The Paris Saint-Germain striker has revealed how he grew up trying to become more like the legendary boxer and how it has helped him in his career
The 31-year-old is famous for his big mouth and bullish attitude but the player feels that these attributes are part of his personality. Talking exclusively to ligue1.com, the Swede revealed his affection for Muhammad Ali and how he grew up trying to become
more like the legendary boxer.
While talking to reporters, Ibrahimovic stated that his father was a big fan of Muhammad Ali and he used to show him stuff related to the boxer. This all made the Swede a fan of the great boxer and the footballer has admitted that he has learned a lot from
that character.
Talking about Muhammad Ali, the former http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Barcelona-c38604 player said that the famous boxer became like an example to him. The boxer showed him that one has to be a man of his words. Talking a lot will not help unless one is willing to put his words into action.
"My father always showed me Muhammad Ali stuff, and Muhammad Ali became like an example to me. He looked like a crazy man, talking a lot, but he was doing it in the ring also.”
Ibrahimovic added that he learned that if one wants to be cocky, he has to perform on the field as well. Usually people say a lot of stuff but they do not perform. But Muhammad Ali was a class apart.
“So it was like, you can be cocky, you can have a big mouth, but you have to perform on the field. You have people, a lot of people in different areas, that talk a lot, but they don't perform. But Muhammad Ali was.”
The 31-year-old said that the boxer was a true professional and he used to perform really well in the ring and his opponents were afraid of him.
“He'd say I will knock you out in the fourth round and he went in the ring and he knocked you out in the fourth round," said the former Ajax player.
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