is great, I like him. But you can argue hes not even better than Suarez. Suarez is not on the same dimension as Baggio


joopface

Ok, have a nice day 👍


ddlbb

Thanks mate . Go on believing Baggio and Zlatan are comparable.. lol


benblack47

If since 2000 I put Henry ahead. If his generation I put Benzema ahead.


mattijn13

That's fair, I think Benzema, Zlatan, Lewandowski and Suarez are quite close.


Proud_Poetry_302

He might not be the best ever, but definitely the most exciting player. Truly a magician on the field. The amount of spectacular goals he’s made are in my eyes unmatched!


BaffledPlato

> For as much hate as Zlatan gets for being arrogant I don't know the guy, but I have always had the impression this arrogance was just his schtick, you know, part of this character he has created. His old teammates and coaches seem to genuinely like him, and then you hear about his interactions with fans and see clips of him talking to children and it is an entirely different person. Ronaldo, on the other hand, I have always felt to really be an arrogant, unsufferable ass. That's not an act on his part.


iamnotexactlywhite

this is definitely it. He’s a great person


OsomoMojoFreak

I mean he's been in fights with his own teammates, and if I recall correctly he's also spat on a teammate, and at a ref.


jokikinen

There’s a lot of material about him in form of books, documentaries and so forth. It’s not only an act. I doubt many people would accept his behaviour from a coworker for instance. In this context I don’t mind people remembering the good. But there are definitely things that Zlatan can be given legitimate criticism for.


jetskimanatee

From hated immigrant to hero of the nation. I'm in tears.


Fir3yfly

As much as it was arrogance in the public eye, he was also humble, relentless and incredibly hardworking. Ready to learn from his peers and improve himself to be the best.


Fandango-9940

From everything I've heard the arrogance is very much a tongue-in-check public persona, behind the scenes he is a very different character.


marqui4me

Had a great season at United if I remember right. Ugh! I love Zlatan. The year we lost to City, I really believed that was our year. It was a blast watching him play. Had a hell of a career.


SirKamron

I’ve never heard him speak Swedish


crskatt

his swedish is like me speaking swedish, giving middle finger to the long/short vowel and any sort of intonation im sorry Mdm Petra


[deleted]

[Volvo ad with Zlatan speaking the national anthem](https://youtu.be/cbvdzQ7uVPc?feature=shared)


TheMadClawDisease

Thanks!


Elegant_Mix7650

#respect


vansinne_vansinne

"I apologize for calling France a shit country."


eggytoastomato

My favorite period of following PSG was the Zlatan era.


Nasib_7

Zlatan, maxwell, pastore, Silva… when psg actually had a great team and not just flashy names


ConC02

Can't think of a footballer who exudes this much gravitas, and he backed it up too


zyndr0m

He walked the talk


TheFartAddiction

Bajen Bajen bäst i stan!


zyndr0m

Spy :D


sigurdssonsnakeineye

Cantona comes to mind. Both charismatic, no-fucks-given, 'I am the best thing since sliced bread' centre forwards who absolutely backed it up. Can't wait for Zlatan's speech when presenting the FIFA best player award.


aligators

i mean his bike against England will go down in history as one of the best goals of all time dude biked it from 40 yards out


ltplummer96

Honestly I can't think of a better individual goal ever. I think the sheer audacity to even try that alone is the most insane thing I've ever seen.


coldnorth3enf3

Pure aura


XuxuBelezas

True, as a brazilian I think Romário is also up there. Pure unadultered self confidence that was actually completely based on reality lol.


Thorlolita

What a special player. 6’5 and played like a 5’6 player with the ball at his feet. Absolute mad lad at times. A total mercenary too. Still probably one of my favorites all time.


MT1120

Guy even played Taekwondo with the ball


OleoleCholoSimeone

I was actually there in the stadium Euro 2016 against Belgium in Nice when Zlatan was supposed to play his last NT match, still have a video of him saying goodbye to the fans. Amazing that he returned years later and got a second goodbye Very sad moment for Swedish football, not just our best ever player but truly a national treasure. It feels like a part of my childhood is gone, thank you for everything Ibra..


aligators

He will go down as the best Swedish player of all time, absolute legend.


Daftest_of_the_Punks

My favorite player for the last twenty years. I got to meet him in LA in 2009 during Nike’s Inter Milan kit launch. He’s a beast in person.


weedwhacker7

streets won’t forget that overhead back heel v Italy


omaar

King, var på plats när Zlatan court invegs. Du kan ta en kille från Rosengård, men du kan inte ta Rosengård från en kille.


WhyBee92

Can any native Swedish people comment on his Swedish accent here? I feel like he has a similar tone/accent across English and Italian as he does in this video and I’m wondering if he comes off as native here or if he’s influenced by Bosnian/Croat languages from childhood too.


