ZLATAN IBRAHIMOVIC HAS revealed the quality of football in the Premier League was exactly as he expected it when he signed for Manchester United — overrated.
After leaving his native Sweden, Ibrahimovic played four seasons in the Netherlands’ Eredivisie, seven seasons in Italy’s Serie A, four seasons in France’s Ligue 1 and a year in Spain’s LaLiga, winning 12 domestic titles in total.
The 116-cap Sweden international finally made the move to the English top flight in July 2016, aged 34, and he explained how he anticipated he would need to adjust to English football.
Ibrahimovic netted 17 goals in 28 games during his first season at Old Trafford and the striker, now at LA Galaxy in the United States’ Major League Soccer, can only imagine what would have happened had he arrived in Manchester 10 years earlier.
“It was exactly like I thought it was,” Ibrahimovic told the Mirror.
“It was very hyped, it was very intense, the pace was very high, it was good but the quality is a bit overrated.
“Overrated from a technical point of view. But it is high pace and intense and if you cannot handle those two things, you cannot survive.
I don’t regret not having longer in the Premier League. I think everything that happens was meant to happen.
“The only thing is imagine if I came ten years before I came.
“It would be a different story. But I am more sorry for the fans for not coming earlier, because they would have seen a different animal.”
Ibrahimovic revealed he could have made the move to England in 2011 after falling out of favour at Barcelona, but decided to return to Italy with AC Milan rather than join Manchester City.
“I had the chance to go to City when I was at Barcelona but after that moment in Barcelona, I needed to find happiness,” Ibrahimovic added.
Going back to Italy, I was happy in Italy and I knew I would be happy if I go back and I didn’t know if I would be happy if I go to City because it’s a different challenge.
“It would have been a new club, which Milan also was.
“But I knew the city because I had three years at Inter, I knew the country, so I took a little bit of a safe card.”
Subscribe to our new podcast, The42 Rugby Weekly, here:
It really is people from outside the club who are concerned about his dry spell. 17 goals 7 assists & well in the hunt for the golden boot again
@samstheman: his finishing and awareness of players around him recently has been shocking, pressure?
Even when Salah hits a dry patch the opposition are fixated on him!
Liverpool are Top of the Premiership, and in the quarter finals of the Champion’s League!
Slow news day?
@Battaz: tbf its not news but for salah to come out of his dry spell( if ya can call it that) would be a massive boost for lfc. While their in a great posistion city still there and augero scoring. Messi/ronaldo scoring for europes big teams.
Salah is selfish. Always angry and moody when he doesn’t score yet the team are winning.
@Fred McHugh: all top strikers/goal scorers have that trait. Its a positive in a goal scorer. Top top player
@Fred McHugh: talking ouv your hoop
@Fred McHugh: thats what top strikers are …. Not ever happy with what they have . MON DA POOL
@Fred McHugh: can only agree with you Frederick. That accidental assist for Mane with the outside of his right foot v Munich was absolute and utter greed. Sell him to West Ham and be off with him
@Conor Pocock: left foot…. doh :)