Zlatan Ibrahimović is a Swedish soccer player who currently stars for Inter Milan. Ibrahimović began playing soccer at the age of ten. Even during his youth, it was apparent that Zlatan was destined to play soccer. By the time he became a teenager, he had already decided that playing the game he loved was more important then anything else. His decision to drop out of school after the 9th grade and pursue a professional career was risky, but proved to be a smart one.
Not old enough to qualify for senior clubs, Ibrahimović played four seasons for the youth club of Malmö FF. By the time he was eighteen, he was playing for senior counterpart to the team. His time with Malmö FF was noticed by soccer scouts around the world and within two years Zlatan had opportunities to move to bigger clubs for more money. His decision was to join Ajax in 2001 for a record 7.8 million euros.
After a rough start to the season, Ajax’s coach was dismissed and replaced. Only under new leadership Ibrahimović did begin to flourish in his new surroundings. In his three plus seasons with Ajax, Ibrahimović made a name for himself by excelling in the prestigious Champions League. Even as Ajax failed to advance far year after year, Zlatan continued to turn in stellar performance after performance. Ibrahimović also made his World Cup debut in 2002.
In 2004, Ibrahimović began the season with Ajax once more. By the summer transfer deadline, however, he had a new team. As with Ajax, Ibrahimović showed quickly he could excel in new colors with Juventus. After becoming a member of the starting eleven for his new team, Zlatan went on to score sixteen goals and finished eighth in the voting for best player in the world. He also went on to be named the best Swedish soccer player in the world the same season.
Unfortunately for the soccer phenom, his follow-up to his best season as a pro yet came up short in the eyes of the media. His decreased goal output and angry demeanor made him into a scapegoat for the problems of Juventus. When a match-fixing scandal demoted the team to a lower league, Ibrahimović packed his bags and looked for a new team.
After a disappointing run in the 2006 World Cup, Ibrahimović signed a large contract with Inter Milan. His new team currently sits on top in first place in the Serie A league in large part due to Ibrahimović’s team-leading ten goals. It is clear that as with his previous teams, Ibrahimović is shining in the game he grew up to play.
