Piers Morgan Uncensored - Piers Morgan Uncensored: Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Episode Date: October 5, 2023

On tonight's episode of Piers Morgan Uncensored, Piers is joined be one of the most famous footballers on the planet, Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Watch Piers Morgan Uncensored at 8 pm on TalkTV on Sky 522, Virgin Media 606, Freeview 237 and Freesat 217. Listen on DAB+ and the app.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

He's an entertainer, an artist, the star of a one-man show. The stage is always his. He calls himself a lion. Sometimes he calls himself the goat. Well, now the biggest ego in world sport meets, well, a similarly proportionate ego. On center stage, it's Zlatan Ibrahimovich. Uncensored. Slatin, how are you?

I'm good, thank you. I can't think of anybody better suit. to do an interview for a show called Piers Morgan uncensored than you? I think I'm the perfect guy for you. Do you feel like you've always been uncensored? I feel, yeah, I feel I've been myself always, even if people think I try to act or something,

but I think I look, I see and I say, so wrong and right, I'm being myself. I think it's very important. Will I get to the real you in this industry? you in this interview? 100%. You put the level. You've just retired.

Yes. Something that I don't think you probably thought would ever happen. You worried about it happening. You were concerned about it happening. What's the reality been like? I just retired three months ago, and I agree with you that if I wanted it or not, is different, but I accepted it, because in the end, I was not feeling good. I could have continued.

I could have continued suffering in physical way and keep going, but I wanted to feel good, and I didn't want to have a consequence after my career where I'm limping or I cannot do things with my boys. So I choose to stop, and I think I stopped in the right moment. But to be honest with you, when I see all the other strikers out there, I could still play because I would do much more than them

and better than them. And that's not for my ego. That's facts. Do you want to name some names? I could give you many names. Probably 95% of them out there, so... You think you're better than 95% even that? I am better, I don't think.

I'd take you an asshole. I would take you at Arsenal. Okay. Could be, could be. I had a chance to go there. I know you do. We're going to come to that. It breaks my heart.

I can't even think about it. We're at the Sharsby Theatre, one of London's great theatres here. You're used to being on the big stage. This is one of the big stages of theater. It's an empty crowd. There's no one here. Just a few people.

You should have brought me the crowd. Well, I wanted to see how you felt. I would make them bounce. You would. You would. 100%. How are you going to deal with not having the big crowds? Being on a big stage with a big crowd and now this?

I think I don't need that. I've been doing it for 20 years, 25 years. I played in front of 90,000. And I made them. bounce I made him chair I made him whistle I made him hate I made him love so all these things and I don't have that ego that I need attention now because I am who I am I'm remembered for what I did on the field so I'm not looking for attention I'm not looking for get recognized and and all those things because or else I would

choose to be a commentator I would do don't those things that you have these ex-player's doing because they're doing it because they still miss their attention. They want to be seen in front of the camera. What do you want to do? Have you worked it out of you? I'm a little bit curious about the acting thing because I've been trying some things in front of the camera.

I mean, I'm not shy. If I'm a good actor, I don't know. I don't think. I can see you playing a James Bond villain. Villain, yeah. Yes. I would smash James Bond, but he could win in the end. I'm okay with that, but during the movie,

I would smash him and then probably I would lay somewhere two meters under the ground, which is okay. Because I feel with you, Zlatan, that your whole life has been a fight. And that's the way you've actually liked it. You were brought up in an environment like that. You played football in that environment. You were at your best when you were in a scrap.

I think it's a correct picture of me, because even if I'm not in a fight, I'm looking for it. for a fight because it's something that kicks. I get a kick off, I get adrenaline off, and where I came from, it was about survival mode. I mean, the strongest guy would survive. And all around me was, they were talking, like it always says, media, they criticize you,

they talk about you, and they wanna have something to say. But that was me. If I would not be like that, I would not be, where I came or maybe sit here and speak to Pierce Morgan. So will I get a better interview out of you by being nice to you or if I start yanking your chain, insulting you a bit, roughing you up a bit. But I get the real Zlatan then?

