AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is no stranger to controversy and judging by his recent remarks, the Swede is far from burying his hatchet with Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola.
Ibrahimovic was traded to Barcelona in the summer of 2009 after it became apparent that striker Samuel Eto’o had become surplus to requirements in the Catalan dressing room.
At the time Guardiola believed that Ibrahimovic was the answer to all the club’s troubles. He was for a short period of time until injury and subsequent bench warming soured their relationship to the point that communication between the two was non existent.
That is when the trouble started. Allegations and counter allegations were thrown from all angles which eventually led to Ibra leaving Barcelona after only one season.
Ibrahimovic then joined Milan and was largely responsible for the side winning their first Serie A title in 6 years at the end of the 2010/2011 season. Ibra’s latest controversial remarks come from his autobiography where he explains in detail how he slammed Barca coach Pep Guardiola after their Champions League elimination to Inter (his former club) in the 2009/2010 season.
According to Swedish publication Aftonbladet, Ibra told Guardiola that he was afraid of then Inter coach Mourinho and the he could ‘go to hell’.
“I yelled to him: ‘You have no balls!’ And probably worse things than that. And I added: ‘You are sh***ing yourself about Mourinho! You can go to hell!’ I was completely mad. If I were Guardiola, I would have been frightened,” Ibrahimovic writes.
In what is considered to be a bare it all book, Ibrahimovic also revealed his true feelings on fellow team mates Andres Iniesta, Lionel Messi and Xavi calling the trio school boys.
“The atmosphere in the dressing room was way too quiet for me. Messi, Iniesta and Xavi always obeyed without protesting. They were like schoolboys. I’m not like that and I couldn’t be myself.”
Ibrahimovic then went on to say that Guardiola barely had time for him or his thoughts.
“Messi asked to be played in another position. He wanted to play as centre forward and got his way. I didn’t have a relationship with the coach. He hardly looked at me.”
Now, we have all heard the saying, where there is smoke, there definitely is fire. This is not the first time i am hearing former Barcelona players complaining about the treatment they received when Guardiola took over.
Eto’o said, Deco said it, recently Yaya Toure said it and now Ibrahimovic has come clean on his relationship with Guardiola. I am not drawing any conclusions, but seriously, all these players cannot be lying. Do you think Ibrahimovic is to blame for poor stint with the Catalan giants?
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