The former Barca and PSG star have never been shy of stating his opinion, as his Galaxy team-mates found out after one debilitating loss.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s former LA Galaxy team-mate Joao Pedro remembers the celebrity’s stay in MLS as a tumultuous time marked by regular boasting and the strange light-hearted death threat.
Goals flowed for Ibrahimovic, who hit an incredible 52 in only 56 games in the league, but results in total were unsatisfactory as the Galaxy failed to advance past the Western Conference semis throughout his time in the club.
In the close of the match [Zlatan] gave us a roasting.
“[He said] ‘Look, if you came here to go to the beach, walk around Hollywood, only say, but tell me now. I have 300 million at the bank, an island, so I do not need this at all.”
“‘The first man to start their mouth, I’ll kill him, I shall kill him.'”
Ibrahimovic’s elevated self-esteem is no secret in the world of football.
“I believe I’m the very best ever to play in MLS. And this, without joking,” he declared September after breaking up the Galaxy’s season scoring record.
“I’m here to perform and show everybody what the game is all about. I think the two years I have had here, I have done good things. Wonderful things. Perfect things.”
And Joao Pedro recalls that even in training he always wanted to be the centre of focus.
“We’re about to play a kickabout game, 11 against 11, and a person asked, ‘Who is kicking off?’ Our assistant stated: ‘Joao Pedro because it’s his birthday today,'” he explained.
Ibrahimovic turned to him and said: ‘Every afternoon is my birthday. Give me the ball.’