No, you get, you will get the real Zlatan in any question. I mean, if you're looking for something, I will give it to you. I cannot change me. I'm not here to be beautiful or to be perfect to somebody. I think being yourself is perfect. Authenticity has a power to it, I think. I think so, yes. And me getting angry and that, that's me.

I need to get fired up. So that's how I bring out sharpness. That's how I bring out of me when I walk on fire. Because if you make me feel too comfortable, I'm playing to win. And to win, I will destroy you. I think to understand why you're like this, I want to take you back to Malmo, to Rosengarde,

where you grew up, you've described it as being like a ghetto. It was a rough, tough place. You said you can take a guy away from Rosengarde, but you can't take Rosengarde out of a guy. What do you mean by that? I mean, I can go, I can come, I can make it out of the ghetto, but the ghetto will stay in me. So I came from Rosengarde because I am still who I am,

even if I'm not there. And that's what I say. You can take yourself out of a place, but the place you were raised and born in, it will still be in you. So that I would never change for success. I would never change for whatever happens to me. Tell me about your parents, your father, first of all,

Sefick, he was a caretaker. I was interested that he suffered quite a lot of torment as a result of the war in Yugoslavia. It affected him quite deeply, I think. If you ever had a chance to really talk about that with him? No, because he never spoke about it with me. I was living alone with my with my father and in the beginning was okay because I mean the father he did every my father did everything to to survive to bring in money to to pay the bill to pay the rent to make me

feel happy. He did his maximum and the best out of the conditions that was there and then the war started started then he was more distance from me because he kept everything away from me. And he took it very hard because I remember, like, it's no secret that my father was he drank and he was sitting there with his phone, tried to reach out for the family members. I don't know what was going on

because I was pretty small at that time, but I could see. And often what you see stays longer than what you hear. So, but we never discussed about, about it, he never put me in between. I was young and I was crazy, I was wild, I was out, I was playing football a lot. I still had the discipline to go to school

because if I would not go to school, my father would smash me, which is normally in our world. So how would you do that? No, he would become aggressive. He would make sure I do it. He would not hit me, my mother would hit me. She was the one hitting, not my father. I read that your mother used a wooden

Wooden spoon and hit me. So when that would break, she would say to me, go buy a new one. But I didn't break it, you broke it, but was still by fault. How many spoons did you have to buy? A lot, a lot, a lot. Then it came to a certain moment, like, how do you call the thing you put, when you press the bread, like the round. When she came with that, I ran away.

Yeah, yeah, then I ran away. I said, this is too hard. This you cannot touch me with. But for us was normal. For us was normal. I understand. There'll be people watching this who have not experienced that from their parents. Do you feel that you carried mental scars from being hit or not?

It made me stronger. It made me stronger because now when I'm a parent myself, I understood what my parents went through and it's not easy. What's your relationship like with your parents today? I'm closer with my mother, with my father. it's it's it has been like it was before not so close as my mother because it's too big egos to I am my father so when he fights me he fights himself which he doesn't understand because I am like him he made me who I am

Ross Bean do you think the proudest he's ever felt for you in your career he will not show it what about your mother you have a better relationship with her a closer one closer How's her life now? What have you been able to do for her? I mean... You bought her a lovely home, I think, didn't you? About a lot of stuff, which is normal.

You tried to help out. What I understood fast, quick in my life when I became successful was I will help you. But I will not interfere in your private life. So when I grew up, I had an empty fridge, which is not a secret. I always make sure they have a full fridge, Because that, when I move together with my Helena, I said, listen, the only demands I have from you that the fridge has to be full. Because every time I open the fridge, I want it to be full. Even if I will not take something out, I just want to take away that image where it's empty.

And I have milk, I have cheese, I have ham, and nothing more. And I want to take out that image from my, when I was raised, and I have a full fridge, even if I would not pick up some. Did you feel as you grew up that you had love from your parents, even if they had a strange way of showing it? I think we show love in a different way in my family. We show love by aggression. We show love in a hard way. We are not the ones we clap you on the back, we hug you, we hold you around. That is not the way we show love. We have a more rough environment.

