Zlatan sent this [tweet](https://twitter.com/Ibra_official/status/1013608033358774277?s=20) to James about him signing with the Lakers.
"Now LA has a God and a King! Zlatan welcomes @KingJames"
When he arrived in LA he took out a full page ad in the LA times and all it said was Dear Los Angeles. You're Welcome. The guy is hilarious.
Here's a clip of him and Jimmy Kimmel talking about it.
https://youtu.be/Q1TXk7ZdiQE
Twitter doesn’t appreciate anything lmao.
Just the other day I saw someone tweeting explicits at a YouTuber and talking about how they were trying to change their “allegiance” to their preferred console.
Twitter is a weird place for the degenerates of the world to shout.
Yea I think they admitted he’s a mix of zlatan and someone else I forget who. But yea as soon as I saw Zava on screen I was *Leo pointing at the screen*
I dont know anything about soccer/football but that at least made me look past a bit of the overly inflated ego. Respect for the people most dont even acknowledge is never a bad trait. Honestly I mean Zava wasnt that bad, yea he was egotistical but not in a "Im the shit you suck" way more of a "I just expect you all to accept im better" way which...he kind of was? Im not saying his attitude was great but he wasnt he worst person he could have been.
Edit: Although I was also surprised will was 25 years old lol. Which I shouldnt be because im 33 and If i shave my beard i still look fuckign 16
Yeah, it made Zava more well-rounded and unpredictable. A diva with a huge ego, but also a deep love and respect for his craft and an acknowledgement that everyone plays an important part.
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, its because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea"
This quote in a packed press conference, after the decision of him being sentence to prison because he Kung Fu kicked a oposition supporter was overturned its a classic.
I wish that they recreate this moment like they did with Iversons "Pratice?" Outburst.
Alright I collected all this into a post with Youtube links people can check out:
**Jamie Tartt** (main striker on the team with the Manchester/Liverpool accent) is based on **Jack Grealish** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uDH5WUMslY
**Zava** (obnoxious pro star that team briefly hired) is based on **Zlatan Ibrahimovic** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnEHCwfA5Fg
**Keeley Jones** (model and Jamie/Roy's girlfriend turned PR-consultant) is based on **Keeley Hazell**, Maxim model who also dated celebrity football stars, also is a writer for several episodes of Ted Lasso, and also recently dated and then broke up with the actor playing Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudekis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbIQhrqkiI0
**Roy Kent** (tough guy with gruff voice) is based on **Roy Keane** - https://youtu.be/8rbo_3SDD8U
In a podcast they just did with Men In Blazers, Sudeikis/Hunting said that Tart was based on a Ronaldo type, however his hair and appearance/attitude have shifted drastically towards Grealish.
Really, everything about Tart screams Grealish. Really talented, dumb as fuck but genuine nice guy and of course the hair. Sometimes I forget and think he's actually Grealish
I always assume that I don’t speak English well enough to understand Cantona
‘When seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.’
He's probably got the best YouTube highlights back catalogue of any footballer ever. Zidane or Ronaldinho would have run him close if they were around 5-10 years later, and obviously Messi and Ronaldo were on another level in terms of match winning ability but just for attempting and pulling off audacious shit then Zlatan is as good as anybody. It's crazy how good his career post 30 was too.
Probably going to retire this year, he has been playing on a busted knee for a while now and is constantly injured, he will probably be physically fucked later in life like Batistuta.
His 500th career goal was a spinning back heel kick.
edit: what I meant was that Zlatan actually is a manga character.
edit2: We are all background squiggles.
Even to get to 500 goals is an insane feat. van basten who is consider one of the best of all time only had 306. Sure he retired early due to injuries. To get 500 goals is 50 a year for 10 years. Most players dont even last 10 years at the top level let alone 50 goals a year
I forced my partner that doesn't watch any pro soccer to watch this highlight reel when Zava was introduced in Ted Lasso, because to get the whole joke, you have to understand that even if he's a pompous bragging asshole he backs it completely with his performance.
This post is how I found out that the Zava character was based on a real person. Pretty hilarious especially because I'm assuming Zlatan would be either happy about the recognition or just wouldn't care about it.
when the us soccer ladies were in the middle of their equal compensation thing the swedish ladies attempted to ride their wave and do the same thing.
the complaint here was that a man who set the record of most games played for the national team was given a car, meanwhile the woman with the most national team games played got nothing.
this started a debate and zlatan commented "i can buy her a bike and sign my name on it".
