SUMMARY
- FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola regretted his signing as controversies emerged between him, Ibrahimovic, and Messi.
- Back in 2010, FC Barcelona signed Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan for a fee of $50 million.
Years ago, FC Barcelona had the luxury of having two of the best players in the world up front, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi. Alongside French legend Thierry Henry, Messi and Ibrahimovic spearheaded FC Barcelona’s lethal attack. However, despite having such a luxury, the then-FC Barcelona coach Pep Guardiola regretted his signing as controversies emerged between him, Ibrahimovic, and Messi.
In an excerpt from ‘Messi’, the Spanish journalist Guillem Balague’s biography of Lionel Messi, the complete saga between Pep Guardiola, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, and the Inter Miami talisman was revealed. In the book, Balague explained how tensions emerged between Guardiola and Ibrahimovic due to Messi. Back in 2010, FC Barcelona signed Ibrahimovic from Inter Milan for a fee of $50 million.
However, Zlatan‘s signing was later regretted by Guardiola as it hindered the position of Messi. In the end, the Swedish star had to leave the club just a year after his arrival. In the book, Balague wrote how Zlatan gave his account of the story in his autobiography, I Am Zlatan. He explained how he felt that Guardiola sacrificed him for Messi.
Moreover, he felt that the Spanish coach wasn’t properly utilizing his skills and was ignoring him. Ultimately, Ibrahimovic’s frustration led him to ask Guardiola to drop the Argentine ace. Zlatan reportedly told Guardiola, as Balague mentions, “The midget has to be dropped.” However, it was Zlatan who was dropped from the team with Messi becoming the club’s flagbearer.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic reveals the difference between Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho
Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho are two of the greatest soccer coaches of their generation and of all time. Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played under both of them. While Ibrahimovic played under Guardiola at FC Barcelona, he teamed up with Mourinho at Inter Milan. However, when asked about who he would choose between the two iconic soccer coaches, Ibrahimovic has a clear favorite.
Zlatan Ibrahimović: “I could go out there and kill for Mourinho.”
Strong words against Pep, too. pic.twitter.com/JNhEDolFzU
— Liam Canning (@LiamPaulCanning) May 29, 2016
In an interview, Ibrahimovic revealed the key difference between Guardiola and Mourinho. The ex-AC Milan star explained that Mourinho was the exact opposite of the Manchester City head coach. He described the Portuguese coach as someone who lights up a room while describing Guardiola as someone who darkens the room. Lastly, Ibrahimovic even claimed that he was willing to die for Mourinho.
Pep Guardiola hit back at Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s criticism over Erling Haaland
Most recently, Pep Guardiola and Zlatan Ibrahimovic got into a war of words over the Manchester City forward Erling Haaland. Haaland enjoyed a terrific first season at Manchester City following his arrival in 2022. However, despite getting off to a great start immediately, Ibrahimovic raised concerns over Haaland’s future. The ex-Swedish international claimed that Guardiola might hamper Haaland‘s progress due to his ego.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s comments on Pep Guardiola’s ego appear to have touched a nerve with the Man City boss! 😳 pic.twitter.com/8JDtxWApS5
— 90min (@90min_Football) November 5, 2022
However, Guardiola immediately hit back at Ibrahimovic’s comments. He sarcastically said, “I don’t like it when Erling scores three goals, and all the highlights are for him. I am so jealous“! Nevertheless, Ibrahimovic’s concern about Haaland’s progress has been laid to rest. The Norwegian star played a stellar role in helping Guardiola’s City win their first Champions League title as well as winning the treble.
