Not too long ago, Zlatan Ibrahimovic was a big puzzle for the English media. They just could not understand the hype surrounding the big Swede even though he had won things wherever he had gone. Ibrahimovic and Jose Mourinho worked together for the first time at Inter Milan. Mourinho then tried to take on Manchester United with Ibrahimovic as his main striker. He fell short and Ibrahimovic’s poor record against English teams was once again highlighted.
Fast forward almost a decade, Ibrahimovic is revered as one of the greatest forwards in the history of the game. The mentality of media towards Ibrahimovic started to change after his four goals against England a few years ago. Mourinho has tried to enhance Ibrahimovic’s reputation even further by offering a small insight into the kind of dedication the Swede gives to a team.
Mourinho has revealed that he had planned to give Ibrahimovic a mini holiday during September in order to keep him in the best possible condition. At 35 years of age, Ibrahimovic needs to be maintained if he is to be available for the big matches. Yet, September was a month of a travesty for United as they went from one defeat to another. The 3-1 loss against Watford was especially a low point in Mourinho’s time at United so far. It was the third consecutive defeat suffered by the team in all competitions.
Ibrahimovic was due a three-day holiday just after the Watford match. After witnessing the team’s latest slump, Mourinho has revealed how Ibrahimovic offered himself to be available for the EFL Cup match against Northampton Town. United ended up winning the game 3-1 only after Ibrahimovic came on as a substitute in the second half. According to Manchester Evening News, Mourinho said:
“I don’t know whether leader is the right word or not but I know he is an example for sure. He is fantastic.
“There was one episode that I can tell you where he was supposed not to play against Northampton.
“But because the match before that we lost he came to me and told me that he didn’t want his three days off that I was supposed to give him.
“He said I want to go to that match because maybe the team needs me.”
It remains to be seen if the lack of a break would impact on Ibrahimovic’s availability later on in the campaign. After a brilliant start to his United career with goals in the Community Shield and the first few games of the season, Ibrahimovic has been showing signs of a slowdown. It was to be expected from a 35-year-old striker.
Mourinho has always been a fan of a selfless player; when such an attitude gets infused with outrageous talent, it may just be the best combination ever. It is not a surprise that Mourinho made Ibrahimovic as one of his first signings upon taking over at Manchester United. The only surprise is that the Portuguese did not make any concrete effort to take the big Swede to his previous clubs – Real Madrid and Chelsea.
After a sparkling career that has seen him play for Ajax, Inter Milan, Barcelona, Juventus, AC Milan, Paris St Germain and Manchester United, the Champions League remains the only missing element from his trophy cabinet.