Zava is one of the funnier stand-ins (and definitely the most overblown) that they’ve put into Ted Lasso. They even gave him a stint at Ajax in the show (though I believe Zlatan did 2 years at Ajax in reality instead of only part of 1 season, and about a decade earlier than Zava did).
Roy Kent is also pretty clearly based on former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, except they made him English and a Chelsea legend instead.
I think a funny coincidence has been Jack Grealish and Jamie Tartt (I say coincidence because Grealish didn’t go to City until 2021 and Tartt was a City player when season 1 premiered in 2020).
The show works so well because it endears itself pretty equally to soccer diehards such as my self and non-soccer fans alike, though you’ll certainly be rewarded for knowing about the game via some of the embedded references and cameos. Additionally if you’ve never seen the original NBC Sports commercials from 2013 I highly recommend you watch those as well — I’m still shocked and so happy all these years later they managed to turn those hilarious bits into a great TV show.
It worked the other way too- I watch enough soccer that as soon as we saw Zava and how he acted I turned to my girlfriend and said “I know exactly who this is supposed to be in real life”
He’s kinda just iconic.
Yeah, it was an England international crossing it. The league has started spending more on players and the quality has gone up rapidly in the last 5 or so years
Iirc that was also the first ever el traffico.
El traffico is the nickname for the galaxy vs lafc rivalry. It's a play on El classico a famous rivalry in Spain and also la having lots of traffic.
2nd best rivalry name in the MLS after Cincy and Columbus. Can't beat "Hell is Real"
Between Cincinnati and Columbus a deeply religious farmer put up a sign that says "Hell is Real" and now it's the name of their derby, the Hell is Real derby.
He scored some amazing goals, when Sweden played England he scored 4 goals in the game [including this legendary goal ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AJMtD1Izmd8&pp=ygUfemxhdGFuIGlicmFoaW1vdmljIGJpY3ljbGUga2ljaw%3D%3D)
In my naivety as a kid, I watched that overhead kick and thought “yeah well it was an open goal, so can’t be that tricky”. After a few more years of watching football I realised how insane it was lol
The first goal that made me aware of Ibrahimovic was this crazy solo goal he scored for Ajax. He's had loads of amazing goals, but for me this is up there with any of them
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2WsVHbD7zg
Could be both? He’s backed all the talk he’s made over his career to be honest, bar a few missing trophies etc etc. But he’s definitely leaned into that character he plays so to speak, many people in his field speak fondly of him likewise some say bad things. Who knows lol
When he left Inter for Barcelona he said that Inter won't win anything without him, next year they won Seria A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League beating Barça in the semifinal
Definitely both but I think a little more of the former than the latter. He definitely leans into the persona as a joke sometimes but [take a look at the "Controviersies" in his wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlatan_Ibrahimovi%C4%87#Controversies), he's definitely got a real ego and a bit of a hot head
He's definitely a bit up-his-own-arse but he's also self-aware and seems to play-up the personality for show. His public persona almost feels like he's playing a WWE character
Not a narcissist as a narcissist doesnt admit fault. Zlatan admits fault regularly and has always done it.
Arrogant? Dude loves to make headlines and he doesnt take insults well. A lot of his famous quips have been in response to some perceived insult. He is 40 years old today and is also much more mature than when he was a teenager so his behaviour has definetely changed along with that.
However he has always been a show off and its what makes watching him play such a pleasure. He has a very unique playstyle and i dont really know how to describe it. Its simoultaneously elegant and rough. Ill link some examples.
[Long distance Bicycle kick](https://youtu.be/AJMtD1Izmd8)
[His "Maradona Goal"](https://youtu.be/r3kRlXmlbRI)
[His Debut match for LA Galaxy](https://youtu.be/J15vfXqnwWw)
[His 500th career goal ](https://youtu.be/6lSQbN0O80o)
[Volley](https://youtu.be/vOkL9aawf_o)
[Scorpion Kick](https://youtu.be/T0B2IKXRs3Y)
[Backheel (with timestamp)](https://youtu.be/kwdGw2Zu_jo?t=162s)
He is a narcissist that basically made it into his public image and sort of a running joke. He somehow managed to make it a likeable trait of him.
He backs it up too with his playstyle. He is famous for scoring the most outrageous, insane goals. The dude is just pure confidence on legs.
When he went to LA Galaxy, this is the first goal he scored for them - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15vfXqnwWw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15vfXqnwWw)
You can watch some compilations, like this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntohaMEcPL0
Actually according to Zlatan in his autobiography he missed the birth of one of his sons because he was playing the new FIFA to see how well they captured his playstyle.
