Ibrahimovic: "It's like a movie with a happy ending"

Barcelona player Zlatan Ibrahimovic gave an interview to Catalan sports paper Sport.





The first question is necessary. How are you?
I'll tell you that it's going pretty well, if you are thinking about my hand. Everything is going just like the doctors told me. And I hope I can run together with my teammates in a couple of days.

You're telling me that you miss the physical efforts?
Nobody can imagine my will to start to play and run. It's not comfortable to be on the sideline and do nothing.

You say that because it hasn't been easy to come to Barcelona?
What happened to me is like a film with a happy ending. My hope was that Barca would buy me, and here I am. Like it or not, whenever you arrive to a new dressing room, you will question how will it be, how will they meet you, and all situations like that. Now I'm a Barca player. Even if people don't have any belief in it, and think that I'm saying it to act good, but the truth is that everything and everybody have treated me wonderfully.

Let's talk about your adjustment. The coach won't stop repeating that you must learn the style of play and the system as fast as possible. Are you concerned it's so urgent?
No, absolutely not. I understand him. These questions don't worry me so much. I've reached a certain age, and played football in many years. People, my teammates knows how I play and how I can move on the pitch. I have also had the possibility to watch them plenty of times, and I know a lot about the details. I'm pretty sure everything will be pretty easy.

Can you give a short brief to us on how the deal happened? Even if you don't like to talk about these subjects, do you acknowledge that it has been controversial to get you here?
What matters is that I'm here. People have been talking about a lot of things, some things are true, and some things are not. I really don't want to talk about any of this. It's a part of the past, and I'm one of those who likes to live in the present. I have left Inter. I would like to say that I am grateful over everything that the club has given me and what I have experienced. But it's time to think about Barcelona. When all of this started and the negotiations developed, I really did not believe it would be a possibility. It went well, and that's how it is.

Help me to solve a little mystery; did Guardiola convince you to come?
The contacts and negotiations started many months ago. I have trouble remembering it. But I did not talk to Guardiola. However it's true that I talked with Txiki and Raul Sanllehi, they told me their idea, and we agreed to take it calmly.

Let's talk about football. What feeling did you get when you watched Barca from Milan?
To watch Barca on TV last season was fantastic. Everyone saw a football that was magnificent and amazing. You knew the team was going to make history. I wanted to be a part of this, with my game, my experience and my effort.

And goals?
Yes, I hope I can score plenty of goals, even if that's not the most important thing. As long as it goes good for the team and we work as a group, then the goals will eventually come.

This was the first part of this interview. You'll be able to read the second part here tomorrow with Ibrahimovic among other things talking about the media and other Barca players.

translated by Sandvik

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