Champions League - Zlatan ponders Inter exit

Eurosport - Fri, 24 Apr 18:24:00 2009

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has told Eurosport that he is considering leaving Internazionale and wants a new challenge.

FOOTBALL 2008-2009 Serie A Internazionale Fiorentina-Inter Ibrahimovic - 0

The Swede said that he feels he has spent long enough in Serie A, and is considering a move to Spain.

"I have a contract with Inter and I feel well here. But at the same time I would like to test something new now because I've been in Italy for five years," he said.

"I won everything in Italy, I learnt a lot from Italy. But there is a moment in your life, like when I was at Ajax, when you say to yourself you want to try something new."

He continued: "I think Spanish football is more the way I play ... I like technical football and they play technical there."

Ibrahimovic, now of Internazionale, also said how close he came to joining Arsenal in 2001 before he signed for Ajax.

He has since gone on to become one of the most potent and skilful strikers in world football and is well on his way to his third consecutive Serie A title with Inter.

The young Ibrahimovic travelled to London for talks with Arsene Wenger but opted for the Dutch giants instead.

"When I was in Malmo there was someone who invited me to Arsenal to see Mr Wenger," said Ibrahimovic, speaking exclusively on Eurogoals One to One.

"And I went there, I saw Patrick Vieira and the other big players who were there and when I met Wenger we spoke a little bit.

"Then I also had Monaco, Ajax and Roma who contacted me. But in the end Ajax were keener. I think it was a better solution for me even if Wenger is doing fantastic job with the young guys."

The 27-year-old joined Inter from Italian rivals Juventus where he worked under Fabio Capello.

Ibrahimovic was effusive in his praise for the England manager's coaching style.

"Capello helped me a lot, he trained a lot with me to learn about Italian football," he said.

"After a couple of months he called me into his office. He said 'sit down' and he turned on the TV, it was a small one, he put in a tape and told me 'study this now for 10 or 15 minutes; this is the way you have to move in the box'.

"On that tape was Marco Van Basten, all his goals. He put on his clothes and he went home. I was alone sitting there and watching the tapes of Van Basten with only goals, goals, goals."

Watch the complete interview with Zlatan Ibrahimovic on Eurogoals One to One on Monday April 27 at 17:45 UK time on British Eurosport.

British Eurosport is available in the UK on Sky channel 410 and Virgin Media channel 521, and on your PC via the Eurosport Player. Click the link under the photo for details.

Alex Chick / Eurosport

Comment 97 - 116 of 116

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  1. i hope he will come to liverpool

    From oujj c, on Sun 26 Apr 1:21AM

  2. there's no better place than the OLD­ TRAFFORD!!!THEATRE OF DREAMS!!!WILL MAKE TOUR DREAM­ COME TRUE!!!GLORY GLORY MANCHESTER UNITED!!!HAVE GUTS­ WILL TRAVEL!!!

    From elmarciano, on Sat 25 Apr 8:33PM

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    ALL THE HIGH LIGHTS­ OF PREMIER LEAGUE MATCHES

    From WWW.PREMIERSHIP.ALTERVISTA.ORG, on Sat 25 Apr 11:14AM

  4. Ibrahimovic is a overrated gypsy

    From RAFASCRACKINGUP, on Sat 25 Apr 10:41AM

  5. GO TO LIVERPOOL THATS BETTER

    From Zara, on Sat 25 Apr 8:55AM

  6. I also think he is hyped up quite a lot.

    Yes, he does­ score the goals on a regular basis in Serie A, just­ like CR does for my beloved MU. However, on the­ evidence I have seen, he rarely puts in a great­ performance in the big matches - the ones that REALLY­ count. Again, this is a continual problem with­ CR.

    When we look at players like ZZ, Platini, K H­ Rummenigge, M V Basten, L Matheus etc we have a list of­ players who without exception showed up 90% of the­ time. They thrived on the big stage, and were going to­ work in the place they knew best.

    Yes, Zlatan is a­ very good player, but he has a long way to go before he­ truly deserves to be a legend.

    From Grandmaster, on Sat 25 Apr 7:30AM

  7. capello made a very good dressing to Zaltan. And this­ is a good time to joind along with Mu or Real MEDRID. I­ belive he 's realy good for England jaint side.this­ is a very good time to givi a amazing foodball to the­ fans once again.

    From sridhar, on Sat 25 Apr 7:10AM

  8. i do not think he is overrated. he is joint top scorer­ in Serie A this season, which is not an easy feat to­ accomplish. plus, many of his goals have been quality­ strikes. just because he has not been at his best in­ the Champions League doesn't take away the fact­ that he's one of the best strikers in world­ football today. plus, it is smething that can be­ improved on. i'd take him over Berbatov at United­ any day.

    From aleksicn93, on Sat 25 Apr 6:07AM

  9. Fabio bent Zlatan over, got dressed, and left Zlatan­ watching football goals!!!! ha hahaha!!

    From , on Sat 25 Apr 5:50AM

  10. ur an idiot gabbatiz you must not watch football at­ all.

    From Alex Z, on Sat 25 Apr 3:51AM

  11. u buggers...epl is famous cos of lots of drama....get­ over it...
    spain and italy game is more quality

    From gabbatiz8, on Sat 25 Apr 2:13AM

  12. the only way to keep zlatan at inter is if and only if­ inter win the champions league next year

    From nBz., on Sat 25 Apr 12:50AM

  13. really overrated player. plays for himself not for the­ team. hes welcome to join any club ecxept real madrid.

    From Raimo K, on Fri 24 Apr 10:41PM

  14. yea ibrahimovic is overrated when inter need him most­ he never shows up. Also ibra has done nothing in the CL­ for inter

    From Alex Z, on Fri 24 Apr 9:57PM

  15. why don't you all grow up... actin like a bunch of­ school girls. Some people like their league better­ than ours, WHO CARES?! get over it and let everyone­ just enjoy their football

    From Raimo K, on Fri 24 Apr 9:52PM

  16. Capello took his clothes off in front of a young Ibra? ­ Whoa!!... slow down there chaps. Was it good for you­ Ibra? Gotta say I rate the guy, I know he didn't­ show up against Utd or most of the champions league­ campaign but the guy is class. (and those of you that­ watch serie A would agree). I just don't see­ Madrid or Barca splashin out on the guy with the­ current strikers they have. I think Ibra would be good­ in England and who knows, maybe he will end up at­ Arsenal if Ade buggers off. Utd wouldn't sign him­ as is too similar to berbs, well maybe a little better­ than the bulgarian and Chelsea may have a crack if he­ shows interest. Good day.

    From Raimo K, on Fri 24 Apr 9:46PM

  17. I think Ibrahimovic is overrated and always was. Anyone­ agree?

    From Dean O, on Fri 24 Apr 9:46PM

  18. In team talks Capello tries to relax his players before­ a game by taking his clothes off and this helps the­ player relax and this is the reason why England are now­ playing well under Capello and not because he has­ implemented changes and is tougher with them.

    From JT CaptainLegendHero, on Fri 24 Apr 7:33PM

  19. scott s. do you need a torch? it must be pitch black up­ il padrino's @#$%. if people on here are shouting­ about the EPL being the best in the world it's­ because it's where we come from,it's called­ patriotism plus the fact it actually is.did you happen­ to see the liverpool v arsenal match on tuesday­ night,far more exciting than anything la liga or serie­ a could produce.

    From crunch, on Fri 24 Apr 7:28PM

  20. I dont rate this guy at all. the only shock is that Man­ City havn't been linked with him. He's worse­ than Berbatov!

    From Jamie S, on Fri 24 Apr 7:07PM
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