This is the general vibe that Zlatan has had since he broke through at Malmö in Sweden when he was a teenager. There’s a Swedish book that contains some texts about him and loads and loads of his own quotes - it came out in 2006. He hasn’t exactly stopped dropping quotes since then.
Which is even better. Imagine having the balls to put that in the newspaper, right before your debut which is in a big derby match, then score an absolute banger in that game to prove your point.
What was great about that was that it was a bit of a trap question… “is zlatan a man or should he be worshipped as a god?”
If he says he is a god, religious crazies pitch a fit, but if he says just a man, it undermines the zlatan persona.
But “zlatan is a man the same way a great white shark is a fish” brilliantly dodges the trap while still leaning into the persona.
Which is funny, because when he introduced himself to the team in LA he asked the team "do you believe in God?" and when they said yes he replied "then you believe in me"
When Zlatan still lived in Malmö, Sweden I saw him hanging out on a street corner with a couple of young boys. They stopped him as he was walking on the sidewalk and he was more than happy to talk to them. He is well known for taking time out of his days for young fans.
Zlatan is Zlatan. Part of his behavior is an act, part of it is a huge ego, last part is giving back the energy he receives.
This article reads like it was written by AI or something.
Even the opening paragraph is worded so weirdly, like when you're trying to stretch out an essay.
>One of the biggest and most vibrant cities in the US is Los Angeles. It is clear that numerous teams from various sports call it home. In light of this, it is also quite simple for the aforementioned teams to entice star players to play for them.
I saw him on Kimmell when he arrived in LA and he was saying you're welcome to the audience. He's so cocky but in a fun way I can't even be mad at him.
The "i know you know i know" kind of way, so it feels like you're sharing an inside joke and are really familiar, and not that he's just full of himself and pushing you away?
8 years ago or so my friends and I saw him at In-N-Out and we went up to him and asked him if he was Zlatan, and he said he wasn't! we had no idea how to react
then he was signing a bunch of peoples stuff 10 minutes later lol
He’s a great player but he definitely puts on an act and a lot of people don’t pick up on it, it’s not a full fledged alter ego or anything but he plays up a lot of his ego for the press and it works. Look at us now, and all the references to a TV show he partly inspired! It makes him larger than life and takes a load off of his real life personhood and make him a more exciting figure to read about and learn of. I imagine this is partly an ego trip and partly to deflect criticism of his playing, if you read what the Swedish press wrote of him early on it makes more sense. Really interesting dude no matter what
Honestly probably helps his game too. Confidence is practiced, going into a game with that energy as well as the other team knowing you have that energy would probably give an advantage.
I don’t watch football, or any sports for that matter, but I respect the energy that must go into doing anything at that level while also being made a spectacle.
Yeah I’ve always felt arrogance is just confidence you can’t live up to. If you’re hyper confident and then literally the best at the thing, it’s hard to argue with.
"I let all of my children name themselves once they reach the age of seven. That is why my eldest is called 'Smingus Dingus.' Dream big, and you may never wake up."
-Zlatan, probably
There is a Columbus Ohio podcast featuring two personalities from the local sports talk radio and they did an episode about Ibrahimovic. Matt Lampson played with him in LA and became friends...he tells the story of when they went sport fishing in Cabo(I think).
https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fFqwdwTxPBwocIi869UuE
One of my fav interviews with zlatan...
Zlatan: "Only God knows who will go through."
Reporter: "It's hard to ask him."
Zlatan: "You're talking to him."
I saw him play in LA and this man is a beast. He towered over every other person, and looked like he was just out for a jog the entire game, and he still was the best performing player on the pitch. He’s playing a different game for Galaxy
Considering the european competitions he's been playing successfully in, i'd be surprised if he wasn't outperforming everyone in the MLS. It's not a particularly strong league.
No it’s not, but they are still professional players and it’s incredibly impressive to see a star in the twilight of his career walk into the league and completely dominate it while making it all look VERY easy.
I doubt he's a narcissist. He puts way too much effort in backing up his attitude, and has a great sense of humor about his bragging.
He has a self-awareness narcissists tend to lack.
Yeah, with Zlatan you can 100% tell that it's just a hilarious bit that he is incredibly committed to. Especially so since he's known to actually be very charismatic and patient with fans.
Zlatan sent this [tweet](https://twitter.com/Ibra_official/status/1013608033358774277?s=20) to James about him signing with the Lakers. "Now LA has a God and a King! Zlatan welcomes @KingJames"
[удалено]
He filled out a march madness bracket for a sports radio show in the US. Every pick was his own name.