You were bullied when you were young. young. You said I was a small guy, had a big nose, had a lisp, I'd speech therapy. You could have, I guess, like a lot of people in that world, he could have just continued down a life of crime, maybe ended up in prison or worse, dead. Do you think about that cross roads in your life, the football gave you the way out? I think football, it, it rescued me because obviously where I came from, there is right side, no, you go right side or you go left side and you choose what you want I always played football because my mentality where I came from we played football we played football and the

mentality was I'm the best his own censored f*** the rest that was my mentality and my my motto you said the two most important people in your life one was your great friend and longtime agent and Mina Ryola who died last year yes that must have been a huge blow to you I I lost my agent several years ago suddenly in his 50s, same thing. And he was one of my closest friends, knew everything about me. I mean, it's a very unique relationship you have. What impact did his death have on you?

It was a big loss. It's still a big loss, and I still miss him today. And I will miss him forever because he was not only agent for me. He was everything. My career started when I moved to Iex, But my real career started when the first day I met him. And we did everything together. The football, outside football.

I shared every moment with him. Happy moments, bad moments. And even in my private life, I would present him a girl. And I would say, what do you think? Is for me or not? He would say yes or no. So he was involved in everything I did, but really everything. And when that tragic moment,

happened to me last year I was it was not the same thing football became different for me and and in everything I do because everything we did was was sharing moments obviously I became older he saw me grow from a baby to a man I became who I am because of him also and and we would challenge each other all the time he would give me so much I would give him so much so much so he would always trigger me like that so I took it very hard and my game would not be the same because I'm doing things now on my own, not there with somebody which I would always do because before I do something,

I would call him, what do you think? So this into you would be, Minna, what do you think? And he would say, he would say, yeah, go destroy him or go make him famous. We would this guy, this guy, he would give his. Which one are you going to do here? No, I'll make you, I don't know, you're a big shot. So I'm not worried about it. you when it happened was a big loss because he was like like a rule model for me

father friend agent example and yeah I learned a lot about from him so like I said I still miss him we all miss him yeah you would enjoy with him yes I sadly never knew him I met him very briefly this interview uncensored you would he was a great character yeah yeah and a brilliant agent, everyone knew that. And I'm very sorry for you that you lost such a close friend. The other person, you said, was the most important, of course, is your partner, Helena. She was an economics graduate. She was a successful former children's television presenter, 11 years older than you, and you meet at Malmo train station outside of Bureau de Change.

And her first impression wasn't great, flat down. No. You were 20. She thought you were pretty rude. Pretty cocky, a bit of a yobbo. You turned around. How did you manage to convince her you weren't her worst fears? I mean, I didn't give up because I saw this blonde girl, and I was in my Ferrari. I wanted to act cool, be cool. But she had a pretty cool car also, so.

And I parked the car, and I was like, listen, tried to be cool. And she saw me, she was ignoring me totally. And I was like, that was not the response I wanted to have. And I was shy. When I was young, I was shy because I wasn't feeling... I wasn't feeling the guy I am today, let's say. But she was 10 years older than me, 11 years older. I was a little child for her.

I was like unmature little shit for her. So she was this elegant, moving around good, knew what she was doing, knew what she want. a different way of showing my love, I had a different temperament, but she had a lot of patient. And I think because of the age, she's still there today,

because she being more mature than me and having patient, or she saw an investment in me. Well, maybe, yeah, but she might have seen it. She saw the future. She might have seen a better you down the line, right? I mean, you said she understands my character and accepts I'm a bit crazy.

I was surrounded by chaos, I was out of control. I'm calmer today. Maybe she realized she could calm the beast. Could be. Could be. I mean, like I said, the age, I think, made a difference. Because then you get to know each other, obviously.

I think a partner every five year change. I don't think you're with your wife. You have the same wife like the first day you met her. He's not the same. He don't actually have a wife, that's it. No, because I don't want to lose 50%. No, I don't know. You had two children?

I don't have wife. I have two boys. Why have you never asked her to marry you? Or have you? I have. And what happened? She said no. Really? Yes.

So she's strong, eh? When was this? This was a couple of years ago, because I said, after 20 years, you deserve to be married with me. She said, I don't need to be married with you, to be with you. She's strong. She's very strong. How did you feel about being rejected? I think it's cool. because if you do that, you gain more respect for me.

