Profile of Zlatan Ibrahimović

It was no great surprise when Samuel Eto'o left FC Barcelona during the summer close season; for various reasons it was quite clear that the man who had scored in both Barça's Champions' League winning performances was going to leave the club.

What was more of a surprise, perhaps, for most people was the identity of the man brought in to replace Eto'o—the giant Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović.  This sense of shock was heightened by the announcement that Inter Milan also received €20 million—for that he must be something very special!

And the good news is that five goals in his first five La Liga matches shows that the 28 year old has settled into Spanish football as quickly as could reasonably be expected.

So, who exactly is Zlatan Ibrahimović and what did the Barcelona coaching staff see in him apart from his impressive height?  Well, Ibrahimović, born in Sweden to Bosnian and Croatian parents, moved to Ajax of Amsterdam from his hometown of FC Malmo as a twenty year old, despite rumoured interest from Arsenal.  

He did well enough in Dutch and Champions' League football to attract the interest of Juventus, for whom he signed in 2004.  In his first season in Italy, he scored an impressive 16 goals.   

Despite this success, the following season, although Juventus were again league winners, the striker played more of a target man role and consequently didn't get into as many dangerous positions in the opposition penalty area and the Juve fans began to often show their irritation of the Swede's playing style.  When the match fixing scandal rocked the Turin club, Ibrahimović quickly grabbed the chance to leave the club to join Inter Milan.

The move to Inter helped the striker to become a much more rounded player.  Although he has always had 'good feet for a big man', Zlatan has often been expected to play as a big, bustling centre forward or target man, when he is so much better than that.  

His movement in and around the box and his cunning link up play—together with an often unacknowledged bravery—make him an ideal striker in today's game.  He has also developed the ability to either play up front on his own or be part of a two—or, as at Barça—even three man front line.

The player's international career, although he has scored 22 goals in 58 games, has not always been successful; he famously fell foul of officialdom after breaking a curfew.   Currently, he has helped Sweden to second place in their qualifying group and might well be instrumental in stopping Cristiano Ronaldo making the World Cup Finals in 2010!

An ex-coach of Ibrahimović was once cruelly quoted as saying that 'he is a big player in small games but a small player in big games' and, although the statistics don't really back this up, it is something Barcelona fans were also concerned about.  After all, Eto'o could always be relied on to come good in the big games.

So far, so good, though.  There have been goals and 'assists' and a willingness and ability to fit into Barça's style of play that suggest that both he, and the club, can anticipate another fine season.

For your chance to see Ibrahimović this season book Barcelona tickets online.