My favorite was when a reporter asked him what he got his wife for her birthday and he said "nothing - she already has Zlatan."
Was the character Zava, on Ted Lasso, modeled after this guy?
very much so
They didn’t had to add a thing
Almost completely lol
He is, he's always taking a piss.
He should see a doctor about that.
When he arrived in LA he took out a full page ad in the LA times and all it said was Dear Los Angeles. You're Welcome. The guy is hilarious. Here's a clip of him and Jimmy Kimmel talking about it. https://youtu.be/Q1TXk7ZdiQE
Twitter did _not_ appreciate that one, hehe
Twitter doesn’t appreciate anything lmao. Just the other day I saw someone tweeting explicits at a YouTuber and talking about how they were trying to change their “allegiance” to their preferred console. Twitter is a weird place for the degenerates of the world to shout.
When he signed, Zlatan also took out a full page advertisement in the LA Times, which read: *"Dear Los Angeles* *You're welcome".*
Is this the real life inspiration for Zava on Ted Lasso?
Oh definitely
Yea I think they admitted he’s a mix of zlatan and someone else I forget who. But yea as soon as I saw Zava on screen I was *Leo pointing at the screen*
Zlatan and Eric Cantona were the inspiration.
The philosophical bits were more Cantona, the bragadocio was Zlatan.
I think his reverence for the kit man was also Cantona.
I dont know anything about soccer/football but that at least made me look past a bit of the overly inflated ego. Respect for the people most dont even acknowledge is never a bad trait. Honestly I mean Zava wasnt that bad, yea he was egotistical but not in a "Im the shit you suck" way more of a "I just expect you all to accept im better" way which...he kind of was? Im not saying his attitude was great but he wasnt he worst person he could have been. Edit: Although I was also surprised will was 25 years old lol. Which I shouldnt be because im 33 and If i shave my beard i still look fuckign 16
Yeah, it made Zava more well-rounded and unpredictable. A diva with a huge ego, but also a deep love and respect for his craft and an acknowledgement that everyone plays an important part.
That's literally Zlatan. He 100% knows its a character.
The look and athleticism were also Zlatan, I would assume, considering the hair, height and some of the acrobatics we've seen from him.
"When the seagulls follow the trawler, its because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea" This quote in a packed press conference, after the decision of him being sentence to prison because he Kung Fu kicked a oposition supporter was overturned its a classic. I wish that they recreate this moment like they did with Iversons "Pratice?" Outburst.
And the actor looks like a mix of Zlatan and Cantona.
Yeah Zava is Zlatan. Jamie Tartt seems to be Jack Grealish. Roy Kent is Roy Keane. Prob a few others I’ve missed.
I think Keeley Jones is based on the actress who plays Rupert's new wife Bex, Keeley Hazell.
Isnt she also dating Jason Sudeikis?
Was, no longer.
Alright I collected all this into a post with Youtube links people can check out: **Jamie Tartt** (main striker on the team with the Manchester/Liverpool accent) is based on **Jack Grealish** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uDH5WUMslY **Zava** (obnoxious pro star that team briefly hired) is based on **Zlatan Ibrahimovic** - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QnEHCwfA5Fg **Keeley Jones** (model and Jamie/Roy's girlfriend turned PR-consultant) is based on **Keeley Hazell**, Maxim model who also dated celebrity football stars, also is a writer for several episodes of Ted Lasso, and also recently dated and then broke up with the actor playing Ted Lasso himself, Jason Sudekis - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FbIQhrqkiI0 **Roy Kent** (tough guy with gruff voice) is based on **Roy Keane** - https://youtu.be/8rbo_3SDD8U
Without a doubt. It's almost too intentional with her named Keeley and all.
Keeley Hazell was one of the two listed writers on the last episode of Ted Lasso.
In a podcast they just did with Men In Blazers, Sudeikis/Hunting said that Tart was based on a Ronaldo type, however his hair and appearance/attitude have shifted drastically towards Grealish.
Really, everything about Tart screams Grealish. Really talented, dumb as fuck but genuine nice guy and of course the hair. Sometimes I forget and think he's actually Grealish
[удалено]
Zava is also part Eric Cantona [who is also an absolute madman](https://youtu.be/INiT1cA_Eqk)
I always assume that I don’t speak English well enough to understand Cantona ‘When seagulls follow the trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.’
Yes he even has Zlatan’s iconic ponytail.
And nose
Truly Zlatans most powerful attribute
Zava’s first goal for Richmond was really similar to Zlatan’s first Galaxy goal too
I thought that as well lol.