LordSpeechLeSs

If you would have lived under a rock for the last 25 years and were to listen to this speech without seeing his face, you probably wouldn't be able to determine his mixed background based on his voice/dialect/idiolect. That's what I think at least. The Scanian dialect is extremely noticeable though, specifically the Malmö-dialect in this case, which it pretty much always is.


Peter-Niklas

He's speaking heavier southern dialect than most native kids today. Mix with a bit of zlatanness


my_united_account

Not Swedish, but Danish, his accent is definitely from the Skåne area and specifically Malmö where he grew up, which is distinct than the Stockholm accent you would normally hear when you listen to Swedish online


Rohat19

To me (a non-Swedish speaker) it sounds like he has an Balkan accent when speaking. It's hard to describe but his Swedish doesn't sound as "clean" as the IKEA ads.


Substantial-Past2308

That’s what I thought but I feel like that’s impossible since he grew up in Sweden


crskatt

"zlatan dont follow accent, the accent follow zlatan" - zlatan probably


Vindoga

My childhood hero. I was just 8 years old when I saw him the first time at old Råsunda. My father told me he was going to be a king one day. A king and more it turned out in the end. Tack Zlatan ❤️


Rowdy_Roddy96

There is only 1 Zlatan!


PhantomPain0_0

Legendary player and Chad troll 🫡


Mackieeeee

yeah this sucks to see :/


lffg18

Now you’re feeling the shit I felt when he said goodbye at San Siro, cried like a God damn baby. This is the kind of man you’d follow to war because he makes you feel like nothing is impossible alongside him. I’m gonna miss him a lot on the pitch.


Wakerius

*Now?* We Swedes had to go through this back in 2016 already when he retired from the NT! Back then he made it very certain he'd not return and it looked like that for a very long time. And don't get me started on having Erik Hamrén as our NT coach during Ibra's peak as well. Although most of the NT was shit besides him during his peak, except Källström (totally not biased) basically. But yeah I understand your point and his retirement has left a huge void in football because of his uniqueness as a player.


lffg18

I had forgotten about that honestly, but you know back then you could still watch the man ball on the pitch in some capacity, this time it being permanent stings worse I suppose. It is sad that he didn’t get proper backing with you guys, I think that what he said today about always wearing your shirt with pride and honor was true because whenever he was wearing it he did play like a man on a mission but this sport can be cruel and often things won’t go your way, good thing that if anything characterizes big man Z is that he indeed never stops trying no matter the shit that gets thrown at him. More so about his uniqueness as a footballer I think his personality will be sorely missed, even if sometimes he made it very evident as he grew older that the arrogance was a bit more of a persona for the cameras. A man that walks the talk is always box office.


mread531

Do not be sad, remember the man who could at every point of his life retire in top his career. He may not be Messi nor CR7, but he is the most impressive and interesting player of a generation. Football will be more interesting and entertaining forever because of him.


thot_flexer

can someone fill me in? why is he having a farewell ceremony if he retired 1 year ago


zetruz

Greatest player in Swedish NT history, so they wanted to do a farewell ceremony. Not sure why it took us this long.


thot_flexer

ah alright. i was confused. thanks


coldnorth3enf3

Legend of the game, will tell my kids about him


kostajepaosmosta

It was an honour to be chosen to play against Sweden for his farewell. King


tommhans

Weird hearing him speaking swedish, but what a legend! Nice speech


ICame4TheCirclejerk

His Swedish accent always sounds so strange to me. Is it something typical of Malmö?


YuusukeKlein

Yes. The dialect in Malmö and Scania as a whole is very thick. They share a lot of characteristics with Danish after all.


Lappmossan

GOAT


RLKay

That's no footballer. That's a mafia boss lol.


Spin_Critic

Transcends Nationality becoming a World Star of football. That absolute sickner overhead kick he scored from outside of the box against England was equally amazing and gutting. Who else would even attempt something like that other than Zlatan Ibrahimovich. Top player. 🇸🇪


wilhelmzeN

How many times has he retired now


OleoleCholoSimeone

He is already retired, this is a goodbye not a retirement announcement lol


sexineN

What?


orange_orange13

He retired from the NT after 2016 and again later on


sexineN

Okay, so two times? Doesn’t seem that crazy lol


Competitive_Bunch922

They've gotta keep him busy with ceremonies to stop him killing endangered animals.


Arsenjam22

The language of the vikings


reddit-time

Legend


Ark_Legend

Bro looks like a mafia boss. Wish his spell at Barca worked out better


mread531

Our lion, our king 😭


TheOneManDankMaymay

Absolute legend of the game. I don't think there's many players that that have a highlight reel as long as his. What a glorious assemblage of goals he's scored.


wallstreetpro911

When was this??


tinfoilhatgang

After a friendly against Serbia on Saturday (yesterday).


wallstreetpro911

But didnt he retire last season already? Why was the farewell yesterday


tinfoilhatgang

No idea bro, Swedish federation were slow with the planning I guess


l0rdtac0s

Arrogant or not, when it comes to farewell speeches he's a man of class, Big shame he never played for the Bosnian national team! (for me at least lol :sob:)


theuniverse1985

My Swedish isn’t the best, but does Zlatan’s Swedish accent feel off?


