Zlatan leaving United, Premier League a legend
The Swedish superstar is leaving Manchester United and the Premier League after the club did not renew his contract for next season. With recent reports claiming he is planning to sign with MLS club LA Galaxy, have we seen the last of his remarkable European career?
Well….probably. After suffering a cruciate ligament tear in the Europa League quarterfinal match against Anderlecht, the prolific striker will be out until January at the earliest. Ibra had the opportunity to sign a one-year extension with United, but he declined to sign because it was unclear whether the Devils would qualify for the Champions League next season.
Zlatan is probably regretting that decision, but in the end the move is probably best for both parties. Since he will miss the first-half of next season, United would have been paying the striker somewhere around $500,000 per week to sit on the bench. His injury was somewhat poetic, as it marked a sudden stop to an iconic career at the top level of football.
Not quite as poetic as winning his first European trophy in his native country, but it wasn’t meant to be. Besides, the last thing Zlatan needs to do is establish his place among the European football elite. The Swede has played for seven of Europe’s top organizations in his legendary career. After starting with his hometown club Malmo, the teenage Zlatan moved to the Dutch capital and starred for Ajax in the Amsterdam Arena.
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The incredible momentum of Zlatan’s career began in Italy. At Internazionale di Milano, or Inter, he introduced himself to Europe and the world as one of the games biggest characters. In Milan, Ibra forged a friendship with manager Jose Mourinho that played a crucial role in his European career and his eventual arrival to Old Trafford last year where the pair were reunited.
After his time with Inter and Juventus, the rising superstar headed to Catalonia to wear the famous stripes of Barcelona. Under manager Pep Guardiola, it’s debatable whether his year at the Camp Nou was a success or not. With Barca, the striker won the La Liga title and scored 22 goals. However, he had very public disagreements with Pep who didn’t really see the forward as a good fit. Despite his success and effectiveness, Ibra left Barcelona after just one campaign.
Following a transfer back to northern Italy and the other Milan club, Zlatan had a very solid two-year stint at San Siro. Scoring a remarkable 56 goals in 85 competitions, he led the famous club to a Serie A title in 2011. After failing to sign an extension, the Super Swede moved to Paris Saint-Germain in 2012 where he would dominate the league and shatter almost every offensive record for the club.
Zlatan dominated Ligue 1 and collected an insane 12 pieces of domestic silverware in the French capital. Besides becoming the club’s all-time leading scorer, he led the Parisians to four straight French titles. Following the expiration of his contract, Ibra reunited with his friend Mourinho on a free transfer to the Theatre of Dreams in Manchester.
And that brings us to the present version of the European journeyman: the 35-year-old relentless, timeless, wise leader that is Zlatan Ibrahimovic. The talisman had 28 goals across all competitions this year, and led the Devils to a League Cup victory against Southampton and the Europa League title. The legend has been indisputably effective and victorious wherever he has played in Europe, and has silenced the critics and doubtful pundits consistently.
His unique swagger, confidence, and fearlessness manifested on the pitch and made the player into an international phenomenon. The tactical brilliance of Zlatan paired with his clinical finishing and unreal power made him a nightmare for defenseman throughout his iconic career. He has been among the elite offensive footballers in the world since he played for Inter way back in 2007.
Zlatan’s contribution to the culture, history, and future of the game cannot be understated. He has become an idol of a generation, and brought relevance to clubs and communities all over Europe. Besides Ronaldo and Messi, Ibra has been one of the only players consistently making headlines all over the world in recent years with his monstrous success and personality. To echo his words to PSG fans before his exit: Zlatan Ibrahimovic truly came as a king, and left as a legend.