Because I don't have to win all the time. Are you going to keep trying? No, she had one chance. She will not get a second chance. But she has two boys from me, so that's even bigger than being married. And to be honest, I don't need a piece of paper to show that she's mine.

She's mine whatever paper we have been among us. Would you want your boys to play elite-level football, having been through all the ups and different? downs you've been through? Yeah, yeah, why not? They choose themselves. I mean, they're playing football today. They play for Milan and they do, they're very focused and the important thing, they don't do it for me because I see a lot of parents now when I have boys, I bring them to the game, football, but also different kind of sports. I see they push their kids. How do you give them the hunger that you had? I treat them like they would be my teammates. I don't treat them like

they're my boys. If that is okay or not. I don't know but I treat them like they would be my teammates I'm direct to them they have to be happy healthy but with discipline they have to do the things because my philosophy is why be normal when you can be the best your talent has made you extremely wealthy do you know how rich you are I always say money is not important you agree with me or not money is important I tell you why no not having a lot of money wait wait a lot of money is important I think removing no no I think I would say that

Moving the worry about not having money is important. In other words, the stress that many people feel from not having enough money just to get by, I think that is a terrible stress. So having enough money where you have security and comfort in your life, I don't think you need to have gazillions. Money creates problems, even in families.

Money brings stress. The more you have, the more stress. And where is the stop? You could live a good life with normal money. But what is normal money now? I've been on the both sides. I've been without money, grew up with a family where my father made a thousand euro in pound,

I don't know how much it is, and still we had a good at that moment. A thousand euro over what period? Monthly, monthly, thousand, then you pay bills and that, I don't know how much is left. And we have to share it, not share it, it was his, he gave me whenever I needed.

And, but I had a good life. I had it good at that moment. Were you happy then? Were you happier then? But what is happiness? Well, you tell me. It's moments. I'm happy now.

In 10 minutes, I could be unhappy. So it's moments. Money makes it easier. Makes your life easier. But I don't think it gives you happiness. Because for me, happiness is moments. You're happy with one situation now. My dream was come to Barcelona.

After one year was my nightmare. Yeah. So it's moments. but I agree with you. But you must have had a big offer to go to Saudi. I had an offer also from China. I had an offer also from Saudi. But the situation is, what do you want?

What is your, what objectives do you have? I said before we started, like, certain players need to finish his career in big stage because that is like the high end of your career. because you have to be remembered for your talent, not for what you earned. Because if you be remembered in opposite way, what we are training every day for,

what we are being recognized for is our talent. And that's what you want to be remembered for. So I think certain players that reach a certain level, they have to stop in a certain stage. And that's the big stage. You cannot go in a lower stage. and finish your career in a different way. But some players needed the situations

where you can earn a lot of money because they didn't earn enough. How much have you turned down to play in Saudi? I mean, in Saudi, no, I had a bigger offer in China. I had a hundred million offer in China. And I went to America because I got injured and the situation changed. But I turned it down before I went there

because it's not what I wanted. And I would, instead of just, getting a lot of money straight, I would challenge myself to arrive there by different ways of coming to there. But the challenge to get it, not because I need it or because I wanted. Would you have any moral problem in playing in Saudi Arabia? No, no. No, absolutely not. I mean, you have the golf situation now. They came together and they made it one. So I'm just sorry for the players that didn't go before because they didn't get the money that the players got it.

So no, the football, listen, wherever you play football, it's football. Football connects people. Like, it's a dream we share both of us. You're a fan, you were not a professional. You're an Arsenal fan, and I feel sorry for you a little bit. But as a professional football player, as long as you play football and Saudi is growing, MLS is growing.

I mean, China had a peak, and then I don't know, the situation changed there. But a moral thing, no, no, we are still, I mean, we do things for ourselves and our family. Who would judge you in five, ten years when you have a healthy, healthy life and have a good life? If you were to fall over dead tomorrow, how much would you be worth? I don't know, I don't know, probably half. Half a billion? Yeah.

