Zlatan Ibrahimovic has discussed a number of different topics regarding his career and life away from the field, including his recent appearance at Sanremo.
Speaking on ‘Che tempo che fa’, hosted by Luciana Littizzetto and Fabio Fazio, Ibrahimovic talked about a number of topics including his career, his return to Milan and the idea of a renewal, with his words transcribed by MilanNews.
On the journey to Sanremo: “You can make a film about that day, the only worry I had is that nobody believed me, but I made small clips when he was riding. I weighed a lot more than him, I had to keep in the middle. Some still don’t believe me.”
On the biker: “I was sorry, I didn’t have much time to talk. When we arrived the only thing he asked for was a photo, but I was in a hurry.”
On Sanremo: “It was a great experience, I didn’t know what awaited me. They told me that everything will be fine and that I had to be myself.”
On music: “I won a gold record in Sweden, with the national anthem.”
On Milan: “I’m Zlatan. I have many responsibilities, I feel like a leader. This team is the only one where I get excited with them. I want to teach a lot and be a guide. When I speak they say ‘ok, we do it’. Today I wanted to be in Verona, I feel too much inside. How much I spend a day without them is like a day without my children.”
On the final evening of the Sanremo Festival, Zlatan Ibrahimovic dedicated a motivational speech to the audience and gave a gift to the two organisers.
On the Sanremo speech: “It comes naturally, when I enter the Festival stage I don’t want to know the questions, it has to come naturally. It’s Zlatan’s explanation, it’s not a joke, it’s the truth ”.
On his past: “As a kid I was short, up to 16 years old. I had problems with my back.”
On Van Basten: “I played with many high-level players… When I signed for Ajax they put too much pressure on me, they expected the same things as Van Basten, but I was not at his level. He is a complete player, who made history and is among the best of all time.”
On Maradona: “Icon of football. I saw him live.”
On the word ‘Zlatanè’: “When you dominate a person in one way or another. So you did the Zlatané.”
On his intelligence: “I have a vision. I think the situation will end, I see things that I think will happen and I feel them.”
The Swede also offered some jokes about the renewal: “If Maldini wants, just call me, he has my number.”
On Gattuso: “I called him yesterday to have him send a message to my son, because Rino is his favorite player, he likes him so much for his determination and mentality. Once I put him in a bin, but I was joking.”
On Galliani: “I love him too much, I have a strong relationship. In Barcelona I was not happy and he took me to Milan and my smile returned. Before being transferred to PSG I wanted to have a meeting with him and I asked him not to call me for all summer. Two days before the end of the market he phoned me and sent me to Paris, and in the end it went well. But I haven’t talked to him for a few months.”
On the Scudetto: “There are still many matches, everything is possible. Inter have only one match a week and have more time to recover. My job is to win trophies, and I came to Milan to win.”
