Marco Verratti: Zlatan Ibrahimovic compared himself to Jesus to inspire PSG to Ligue 1 title
Paris Saint-Germain midfielder Marco Verratti has said that talismanic striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s immense self-belief played a key role in the club winning their first league title in almost two decades.The 33-year-old scored 33 goals during that season and was named player of the year in that season.
Verratti revealed that the Swede had claimed that he was Jesus and added that some of his skills that one gets to see in the match is the result of the hard work that he has put in during training sessions.
"We are starting to get used to the amazing goals he scores.Some of the plays you see him do during a match – they don't just happen. He works on everything in training. He has co-ordination and creativity that very few players have. Even Ibra has got us used to his amazing goals!,“ Verratti told FFT.
The 22-year-old Italian also said that everybody at the club was quite tensed during the final stages of the league that year, but conceded that things changed when Ibrahimovic had a word with the then manager Carlo Ancelotti.
"Before winning the 2012/13 league title, we were getting ready to play against Lyon. Carlo Ancelotti was a bit tense, so Ibra approached him and asked him if he believed in Jesus. Ancelotti said yes, so Ibra told him: 'Good, so you believe in me. You can relax!' Zlatan is like this – he has a lot of self-confidence. This helps him to be a great player," Verratti said.
The French giants will take on Chelsea in the round of 16 of the Champions League on February 18th.