Zlatan Ibrahimović 

latan Ibrahimović (Bosnian pronunciation: [ˈzlatan ibraˈxiːmɔʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain.

Ibrahimović started his career at Malmö FF in the late 1990s under Roland Andersson. He was signed by Ajax, and made a name for himself under Ronald Koeman. Years later, he signed with Juventus for €16 million. Ibrahimović gained fame in Serie A, benefiting from his strike partnership with David Trezeguet. In 2006, he signed with league rival Internazionale, where he won individual awards such as the Italian Oscar del Calcio and the Swedish Guldbollen, and was named in the 2007 and 2009 UEFA Team of the Year, in addition to finishing as the league's highest scorer in 2008–09 while winning three straight Scudetti. In the summer of 2009, he transferred to Barcelona for €69 million, the second highest transfer fee in football history. His time at Barcelona was short lived however; moving back to Serie A football with Milan the following season, in a deal which made him one of the highest paid footballers in the world and cost the Italian club a confirmed €24 million.

Early life

Ibrahimović was born in Sweden to a Bosnian father who emigrated to Sweden in 1977, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croatian mother, Jurka Gravić, who also emigrated to Sweden, where they first met. Ibrahimović grew up in Rosengård, a Malmö neighbourhood known for its immigrant communities, along with his three sisters and two brothers. After receiving a pair of football boots, Ibrahimović began playing football at the age of six, alternating between local junior clubs Malmö BI and FBK Balkan. He has stated in an interview that while his team was down 4–0 during halftime, he came on as a substitute for his Balkan youth team and dramatically scored eight goals. While in his early teens, he was a regular for his hometown club Malmö FF^. At the age of 15, Ibrahimović was close to quitting his football career, in favour of working at the docks in Malmö, but his manager convinced him to continue playing. Ibrahimović successfully completed junior high school in the ninth grade. Though he was admitted to Borgarskolan and had above average grades, he soon dropped out of high school to focus on his football career.

 

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Ibrahimović playing for Milan.
Personal information
Full name	Zlatan Ibrahimović
Date of birth	3 October 1981 (age 30)
Place of birth	Malmö, Sweden
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Milan
Number	11
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2001	Malmö FF	40	(16)
2001–2004	Ajax	74	(35)
2004–2006	Juventus	70	(23)
2006–2009	Internazionale	88	(57)
2009–2011	Barcelona	29	(16)
2010–2011	→ Milan (loan)	29	(14)
2011–	Milan	21	(19)
National team‡
2001	Sweden U21	7	(6)
2001–	Sweden	75	(29)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 March 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 7 June 2011