Zlatan Ibrahimovic XI: 10 best players he has played with
Some call him a maverick and some call him outrightly arrogant and crazy. Call him what you want but, no one and yes, no one can deny the fact that he is one of the best centre forwards of his generation. A player who has stayed at the top of his game for almost a decade is surely no mug or a lucky chap from your local Sunday league.Zlatan Ibrahimovic is arguably Sweden’s greatest footballer and also one of the best players to grace this game. He has played for all the big clubs in Spain, Italy and France. He has unique distinction of being in FifPro XI and winning the Puskas Trophy in the same year. Ibra is one of the few players who can create something out of nothing with their brilliance and always have that one spectacular moment in their arsenal.He is a player who is an absolute treat to watch, even when he is not performing up to the mark. And as we say in his own style, ‘No one can #DaretoZlatan.’ Here is the best XI of Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s teammates where Ibra will be the 11th man in the side.
#1 Substitutes
A journeyman that Ibra has been over the years, it is indeed a difficult task to find a right XI. But what is more difficult than finding a starting lineup is the bench, they’re the players who have narrowly missed out of this illustrious XI.
Victor Valdes (FC Barcelona): The former Barcelona stopper was the obvious choice as the reserve keeper. He maybe one of the most decorated goalkeepers of the all time, but he is still some way short of getting into Ibra’s XI.
Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain): The Brazilian is arguably the best centre-half in the world at the moment. But he had some stiff competition from some erstwhile legends that are greater in profile and also greater in terms of success achieved. Sadly, he can only manage a spot on the bench.
Marco Materazzi (Inter Milan): The versatile Italian defender was in his prime circa 2005-2007. He won two Scudetti with Inter and also the biggest prize on earth – the FIFA World Cup in 2006. He too only makes the bench.
Andrea Pirlo (AC Milan): The legendary Italian is on the bench for the only reason that when he played with Ibrahimovic at AC Milan, he had a disastrous season by his standards. His differences with Allegri and the manager’s favouritism towards Marco van Bommel, made him leave the Italian giants in the very next season.
Esteban Cambiasso (Inter Milan): The dynamic central midfielder was part of the famous Inter Milan side which won three Scudettis on the trot under Roberto Mancini.
Wesley Sneijder (Ajax): Sneijder was part of the famed Ajax side of early 2000s which was known for its flamboyance and maverick-like attitude. Sneijder, along with Rafael Van der Vaart, had a good chemistry with Ibrahimovic, despite Zlatan’s fallout with the latter.
Henrik Larsson (Sweden): The Swedish legend is considered by many to be one of best Swedish centre forwards of all time. He is only bettered by none other than his compatriot, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.