Zlatan Ibrahimovic blasts Pep Guardiola, praises Jose Mourinho in new autobiography
Zlatan Ibrahimovic playing for PSG
PSG striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has hit out at former Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola but heaped praise on Jose Mourinho in his revealing book “I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic”.
The PSG star worked under both the managers during his stints at Barcelona and Inter Milan respectively, and stated that the managers are very different from each other.
According to a Daily Mail report, Ibrahimovic has claimed Pep Guardiola made his life in Barcelona a living hell, comparing the Spaniard to a “brick wall”.
The player recalled a showdown with the Barca coach in his book: “I yelled (at Guardiola), ‘You haven’t got any balls!’ and worse than that I added, ‘You’re ******** yourself in front of Mourinho. You can go to hell!”
Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho received glowing praise from Ibrahimovic when he was under him at Inter. He said of Mourinho:
“Jose Mourinho is a big star. He’d been my manager at Inter. He’s nice. The first time he met my partner Helena, he whispered to her: ‘Helena, you have only one mission: feed Zlatan, let him sleep, keep him happy.’ That guy says whatever he wants. I like him. He’s the leader of his army. But he cares, too. He would text me all the time at Inter, wondering how I was doing. He’s the exact opposite of Pep Guardiola.
“If Mourinho lights up a room, Guardiola draws the curtains. I guessed that Guardiola was trying to match up to him.
“Mourinho would become a guy I was basically willing to die for.”
The player has had a roller coaster ride in football. He started his career with his home town club Malmo FC as a 15-year-old and joined Dutch club Ajax in 2001 for a record £7.7 million fee, after rejecting Arsenal‘s approach in 2000. Juventus secured his services in 2004 for £14 million and he scored 16 goals for the Italian club in his debut season.
The Swede joined Inter Milan in 2006 for £21 million, where he won three Serie A titles under Jose Mourinho’s leadership. Barcelona had a bid accepted for the player in 2009, with £39 million and Samuel Eto’o going the other way. Ibrahimovic won the La Liga during his lone season with the Spanish giants.
He then joined AC Milan for £21 million, where he was a part of the squad that won the Serie A after seven years.
Ibrahimovic currently plays for French outfit PSG, with whom he won Ligue 1 last season.