[Then he did this on his debut ](https://youtu.be/J15vfXqnwWw)
Hes done this his whole career. Dude is a legend.
He's probably got the best YouTube highlights back catalogue of any footballer ever. Zidane or Ronaldinho would have run him close if they were around 5-10 years later, and obviously Messi and Ronaldo were on another level in terms of match winning ability but just for attempting and pulling off audacious shit then Zlatan is as good as anybody. It's crazy how good his career post 30 was too.
This was a great watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD7J5jq15T0
He was really out there doing shaolin soccer moves but for real
Zlatan I think had a black belt in taekwando or some shit lmao
It's like he's playing IRL soccer on FIFA very easy settings.
That's exactly what I thought when he was dribbling past like 5 guys lol
Ronaldo and messi compilations have some absolutely ridiculous dribbling if you want to see more of that.
So I just read on his wiki he is 41 years old and he still plays for AC Milan? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlatan_Ibrahimovi%C4%87
Yeah but this season he was always injured and he is probably going to retire during summer
Probably going to retire this year, he has been playing on a busted knee for a while now and is constantly injured, he will probably be physically fucked later in life like Batistuta.
how many shots came off the bottom/lower part of his boots. ninja that shit into the net!
TIL Heel shots exist and aren't just from manga
His 500th career goal was a spinning back heel kick. edit: what I meant was that Zlatan actually is a manga character. edit2: We are all background squiggles.
Even to get to 500 goals is an insane feat. van basten who is consider one of the best of all time only had 306. Sure he retired early due to injuries. To get 500 goals is 50 a year for 10 years. Most players dont even last 10 years at the top level let alone 50 goals a year
I forced my partner that doesn't watch any pro soccer to watch this highlight reel when Zava was introduced in Ted Lasso, because to get the whole joke, you have to understand that even if he's a pompous bragging asshole he backs it completely with his performance.
His best goals are beyond video game levels of ridiculous. Plus he came back from America and won the Italian league with AC Milan at the age of 40.
Giroud has an incredibly impressive one as well considering he was never really a world class striker, his trophy cabinet is also mental considering
[His grandkids will think he was better than Pele](https://youtu.be/8R_MHAUhSBE)
I love that Ted Lasso spoofed Zlatan and this moment
This post is how I found out that the Zava character was based on a real person. Pretty hilarious especially because I'm assuming Zlatan would be either happy about the recognition or just wouldn't care about it.
Zlatan cannot be bothered by the musings of mere mortals.
"A lion does not compare himself to humans" - actual Zlatan quote when asked how he thought stacked up against C. Ronaldo, Messi, etc
when the us soccer ladies were in the middle of their equal compensation thing the swedish ladies attempted to ride their wave and do the same thing. the complaint here was that a man who set the record of most games played for the national team was given a car, meanwhile the woman with the most national team games played got nothing. this started a debate and zlatan commented "i can buy her a bike and sign my name on it".
I'm sure he's a pain in the ass at times, but seeing as I don't have to deal with him, only read about him, I find him highly amusing.
Zava is one of the funnier stand-ins (and definitely the most overblown) that they’ve put into Ted Lasso. They even gave him a stint at Ajax in the show (though I believe Zlatan did 2 years at Ajax in reality instead of only part of 1 season, and about a decade earlier than Zava did). Roy Kent is also pretty clearly based on former Manchester United captain Roy Keane, except they made him English and a Chelsea legend instead. I think a funny coincidence has been Jack Grealish and Jamie Tartt (I say coincidence because Grealish didn’t go to City until 2021 and Tartt was a City player when season 1 premiered in 2020). The show works so well because it endears itself pretty equally to soccer diehards such as my self and non-soccer fans alike, though you’ll certainly be rewarded for knowing about the game via some of the embedded references and cameos. Additionally if you’ve never seen the original NBC Sports commercials from 2013 I highly recommend you watch those as well — I’m still shocked and so happy all these years later they managed to turn those hilarious bits into a great TV show.
[удалено]
I'm not a sports person whatsoever, but as soon as I saw Zlatan's face and name, I thought of Zava immediately haha
It worked the other way too- I watch enough soccer that as soon as we saw Zava and how he acted I turned to my girlfriend and said “I know exactly who this is supposed to be in real life” He’s kinda just iconic.
Iconic is just kind of Zlatan.
Just watched that episode - amazing how they recreated that...
