Zlatan Ibrahimovic does not mice his words. When Piers Morgan announced that Ibrahimovic was going to be his next guest on Uncensored, fans were understandably curious to get a peek behind the persona. And the player hasn’t disappointed them once ounce.

Ibrahimovic’s childhood was rough, with his parents parting ways when he was just two years old. His mother would work odd jobs to raise her son, and the family lived in an immigrant-populated district. The striker, however, was always confident in himself and knew he’d make it big.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic opens up on his relationship with his father

In his recent appearance on Piers Morgan’s Uncensored, the former AC Milan superstar touched down on his childhood and his career. During the interview, when Morgan asked if the player was close to his mother or father, the Swede shared the bond that he shared with his mother, and how he is his own father.

“I’m closer with my mother. With my father, it’s, it has been like it was before. Not so close as my mother, because it’s two big egos, too. 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.”

Zlatan Ibrahimovic then added that his father sometimes triggers him, but at the end of the day, he acknowledged the nuances of a father-son relationship.

He said, “So let’s say he would come in my garage. And I have, it is not a big secret; I have a lot of nice cars. And he said, What are you doing with those cars? Course you should sell them. I said, Listen, you do your thing. I do my thing. So he triggers me. He challenges me, but I am like him.”

Ibrahimovic, who is closer to his mother, had a fair share of obstacles before making it big. Perhaps, these revelations provide another lens to look at the iconic striker, whose belief in his own ability translated to goals on the pitch.

The Man Behind the Player : Roots of Zlatan

The former AC Milan striker had to struggle in the early stages of his life. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was born to a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother in 1981. The player had a rough upbringing as his parents separated when he was just two years old. The striker lived in the immigrant-populated district of Rosengård with his mother, who was forced by circumstances to work as a cleaner.

The player got his first breakthrough with his hometown club Malmö FF in 1999. The Swede had a quick impact on the club as he helped them rise up to the top flight in Swedish soccer.

Ibrahimovic was then roped in by Dutch side Ajax, where the player made a name for himself emerging as a key player, helping the side win two Eredivisie titles. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has been a part of the likes of AC Milan, Barcelona, PSG, and Manchester United in Europe and LA Galaxy in the MLS.

The striker since then has never looked back, winning multiple titles throughout his career. With 34 titles and 570 goals to his name, he will go down in history as one of the best strikers to grace the pitch.

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