What is Zlatan Ibrahimović’s Problem?

By: Daryl | March 16th, 2009

Inter bounced back from their midweek Champions League exit with a 2-0 Serie A win over (then 4th but now) 5th placed Fiorentina yesterday. And guess who got both the goals?

That’s right, Zlatan Ibrahimović. The 95th minute free kick above looks pretty much unstoppable, but he also opened the scoring with this lucky/quick-thinking header:

(Complete highlights available at 101 GG)

So the question is: Where was Zlatan on Wednesday?

In the big game vs Man Utd, when Inter really needed him, Ibrahimovic was like a ghost. A really tall ghost with a really good touch, but still a ghost. And I learned an incredible stat – via the ESPN commentary team bizarrely enough: The big Swede has never scored in the knockout rounds of the Champions League.

Certainly not for Malmo, which is understandable. But not for Ajax, Juventus or Inter Milan either. For a player with such a scary amount of talent, that’s odd.

The question in the title might need redefining a bit. The question is really: Does Zlatan have a problem? Meaning, does he bottle it in big games?

I’m usually of those people that things suggesting any player is a big game bottler is borderline idiocy. If a guy like Zlatan can comfortably bang goals in Serie A and in the Champions League group stages, it’s seems stupid to suggest he somehow lacks the testicles to do it in the CL knockout rounds. Doesn’t it?

But after a quick bit of half-arsed research, I also found that Zlatan has never scored in a World Cup either. Despite going to both the 2002 and 2006 editions with Sweden.

He did score at Euro 2004 and Euro 2008, but if you want to make the case that Zlatan is a big game bottler you could point to his penalty shoot out miss vs the Netherlands as Sweden exited in the quarters.

Despite that, I’m still not buying it. And here’s why:

Though Zlatan has played at the top level for a while now (the man’s 27, and this is his tenth season as a professional) he’s still played relatively few games in the Champions League knockout rounds. So while it’s true that he hasn’t managed to score, he hasn’t had all that many opportunities to either.

Ditto with the World Cup. It comes along every four years, and even then you’re only guaranteed three games. And not all of those can be against Saudi Arabia.

So… no, Zlatan has never scored in a Champions League knockout game or in a World Cup. But it’s too soon to start using stats like that to gauge the man’s mental capabilities.

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Category: Serie A

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Geoff

His real problem is that he looks like a camel.
Gustav Lundblad

I would disagree with you on your statement that he has underachieved at the World Cup and European Championship. When he played at the World Cup 2002, he was just a young prospect for the future. He only played about 40 minutes totally in the tournament. At Euro 2004, he did indeed miss the deciding penalty against Holland after a quite dull performance (this match is the best proof of your theory). On the other hand, he was the reason behind Sweden's progress to the quarterfinal stage, with his magnificent backheel goal against Italy (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v.... At World Cup 2006, he failed to deliver, but he came from a quite bad season with Juventus and was crippled by thigh problems throughout the tournament. At Euro 2008, he delivered, scoring two of Sweden's three goals, deciding the first match vs Greece as well as providing an important equalizer vs Spain.
chris

You wouldn't.

Just because they're good doesn't make them the right fit.
Johonna

I think if Inter can finally get a decent partner for Ibra it will make a huge difference.
michael

When I watched him against Manchester United, he was like a solitary figure up front. He looked good on the ball but he rarely had support. The defense would inevitably close him down before his midfield arrived.

Zlatan didn't play well, but I would give at least some credit to Manchester United's defense and midfield for keeping him out of the game.
Brian

The idea that he's a big-game bottler also implies that there are no big games in Serie A. I'd guess that the pressure in the Milan derby and in some of Inter's late-season scudetto chases has been just as great as the pressure in the middle rounds of the Champions League, and he's done brilliantly in those situations.