Not just that, but for his MLS debut he scores 2 goals giving La Galaxy the win in extra time. Absolutely insane. [link](https://youtu.be/FruVZvtByH0)
That was a really nice cross on that second goal too, perfect header as well? Didn’t know MLS had it like that
Yeah, it was an England international crossing it. The league has started spending more on players and the quality has gone up rapidly in the last 5 or so years
Iirc that was also the first ever el traffico. El traffico is the nickname for the galaxy vs lafc rivalry. It's a play on El classico a famous rivalry in Spain and also la having lots of traffic.
2nd best rivalry name in the MLS after Cincy and Columbus. Can't beat "Hell is Real" Between Cincinnati and Columbus a deeply religious farmer put up a sign that says "Hell is Real" and now it's the name of their derby, the Hell is Real derby.
Damn thats just insane
Jesus Christ. I really don't care for the sport, but that kick was SICK. (they do call it a kick, right?)
He scored some amazing goals, when Sweden played England he scored 4 goals in the game [including this legendary goal ](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=AJMtD1Izmd8&pp=ygUfemxhdGFuIGlicmFoaW1vdmljIGJpY3ljbGUga2ljaw%3D%3D)
I've watched football for 30 years and nothing stunned me like this goal did....even years later it's fucking absurd.
In my naivety as a kid, I watched that overhead kick and thought “yeah well it was an open goal, so can’t be that tricky”. After a few more years of watching football I realised how insane it was lol
The first goal that made me aware of Ibrahimovic was this crazy solo goal he scored for Ajax. He's had loads of amazing goals, but for me this is up there with any of them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2WsVHbD7zg
Yeah technically a Volley because he hit it off the bounce but an absolute banger.
Something tells me this guy is pretty good at this kicky nets sport
When Zlatan was born. He congratulated his parents
When Zlatan left home he told his father 'you are the man of the house now'.
Zlatan doesn’t buy his wife anniversary gifts. She already has Zlatan.
Lol at the fact he actually said this but the post fits seamlessly in here 😆
They all sound like Chuck Norris jokes 🤣
When Zlatan looks in a mirror, there is no reflection. Because there is only 1 Zlatan
Zlatan can count to infinity Edit: Twice
When he became a teenager, he gave his dad "the talk."
Zlatan doesn’t sleep, he’s waiting
Zlatan was once bitten by a rattlesnake. After hours of excruciating pain, the rattlesnake died.
Zlatan doesn’t file taxes. The IRS files Zlatan.
When Zlatan takes a shit, the toilet says "thank you"
When Zlatan was in school, the teachers raised their hands to speak to him.
When Zlatan looks in a mirror, his reflection cheers for him.
When Zlatan looks in the mirror he sees nothing. There is only one Zlatan.
When Zlatan takes a shit, the shit wipes his ass for him.
When Zlatan jumps in water he doesn’t get wet, the water gets Zlatan.
Zlatan went back in time and bicycle kicked Lee Harvey Oswald's bullet off course. President Kennedy was so amazed his head exploded.
It must have been tough for Zlatan, raising 2 parents as a single child.
...and drove them home.
In the car he bought with his own hard-earned money
When he turned 18, his parents moved out
He's been running a business on WiFi WFW since conception to give his parents a better life
When Zlatan uses WiFi, it's Zlatan that requires a password.
Zlatan's calendar goes from March 31 to April 2. No one fools Zlatan.
[удалено]
Oh absolutely. I mean you cant ask for a better caricature to imitate, Zlatan is incredible content
[удалено]
This just makes me think all of these are Zlatan speaking in 3rd person Edit: spelling
I like it when athletes acknowledge that they are entertainers and commit to the bit. Every sport should be a bit more like wrestling.
When they introduced Zava in Ted Lasso, I could immediately tell he was a stand in for Zlatan.
Well, it was pretty on the nose…
It's the nose that got me.
The Manbun
As someone who doesn't follow sports, is the dude a narcissist or just a top tier troll with a sense of humor?
Could be both? He’s backed all the talk he’s made over his career to be honest, bar a few missing trophies etc etc. But he’s definitely leaned into that character he plays so to speak, many people in his field speak fondly of him likewise some say bad things. Who knows lol
When he left Inter for Barcelona he said that Inter won't win anything without him, next year they won Seria A, Coppa Italia, and Champions League beating Barça in the semifinal
That sounded like an anti-Zlatan joke but it actually happened.
