Throughout his career, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has played for the best clubs in the world. His time at Barça, although brief, left an indelible mark. At Camp Nou, Zlatan played alongside Messi and, although his relationship with the Argentine was one of respect, his differences with Guardiola were notable. These discrepancies led to Ibrahimovic having to leave FC Barcelona after just one season.
Despite his tumultuous exit, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always spoken fondly of his time at the club and his relationship with Messi. His respect for the Argentine star has always been evident, recognizing his unrivalled talent and ability to be decisive. In this sense, some time ago he tried to take aim at Florentino Pérez in a way that still has repercussions today.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic Praises Messi and Knocks Out Florentino Pérez
Over the years, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has kept his direct and unfiltered style in his statements. This sincerity also extends to his view on the Ballon d'Or and the role certain factors play outside of the field. In fact, in a conversation about Messi's impact on world soccer, Zlatan made his thoughts clear and took aim at Florentino Pérez.
In one of his most revealing statements, Ibrahimovic said that "it was Florentino Pérez who was competing with Messi for the Ballon d'Or, not Cristiano." This is a statement that becomes even more relevant when looking at the data for Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Modric in 2016, 2017 and 2018. While the first two editions were won by Cristiano, the last one was Modric's, but in all of them Messi had better numbers.
With this statement, Zlatan Ibrahimovic not only highlights Messi's unique talent, but also launches some covert criticism at Florentino Pérez. The president of Real Madrid has a notable influence on the decisions of the Ballon d'Or and it shows. In fact, his influence allowed Modric to win his first award and Cristiano to be on a par with the Argentine star.
Despite this, Zlatan Ibrahimovic wanted to put Messi's incomparable skill into perspective. He knows he is the best of all time and blames Florentino Pérez for not winning the Ballon d'Or more times. A clear reminder that, sometimes, pure talent is not always the only thing that leads to success.