Zlatan Ibrahimovic Returns to Captain Sweden
After a nine-month hiatus from international football, Sweden’s star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has announced his return to the national team ahead of the European Championship qualifiers. Ibrahimovic will retain the captaincy of the team upon his return.
After a second 1-0 defeat to Scandinavian neighbours Denmark in the qualifiers for the 2010 World Cup, Ibrahimovic announced his retirement from international football.
After the campaign, manager Lars Lagerback was replaced by Erik Hamren, and it long looked as if Hamren would be without Sweden’s best footballer.
28 year-old Ibrahimovic, who had told Hamren he would decide whether or not to rejoin the team by August, told the Swedish coach he would be happy to participate in the upcoming qualifiers this week.
“If I’m chosen for the next game, I’ll be there,” said a chirpy Ibrahimovic during a press conference in Sweden on Friday.
"What I have always said, is that I am proud to play for the national team. You can count on me to be there at the national team's next game," he added.
"After the last game, when we didn't get into the World Cup, I felt my motivation disappear. So I decided to give up. I had no desire to play. I'm a competitor, I play to win. When I was playing at a younger age with my friends… that was for fun. After your career, you want to be remembered as someone who won," said Ibrahimovic.
Asset to Sweden
Hamren, noticeably glad to be able to include the FC Barcelona striker in his forthcoming team selections, said Ibrahimovic’s presence would prove crucial in the qualifying campaign.
“A motivated Zlatan is worth his weight in gold for the Swedish national team. In my view, he is one of the world’s best players,” Hamren said alongside Ibrahimovic.
“The most important thing is for a player to be passionate about his game. It doesn’t matter how talented you are unless you’re also motivated,” said the Sweden manager, signaling that Ibrahimovic is eager to perform for his side.
His confidence in the striker's dedication led Hamren to let Ibrahimovic reclaim the captaincy of the team.
Inconsistent First Season in Spain
Undoubtedly Sweden’s best footballer in recent years, Ibrahimovic has claimed the four player of the year awards in his country.
During the summer of 2009, Ibrahimovic moved from Italian champions Inter Milan to Barcelona, where his first season saw him in inconsistent form.
The forward enjoyed a bright start to his season, scoring in his first four league appearances, becoming the first player ever to do so for Barcelona. From his center-forward position in the team’s fluid 4-3-3 formation, Ibrahimovic teamed up well, particularly with star striker Lionel Messi.
In the El Clasico meeting with Real Madrid, Ibrahimovic came off the Barcelona bench to score the winning goal. During the autumn, he was La Liga’s most efficient goal scorer measured by effective playing time, with only 91 minutes of playing time per goal scored.
But after his positive start, Ibrahimovic fell out of form and lost his starting position. The arrival of striker David Villa from Valencia in June 2010 sparked intense media speculation that Ibrahimovic was soon to leave the club.
Not Leaving, Villa Withstanding
At Friday’s press conference, Ibrahimovic was quick to dismiss the transfer rumours surrounding him.
“I was a Barcelona player when I left [Spain in May] and I’ll be a Barcelona player when I return,” said the striker, seemingly keen to return in strong form for club and country.
Ahead is a relatively challenging qualifying campaign for Hamren and his team. Aside from recent World Cup finalists the Netherlands, Sweden’s group includes Hungary, Moldova and San Marino. Their first game is on September 3rd against Hungary.
Ibrahimovic, though, may make his return to the team on August 11th, in a friendly match against Scotland.
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