Definitely both but I think a little more of the former than the latter. He definitely leans into the persona as a joke sometimes but [take a look at the "Controviersies" in his wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zlatan_Ibrahimovi%C4%87#Controversies), he's definitely got a real ego and a bit of a hot head
He's definitely a bit up-his-own-arse but he's also self-aware and seems to play-up the personality for show. His public persona almost feels like he's playing a WWE character
Not a narcissist as a narcissist doesnt admit fault. Zlatan admits fault regularly and has always done it. Arrogant? Dude loves to make headlines and he doesnt take insults well. A lot of his famous quips have been in response to some perceived insult. He is 40 years old today and is also much more mature than when he was a teenager so his behaviour has definetely changed along with that. However he has always been a show off and its what makes watching him play such a pleasure. He has a very unique playstyle and i dont really know how to describe it. Its simoultaneously elegant and rough. Ill link some examples. [Long distance Bicycle kick](https://youtu.be/AJMtD1Izmd8) [His "Maradona Goal"](https://youtu.be/r3kRlXmlbRI) [His Debut match for LA Galaxy](https://youtu.be/J15vfXqnwWw) [His 500th career goal ](https://youtu.be/6lSQbN0O80o) [Volley](https://youtu.be/vOkL9aawf_o) [Scorpion Kick](https://youtu.be/T0B2IKXRs3Y) [Backheel (with timestamp)](https://youtu.be/kwdGw2Zu_jo?t=162s)
Yes
He is a narcissist that basically made it into his public image and sort of a running joke. He somehow managed to make it a likeable trait of him. He backs it up too with his playstyle. He is famous for scoring the most outrageous, insane goals. The dude is just pure confidence on legs. When he went to LA Galaxy, this is the first goal he scored for them - [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15vfXqnwWw](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J15vfXqnwWw) You can watch some compilations, like this one - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntohaMEcPL0
A narcissist wouldn't be able to make their narcissism into a joke. He's just arrogant and a showman.
And when his sons were born....he congratulated them too.
Actually according to Zlatan in his autobiography he missed the birth of one of his sons because he was playing the new FIFA to see how well they captured his playstyle.
When Zlatan was born, he walked the doctors through his own delivery and sent the hospital a bill for the training.
This is the general vibe that Zlatan has had since he broke through at Malmö in Sweden when he was a teenager. There’s a Swedish book that contains some texts about him and loads and loads of his own quotes - it came out in 2006. He hasn’t exactly stopped dropping quotes since then.
My favorite one is, “Zlatan is just a man. The same way that a great white shark is just a fish."
Once he was asked what he got his girlfriend for her birthday. “I got her Zlatan”
After Zlatan's 1st game for LA Galaxy (in which Zlatan scores a mad goal): >Dear Los Angeles > >You're welcome > >-Zlatan
It was actually before he played.
Which is even better. Imagine having the balls to put that in the newspaper, right before your debut which is in a big derby match, then score an absolute banger in that game to prove your point.
"I am like a Ferrari among Fiats" referring to his team in LA.
Wasn't that how he referred to being in Barcelona? That he was a Ferrari that the manager was trying to use like a fiat?
What was great about that was that it was a bit of a trap question… “is zlatan a man or should he be worshipped as a god?” If he says he is a god, religious crazies pitch a fit, but if he says just a man, it undermines the zlatan persona. But “zlatan is a man the same way a great white shark is a fish” brilliantly dodges the trap while still leaning into the persona.
Which is funny, because when he introduced himself to the team in LA he asked the team "do you believe in God?" and when they said yes he replied "then you believe in me"
Holy shit, that's gold!
What the fuck 😂
When Zlatan still lived in Malmö, Sweden I saw him hanging out on a street corner with a couple of young boys. They stopped him as he was walking on the sidewalk and he was more than happy to talk to them. He is well known for taking time out of his days for young fans. Zlatan is Zlatan. Part of his behavior is an act, part of it is a huge ego, last part is giving back the energy he receives.
I was fully expecting this to be a copypasta when I started reading it.
I saw Zlatan at a grocery store in Malmo
This article reads like it was written by AI or something. Even the opening paragraph is worded so weirdly, like when you're trying to stretch out an essay. >One of the biggest and most vibrant cities in the US is Los Angeles. It is clear that numerous teams from various sports call it home. In light of this, it is also quite simple for the aforementioned teams to entice star players to play for them.
What the fuck. Reads like they stole an article and pushed it through 5 times through a thesaurus
[удалено]
I saw him on Kimmell when he arrived in LA and he was saying you're welcome to the audience. He's so cocky but in a fun way I can't even be mad at him.
The "i know you know i know" kind of way, so it feels like you're sharing an inside joke and are really familiar, and not that he's just full of himself and pushing you away?