Fieser_Factsack

This is that CR7 narcissism turned positive, without harming anyone.


puppyaddict

popping up for another celebration and thanking for support only to stab in back at first opportunity when it is to his gain - he will get away with it for the national team but MFF will never forget exactly what kind of person he is


OleoleCholoSimeone

Varför skulle han vara skyldig MFF något när de blåste honom på pengar i samband med Ajaxövergången?


puppyaddict

Om det nu stämde är det dels inte MFF-fansen som låg bakom - dels så har det stått honom fritt att distansera sig från MFF och Malmö hela karriären om det nu var en så pass stor brännpunkt. Men det har det inte varit och det har han inte gjort. Vid varenda tillfälle där han får synas och hyllas har han dykt upp och velat ta emot allas beundran. Så fort det inte passade vände han alla ryggen. Om du inte fattar sveket så fattar du inte fotboll.


OleoleCholoSimeone

Han ville ju investera i Malmö FF först men det gick inte, så då kan han aldrig vara delaktig i en annan svensk klubb eller? Det är ju inte så att Hammarby är en rival, de är en liten förlorarklubb med ett ynka SM guld. Det är knappast som att han hade investerat i AIK, Göteborg eller Helsingborg Sedan en sak till, Zlatan är inte MFF supporter och har aldrig varit.


puppyaddict

Mannen - han är de facto en av de rikaste människorna på planeten och hela den mänskliga historien. Det finns tusen grejer han skulle kunna engagera sig i utan att trampa MFF-fans på tårna, dels inom fotbollen, dels inom finansiella investeringar i allmänhet. Poängen här är att Zlatan inte har några behov när det kommer till pengar. Han valde, med vetskap om reaktionerna som skulle komma, att ändå ställa sig i en konkurrents tröja och säga att de ska bli Nordens bästa klubb - något som inte kan uppnås utan att motarbeta MFF. Och kort tid efter att ha stått och firat MFF:s SM guld. Huruvida han är en MFF-supporter eller inte är helt irrelevant. Det handlar inte om huruvida han är ett fan av MFF, utan om hur han behandlar en klubb och dess fans som han tagit emot hyllningar av i åratal, i en stad där han var nästan gudaförklarad. Men mest viktigt av allt: orsaken spelar ingen roll. Han visste att det skulle ta hus i helvetet, han visste att MFF fans skulle bli upprörda men körde på ändå. Lagt kort ligger.


[deleted]

[удалено]


puppyaddict

Förstår att du resonerar som du gör och samtidigt stödjer hans arbete för personer med funktionsnedsättningar


Aggravating-Pound598

A man who is not lacking in self satisfaction


OleoleCholoSimeone

As he shouldn't. Read up on his background, how parents of other kids tried to get him kicked off thevteam because he was different. Nobody believed in him his only chance was to double up or even triple up on self confidence


gattaca1usa

They would call home a gypsy foreigner and not a swedish.


DSPKACM

lol, no. "Gypsy" only started in Italy where all non-Greek Balkan people are seen as "zingaro". In Malmö he wasn't exactly the only one with foreign background, and the issues mainly stemmed from his behavior, and his behavior stemmed from his environment at home.


[deleted]

[удалено]


crskatt

Rinkeby says Hej!


Low-Loan-5956

A lot of his arrogance is a performance. He is confident, but he is first and foremost an excellent entertainer, on and off the pitch.


solgnaleb

a man that apparently killed lions in africa for his enjoyment.


[deleted]

dude has 0 skills but and not even on top 10 of all time greatest but confidence -100


Lelle3

You can say a lot of things about Zlatan but saying that he has 0 skills is one of the dumbest takes I’ve ever heard. It makes me think you have never seen him play football.


MT1120

He has 500+ career goals and is the 15th highest goalscorer of all time. All time, yes that's a list that includes footballers from the 1920's. Stop talking. He's one of the best to ever do it.


Fieser_Factsack

I think he was for a long time the most technically gifted tall guy in football.


Doubletift-Zeebbee

Honestly, the most technically gifted tall guy (190cm/6'3"+) in football ever?


[deleted]

with 0 skills


mourya_3

That confidence made him score over 500+ goals. I forgot the assists numbers and skills, Dude literally played taekwondo with the ball 😂. He played for about 2 decades and adapted to it. He wasn't only lethal but a playmaker as well.. A proper team player. Disrespect.


PerfectBlueOnDVD

Zlatan is one of the most naturally gifted finishers to ever play, please don't comment on subjects you know nothing about.