“I dreamed Ronaldo was better than me” – When Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s ex-teammate explained how Sweden superstar panicked over bizarre dream
Zlatan Ibrahimovic once dreamt that Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario was better than him according to his former Juventus teammate Adrian Mutu.
The Swedish icon spent several years dominating European football at the likes of AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain, and Juve. He bagged 496 goals and 205 assists in 827 club games before retiring earlier this year.
Ibrahimovic is renowned for his enigmatic and confident character but it appears he was a little fazed by Ronaldo during the early stages of his career. The Real Madrid hero was wreaking havoc both at club and international level after helping Brazil win the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
It was during Sweden's all-time top goalscorer's two-year spell at Juve when he had somewhat of a nightmare according to Mutu. His former teammate claimed he dreamt that the Madrid legend was better than him back in 2015:
"When we were teammates at Juventus, we used to sleep in the same room before games. One night, he woke up. Ibra told me: Adi, wake up! I had a nightmare. I dreamed Ronaldo was better than me!"
Mutu claims he was able to calm the five-time Serie A champion down by insisting he was the world's greatest:
"He only went back to sleep after I’d told him: No, Zlatan, no! You are the best in the world! Calm down!”
Ibrahimovic carved out an illustrious career that many players can only dream of. He won titles in Italy, Spain, and France. However, he was still thinking about the competition during his sleep it seems.
Ronaldo was one of the world's most incredible forwards, managing 298 goals and 76 assists in 455 club games. He won the Ballon d'Or twice during his career in 1997 and 2002.
Ibrahimovic claims Ronaldo Nazario was the GOAT ahead of Diego Maradona
The Swede recently insisted that 'R9' sits atop the throne of football as the greatest in history. He opted for the Brazilian icon ahead of Argentina's late great Diego Maradona (via The Sun):
"For me, Ronaldo is the 'Phenomenon'. More than Maradona? I have not lived Maradona. Perhaps for other generations it is the strongest of all. But I did see Ronaldo in life and as a child I imitated him. I tried and but I didn't make it, I wasn't as fast as him."
It's intriguing that the Milan legend has admitted to trying to imitate the former Selecao striker. Both were renowned for their tenaciousness in and around the box and made history at club and international level.
However, Maradona was an icon of the game, leaving behind a legacy that has been replicated by Lionel Messi. The Napoli hero bagged 32 goals and 20 assists in 84 caps for Argentina. He won the FIFA World Cup in 1986 and two Serie A titles in 1987 and 1990.