Half a billion US dollars? Yeah, but it's not important for me because I don't care about it. Because if I die tomorrow, what says with me? No, no, I understand you, but I'm thinking next step. It's not important for me. My point is, did the kid in Malmo on those rough streets, could you ever have imagined? No. Ever?

No. But one day you'd be worth half a billion dollars. No. You talked earlier about having this dream of playing for Barcelona, and it did turn out to be a nightmare. And probably the main reason for that was the breakdown in your relationship with the manager, Pep Guardiola. But right now, many with you. would say is the best coach in the world. You had a very different experience with him.

You called him a coward with no balls. You said, when you buy me, you're buying a Ferrari. If you drive a Ferrari, you put premium petrol in the tank. You hit the motorway and you step on the gas. Guardiola filled up with diesel and took a spin in the countryside. He should have bought a fiat. I think Guardiola is an amazing coach. When I was there, the coaching was different compared to what I had before.

It's totally on a different level. That's why he's successful. because if you see on his career, if you take the last 15, 10 to 15 years, the guy never came third place. He's always first or second, so the coach is amazing. But I had a different situation with him,

because I had the coach and I get to meet the person. And it became a problem I was not aware of because I solved my problems. I look in the eyes, doesn't mean I have to like you or dislike you. we will solve it and it takes one second to solve it. We go straight and we solve it. But solve a problem, if the problem is between two persons,

it takes two to solve it. And especially when the other side doesn't know. And I remember when I was there, I was like, because before I came to Barcelona, always media have their input and saying, they would go like, you don't fit in here, you don't fit in the culture, is different, different, because who I was.

And my mistake was there. I tried to fit in instead of being who I am. First six months was okay, everything was good. No, but the strange thing, the first meeting I had with him was like, remember, players here don't come with Ferrari, Porsche and that. Then it felt like, why? He's already judging. But why?

You call me every day to bring me here, and then you want to send this message to me. Don't worry, I will not bring my car. And I didn't bring it. I didn't bring it for six, seven, eight months. And then I started to... The directors, because I would perform bad, and the people above him would complain.

But they said, we cannot engage if you don't open the door. So I would have to go to him and say, listen, what's going on? I think with the situation with Messi, putting him, I need more space. You brought me in. So I need my space to do my thing. because the way you want me to play now

I'm not good enough. Then better you put the other players. So I was direct and open. And we spoke normal conversation because I never had a problem with a coach in a professional way. And he said in the end which was cool, don't worry, I take care of this. I was like, okay, cool, everything is done.

Next game, I know I'm on the bench. I said, okay, no problem. And I'm not the type that would go to the coach. Why am I not playing? Why am I not playing? you should play me. Second game, bench. Third game, bench. I said, okay, and now I'm getting

pumped up because obviously I need to do more to show myself. But I noticed it was not about me performing anymore. It was, I think, my opinion, he felt offended for me saying to him, I needed more space and the way I wanted to play. He's punishing. Which is okay.

Yeah. Which is okay. He's the coach, bad results. He leaves. Players stays. And I respect that, but be open to me, be direct to me, so we understand each other. Fourth game bench, and then I started to make noise because it's not okay for me anymore. Now I'm on the bench, and I'm on the bench because of a situation I created, not by my own choice, because of the people above him, because for them I was a big investment. And the fourth game I bring my Friri and I bring the ends of Ferrari.

And I knew it would create another situation. So I parked the car in front of his office. So you, I f***ed with me. I f***ed with you. That was my motto. You parked it in front of his office. In front of his office, I said, this is, you want to play with fire?

I will bring you fire. But I will burn you. Obviously, he's the coach because what punish most of the players, player if he doesn't play because obviously you want to play but the boss is the coach but in that moment I understood this will not be okay because there is how did he react to you parking your Ferrari outside he would not say nothing to me because he would avoid me is that why you use the phrase cow but no balls yeah because he would not confront his whatever problem he had it came to ahead of the

dressing room incident after Basel lost to inter and it's alleged that you threw a training kit across the room. Yeah. Guardiard is that true? Versus him, yeah. Did you hit him? No, he didn't hit.

How did he react? But it was a message, no, he stepped out of the locker room. He would not confront me. He will not confront me. Like I see him, because I follow football, I see him in the press conferences now and that, saying his thing, this didn't happen here. So maybe he become bigger men.