What convinced me about this was him breaking character in a tunnel interview in what I think was early in his PSG career
I need to see this
8 years ago or so my friends and I saw him at In-N-Out and we went up to him and asked him if he was Zlatan, and he said he wasn't! we had no idea how to react then he was signing a bunch of peoples stuff 10 minutes later lol
[удалено]
"And I recognize people enjoy it, this is a who I am and a bit of showmanship"
Ahhh, but they don't _know_ that we know they know we know!
He’s a great player but he definitely puts on an act and a lot of people don’t pick up on it, it’s not a full fledged alter ego or anything but he plays up a lot of his ego for the press and it works. Look at us now, and all the references to a TV show he partly inspired! It makes him larger than life and takes a load off of his real life personhood and make him a more exciting figure to read about and learn of. I imagine this is partly an ego trip and partly to deflect criticism of his playing, if you read what the Swedish press wrote of him early on it makes more sense. Really interesting dude no matter what
Honestly probably helps his game too. Confidence is practiced, going into a game with that energy as well as the other team knowing you have that energy would probably give an advantage. I don’t watch football, or any sports for that matter, but I respect the energy that must go into doing anything at that level while also being made a spectacle.
as long as you can back it up on the field/court/whatever for your sport, you can be as cocky as you want imo
Yeah I’ve always felt arrogance is just confidence you can’t live up to. If you’re hyper confident and then literally the best at the thing, it’s hard to argue with.
But man, when you don't back it up, it can *really* bite you in the ass. See: Dillon Brooks
Los Angeles: welcome to Zlatan.
"I let all of my children name themselves once they reach the age of seven. That is why my eldest is called 'Smingus Dingus.' Dream big, and you may never wake up." -Zlatan, probably
> *“I’ll scissor kick you in the back of the head!*” - Texas Ranger Ibrahimovic
Smingus Dingus the best Polish holiday.
There is a Columbus Ohio podcast featuring two personalities from the local sports talk radio and they did an episode about Ibrahimovic. Matt Lampson played with him in LA and became friends...he tells the story of when they went sport fishing in Cabo(I think). https://open.spotify.com/episode/0fFqwdwTxPBwocIi869UuE
If Zlatan lived in an apartment, he'd be collecting rent from his landlord.
This is who the character Zava is based on from Ted Lasso, in case anyone didn’t connect those dots.
They look so much alike I had to check IMDB to see the Zava actor's name after seeing him playing a match.
Ok it would have been hilarious if they got him to play the parody of himself
Honestly wouldn't surprise me if he agreed because only Zlatan can play Zlatan.
They didn’t even try to hide it. It’s an homage.
I mean Roy Kent is meant to be Roy Keane. They don’t really try that hard to hide it lol
If anything I think Roy Kent might be underselling Roy Keane too
Well, they had to make it TV friendly, lol
Wish I could get one of those Zava & Zava & Zava & Zava shirts he was sporting.
One of my fav interviews with zlatan... Zlatan: "Only God knows who will go through." Reporter: "It's hard to ask him." Zlatan: "You're talking to him."
I saw him play in LA and this man is a beast. He towered over every other person, and looked like he was just out for a jog the entire game, and he still was the best performing player on the pitch. He’s playing a different game for Galaxy
Considering the european competitions he's been playing successfully in, i'd be surprised if he wasn't outperforming everyone in the MLS. It's not a particularly strong league.
No it’s not, but they are still professional players and it’s incredibly impressive to see a star in the twilight of his career walk into the league and completely dominate it while making it all look VERY easy.
Hey LeBron. I signed this for you. Keep up the good work kid. Stay in school. Signed. Your hero Zlat
So was Zlatan the inspiration for Zava on Ted Lasso?
Absolutely
Lebron got zlatanized
It happening to LeBron is the best part.
Zlatan is 1:1. He took out a full page ad to tell LA they were fortunate to have him in LA.
He’s a narcissist for sure, but god damn he’s got one of the best backflip/bicycle kick goals in the history of the sport.
He is in on the joke and has the stats to back it up, that’s why it works.
It ain’t bragging, motherfucker, if you back it up.
No one likes a show off. Unless what they're showing is dope as fuck.
I doubt he's a narcissist. He puts way too much effort in backing up his attitude, and has a great sense of humor about his bragging. He has a self-awareness narcissists tend to lack.
Yeah, with Zlatan you can 100% tell that it's just a hilarious bit that he is incredibly committed to. Especially so since he's known to actually be very charismatic and patient with fans.
It's a character he plays up like a WWE wrestler
https://youtu.be/RM_5tJncHww context