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Zlatan Ibrahimovic Says Premier League Is 'Overrated'
November 5, 2018
LA Galaxy forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic branded the Premier League "overrated" but said he is "super proud" of the time he spent at Manchester United.
He moved to Old Trafford in July 2016 and won the League Cup and UEFA Europa League before moving to Major League Soccer in March.
The 37-year-old forward netted 29 goals in 53 appearances for the Red Devils—17 in 33 in the Premier League—and he said the rest of the English top flight was lucky he did not play there when he was in his prime, per FourFourTwo:
"I liked the Premier League. I found it very motivating and very exciting. It gets a lot of attention, although I feel the quality is a little bit overrated—the individual quality, the technical part. But the rhythm is high. Even if you are the best, if you can't handle the rhythm, the pace, then you will not succeed, because the pace is very high.
"I'm super proud and super happy that I went to United—it was the right club. We won, and I did what I did before I got injured. I had an excellent time—great memories. I'm attached to United forever. The supporters are amazing: wherever I went, I saw red shirts, which was fantastic. It's a very important moment in my career.
"As I said when I was in England, you're lucky I didn't come 10 years ago, because if I did what I did at 35 years old, imagine it if I was 25. Then it would have been a different story. I came there and they said I came in a wheelchair. All the people that talked, in the whole Premier League, I put them in a wheelchair. That's what I did."
The 2016-17 campaign was Ibrahimovic's only complete season with United, though he injured his right knee and didn't play after April 20. He subsequently barely played in 2017-18 before leaving for the Galaxy.
The Swede played a key role in United's League Cup and Europa League successes and also top-scored for them in the league with 17 goals as Jose Mourinho's side finished sixth.
Ibrahimovic certainly has the credentials to assess how the Premier League stacks up against the rest of Europe, as he has scored goals in La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and the Eredivisie.
And he has made a splash in MLS, netting 22 goals in 27 appearances in 2018.
According to various Italian outlets, including Corriere della Sera and Tuttosport (h/t Football Italia), Ibrahimovic could be set for a return to AC Milan.
He previously played for the Rossoneri from 2010 to 2012, and he has plenty of experience in Italy, having also spent time with Juventus and Inter Milan.