If he's watching this interview, what would you say? He would say, I still think about it, still like. No, what would you say? I'm crying. No, I think he's amazing coach. Don't get me wrong. I think he's an amazing coach. What he's doing, he changed the game 100%. He's being very successful. As a man, as a man, I see him do some press conference. I see him. He has been stepping up, so he's not the one I know, I mean that I met, so I'm happy for him. I mean, remember, we share the same dream. We were, I was a professional player, he was a professional player,

so I don't want any harm for him. Dislike or like, still we share the same dream. I didn't know. That's my, still until today, I don't know what the problem was. You think he should have the courage to tell you? No, he shouldn't. He should run away. One coach you loved was Jose Marini,

and you had great success with him. What was it about Jose? You said, I think, that Jose, when he comes in a room, the lights go on, whereas Guadiola pulls the curtains. Yeah. First time, Jose presented himself was when he won the Champions League with Porto. And then he came to England, and he made a lot of noise. But you walk like you talk, no?

He did everything he said he would do. And for me, that triggers me because that is not arrogance for me. That is not you think you're something. That for me is confidence. He really believes in it and he's outspoken. And I'm the same. I believe in certain things, and I will say it. And I will do everything to reach to my objectives.

But the thing with Morini is he makes you feel so strong that you go out and you fight for him and you do whatever it takes to win. You scored over 500 goals. You played over 100 times. country and you're that Sweden's top scorer what's your favorite goal if I could relive a moment would it be the bicycle kick against England yes because it was I'll tell you why because of many reasons because the goal is amazing I

mean the goal for me not because it's me not because of my ego who would do that thing I don't see many players do that thing because many players in that situation we are winning three two it was the last minutes would take down the ball and waste time because you want to win the game obviously but when I saw the moment I said yeah Hart was the goalie and I said I will fool him now when I saw him run out I will pretend to go forward towards him then I will back off then I took it instinctly from there like turn around and as a striker you know where your goal is you don't need to see the

goal you can put me in every angle on the field, I will know where the goal is. Because as soon as you hit the ball with the bicycle kick, you knew it was going I knew already where the goal was. The, let's say. Did you know when you hit it, it was going in? Yes. You said you've stopped outside of the street by some paparazzi and asked, was Cristiano

Ronaldo's bicycle kick goal the best you've seen? And you said yes. Do you still think that? I was being sarcastic. Oh, you were? Yes. You met yours. Which not many understood.

But I'm not there to explain that Because if you cannot read my mind, it's not my fault So you think yours was better? 100%. 100%. I said in an interview later, you should try it from 40 meters. It's a big difference.

Even if his was beautiful, but this was from 40 meters. Is it, I've asked, I actually asked him the same question, but when you score a goal like that, is it better than sex? I mean, my game, that in that game was crazy.

Because why it was, that's what I wanted to come. That's not the answer. Yeah, but you have to see the whole package. But that moment, no, sex is better. Come on, my friend. Sex is better. We don't even go there.

Sex is 10 times better, not one time better. 100%. Is this in case Helena's watching this? No, no, no, no, no. Sex is better. Whoever thinks their friend, he has a problem with his sex. He should get help. I wouldn't know because I never scored a 40-yard bicycle king.

No, you get a lot of adrenaline. So after the goal, I saw Welbeck. I think he was the striker and I took off the shirt and I said, enjoy. Because something like this, he will never see again. And he was watching me. So you see, even in that moment, I get anger out instead of just enjoy. So I throw it out and I look at him. Actually, I was rude, but I don't know why I was rude to him.

I needed to find objects. So I said, enjoy because you will never enjoy this again. But he hasn't done nothing for me. But that's me looking for... It's your natural fight-in-asting. So he's not personal against him, so that's me. And he was watching me, he didn't understand nothing, because I have, nothing happened.

