Zlatan Ibrahimović is undoubtedly one of the best forwards in football history. He is also a prime example of a football nomad, which refers to a player who keeps playing for different clubs throughout their career. In this article we'll be looking at one of the most successful phases of Zlatan's career, which was his time at Inter Milan.
Zlatan Ibrahimović at Inter Milan
The infamous Calciopoli scandal of 2006 led to Juventus stripped of their last two Scudetti titles and also getting relegated to Series B. Among several top Juventus stars of the time, Zlatan Ibrahimović was adamant on leaving the club after this incident, despite Juventus club stuff persuading the player to stay. This eventually led to Zlatan signing for Inter Milan on 10th August 2006 for a transfer fee of €24.8 million.
Ibrahimović made his Inter Milan debut on 26th August, 2006 against Roma in the 2006 Supercoppa Italiana, which Inter emerged victorious after extra-time. His first goal for Inter came on his Serie A debut, as Inter won a 3-2 thriller against Fiorentina. His next major goalscoring feat came in the famous Derby della Madonnina on 28th October, as Zlatan scored the third goal against arch rivals AC Milan in what was a 4-3 thriller. Fast forward to the end of the season, Ibrahimović finished his debut campaign with Inter scoring 15 goals, helping Inter win the Scudetto with a record 97 points.
Ibrahimović made his 100th appearance for Inter Milan on 16th September, 2007 as a substitute , when they faced Catania. This was soon followed by his contract extension with the club. The new deal not only saw him extend his Inter career till June 2013, but was also reported to have made him the world's highest paid footballer at the time. Later On 18th May 2008, Ibrahimović scored a historic brace against Parma to help Inter Milan regain their Scudetto title on the final day of the 2007–08 Serie A season. They managed to finish the campaign with 85 points, 3 more than runners-up Roma. His contribution of 17 goals in 26 league matches that season saw him be named both Serie A Footballer of the Year and Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year.
Zlatan began the next season with another silverware triumph, as Inter overcame Roma in a penalty shootout to clinch the Supercoppa Italiana. The Swedish striker then went on to score his team's only goal in the 2008–09 Serie A opening match against Sampdoria, which ended 1-1. Another highlight that season was his goal against Bologna on 4th October, which was a spectacular striker that was later voted Goal of the Year in Serie A. Ibrahimović continued to score crucial goals for Inter, ending that season as the league's top goalscorer with 25 goals and helping Inter Milan to a 3rd consecutive Italian league title. He was yet again named both Footballer of the Year and Foreign Footballer of the Year as well.
This was sadly the end of Zlatan's historic time at Inter Milan, as he went on to join Pep Guardiola's Barcelona in a record-breaking deal that also saw Samuel Eto'o join Inter Milan. To conclude, Zlatan's time at Inter was a short yet magical period that'll always be remembered.
Zlatan Ibrahimović FAQs
1. What are Zlatan Ibrahimović stats?
Zlatan Ibrahimović scored a total of 511 goals from 866 appearances. His international record stands at 62 goals from 122 games.
2. What are Zlatan Ibrahimović dates joined?
The following is the timeline of the various clubs Zlatan Ibrahimović played for during his career:
1999–2001 Malmö FF
2001–2004 Ajax
2004–2006 Juventus
2006–2009 Inter Milan
2009–2011 Barcelona
2010–2011 AC Milan (loan)
2011–2012 AC Milan
2012–2016 Paris Saint-Germain
2016–2017 Manchester United
2017–2018 Manchester United
2018–2019 LA Galaxy
2020–2023 AC Milan
3. What is Zlatan Ibrahimović age?
Zlatan Ibrahimović is currently 43 years old.
4. How long did Zlatan play for Inter Milan?
Zlatan Ibrahimović played over 3 years at Inter Milan.
5. Has Zlatan won a Ballon d'Or?
No, Zlatan Ibrahimović has never won the Ballon d'Or.