But the game, the goal is, why the goal is most beautiful? Because of England. Because before I came to England, they talked bad. Because if you haven't played in Premier League, you're not good enough. That's the mentality here, which I respect, because they want to see you challenge your game here. And then during the game, they were calling,

me the diva. They were calling me a fake Carol. The fans were doing. Yeah, the fans. So it was going on. And before that, the media was writing, I never scored against England teams in Champions League. I always fail against the English team. So everything this was going around my head. So that's why I say, it's a whole package.

I scored four goals. And I don't know, I think Van Busten, or I have the record against England. And this was a whole package because of all the I got. that is the most beautiful goal and is a goal England will always remember for the rest of the life. That's true. In the list of all-time great footballers

where do you put yourself? Now I have to speak as a fan because what are we judged after? What we win? Collective. What we win individual. I'm talking about individual quality as players. Just this kid without winning anything. I think I'm the best without joking. I'm the most

complete player that ever exists. Skills and all this. When we talk pure, only the player, the abilities, no, I think 100%. No joking. See, I love that about you. I would love every striker that's ever played for Arsenal to have that mentality.

Yeah, they had a chance. Yeah. That you have to discuss with Venge. I'm going to come to that. I'm coming to that. Okay, okay. of all I think it's not about being arrogant in that I think if it's self-belief surely his confidence backing yourself but also backing it up by I believe it listen when you

love Muhammad Ali right wait I will do another example yeah when I say I am God you think I'm joking or not you tell me I'm not joking when I come on the field I feel like that you feel like God I feel like God when I'm on the field an omnipotent I feel untouchable and I feel I will smash everyone that comes in my way. That is a mental part. Let's say boxing, Tyson Fury is the champion. If you ask me if I could smash, I would say yes. I would smash you. You could beat Tyson Fury? In my head, yes, but when I come in the ring he would knock me out after two seconds.

But the mentality is, I can. Yes. But in the ring, he would eat me alive without doubts. But my mentality is, I can. What do you make of what's happening in Manchester United? They were the dominant team in the Premier League for so many years under Sir Alex Ferguson. They've not been able to replicate that. And right now they're really struggling.

What do you put it down to? I remember when I came to United. And whoever I met there, everybody was talking about how Fergie would do it, Ferguson. This would not happen with Ferguson. This Ferguson would not do. And I was like, listen, I don't care. I don't care what happened before. I'm here to do my own story, my own present time,

and be remembered for what I did now. Not for what he did something. I respect that. He brought the club wherever he brought it. The club is because what he did, but time goes on. But I think now in the United, I don't know, there's some kind of, how do you say, demonstrations about the owners to sell it and that.

But just a reminder, the owners are investing. It's not like they're not investing because they brought in many players for high amount of money. So I think it's a little bit wrong saying that they're not doing what the fans expect them to do. Then I don't know what the real reason is behind everything. Are the players underperforming? I think with the new coach. The new coach came from where? He was at Iax.

I was in Iax also. IAX is a talented club. They have the best talents in the club. They don't have big stars. What is the experience of this coach? Young talents. He comes to United. United is different mentality, different players.

So the players, they're supposed to be big stars. So I think with his experience being there, I don't know if he talks for him or not. because I think he's in a different situation and then above him there is a gap where he doesn't get the help to manage the team listen this is what I read in the paper so it's not I have all the situation

that is happening but I can just imagine him coming from IEX to United is a big difference because I've been in both clubs you manage talents upgrowing is different kind of approach because there you have a different kind of discipline You come to United, you do the same thing. I don't know, I don't believe, and I don't think it's the same treatment you give.

I mean, Christiana Ronaldo, when he gave the interview to me, when he left United, he said that he felt he didn't have the respect of Eric Tenhaug. You see with Jaden Sancho now a similar situation, Tenhug criticizing him in public and so on. Maybe that is an illustration of his problems in managing big talent. But I don't say it's the coach fault. Because experience you cannot buy. You just have to get time to get the experience. But it's two different situations.

Being in Iex, being united. Then if it's his fault, I don't think. Because I think everybody has a responsible in the whole situation. We are a piece of parcel from the big puzzle. So everybody has a responsibility to do and to fulfill the demands. United has to win. They have to win every title they play for. Now they're being dominating by the neighbors,

and it's a totally different situation there. And you need to find the right path again and to push for that. Do you think he's out of his depth, Ten Hugg? I think he needs more time to get the experience, how to handle a team. But you don't really get time at a club like United States. No, obviously not, because we need to win.

That's the reality. You come to my, when I was in Milan, I cannot give you time to develop, to perform. You need to perform straight because like I said, survival mode. It's you or another one because United is in a situation. You don't do good enough. The next day there is another one. And the result speaks for itself. So that's why it is tricky.

But how much time do you give a coach? I don't know. It depends on the owners, what they want. But if you listen to the fans, you don't have. a lot of time because they want to win. Absolutely. And I understand them because they're used to win and they want to still win. Did you feel when you were at United, one of the things Cristiano suggested to me was the

younger players didn't really show him the respect he was expecting. But respect is nothing you ask for. Respect is something you take. So it depends on you. I have to make sure you respect me. It's nothing you ask for. You don't ask the young guys for respect. You take the respect and you put them in the place.

So it's up to him to make sure they respect you. If it was me and he don't respect me, that young player is the last thing he would have in his life. Because I would make sure he respect me. And he would know it for the rest of his life. So it's up to him to make sure they respect him. You said about yourself, I can't help but laugh at how perfect I am. Yeah, you don't see it. Is there any...

Perfect. Looking sharp. I went to buy a suit. I told me for you. You made you cost me 3,000 euros. You know what? It was worth it. You're looking sharp. Thank you, thank you. But is there any imperfection? I mean, I had moments where I said.

What would you choose? I mean, for me the confidence is bulletproof. I have a strong confidence. I would not go and have complex on myself and do and say, do and say, I need to fix this, this, obviously I could do certain things, but I am who I am. I cannot change that. I was created by my parents, and I became, and I look the way I do. So for me, that is perfection, because I cannot change.

I have a big nose. Yeah, I have a big nose. I have a space between this, blah, blah, blah. But that's who I am. I cannot change. I don't want to change because you should believe in who you. you are because you are perfect. There's only one thing you got wrong. I know I'm telling you what it is. There's one thing you got wrong. So it's your birthday next

week right yeah. Yeah. It will be just before this show and there's one big mistake you made in New York. I know already what you will say. What am I gonna say? Because I didn't go to Arsenal. Yes. You see the first of all I predict future. First of all, tell me why you didn't join Arsenal when you were 17. So when I was young I had a lot of interests from a lot of clubs, and one of them was Arsenal. So I came to the office of Mr. Arsend-Vengert and was big hype because I saw these players

back camp, Henri, I saw Jungberg, I saw Vieira. I saw all these players, and I was like, this is big because these players I see in TV, even if I already played in high-level Sweden. But this was big because this was like, I am here now. Last week I was playing PlayStation with these guys. And I spoke with Vengeir and he has this French,

he was tall, I didn't expect him to be so tall. I come in his office and we speak and yeah, and he was like, what do you want? He wanted to get to know me, to feel me, because I think he's a type of person, he just don't buy the player. He wants to know what he's buying, I think. And yeah, and then in the end,

he had an Arsenal shirt with number nine And you want you to come and do a trial for two weeks. And from all this, everything was good until he said, you come and do a trial. And I was looking at him. Obviously, he's vengel, I'm nobody in that moment. He said, I don't do trials. And he was like, what do you mean?

I don't do trials. Either you want me or you don't want me. Or why am I here? Like that was my, but it was not to play a game. It was me. No, but you have to come and do a trial and that. no, no, you don't understand. I don't do trials. And that was it. I didn't, I never went to Arsenal. Well, this story breaks my heart, right? Because you would have been fantastic.

Thank you. You are exactly the kind of strike you we need right now, actually. I can tell you, we would win a lot of trophies. Yes. I'm 100% sure. We would have even more trophy. But I also know, I can tell from your face, it's a big regret of yours. Okay. You wish if you had your time again. So this is your birthday present. Okay. Thank you. It is Ibrahimovic number 11. It looks good? Looks sharp. I think it's your size. And you know what?

It's never too late. You can come out of retirement. Thank you. Slip it on. It looks good, right? Thank you very much, eh? It was a great interview. Nice meeting you.

A real pleasure.