Zlatan Ibrahimovic has boldly suggested that ex-Manchester United boss Jose Mourinho was a “newer version” of a former manager he played under in his career.
The 42-year-old Swedish former striker first played under Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan before he left the San Siro and signed for Barcelona in 2009.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic would link up again with the ‘Special One’ later in his career after he left Paris Saint-Germain and completed a blockbuster move to Manchester United.
The former PSG star was out of contract with the Ligue 1 club in 2016 and was snapped up by United on a free, with Ibrahimovic impressing under Mourinho.
During his first season at Old Trafford, Ibrahimovic scored an impressive 28 times in 46 appearances across all competitions for the Premier League club.
However, the former United and Sweden striker’s debut season in England was curtailed towards the end after he suffered a cruciate ligament injury.
Ibrahimovic compares Mourinho to one manager
Zlatan Ibrahimovic inked a contract extension after his first season at Manchester United, but he struggled to have the same impact in the following campaign.
The former Sweden international’s cruciate ligament injury haunted him in the 2017-18 season, with Ibrahimovic managing only seven appearances for United.
Ibrahimovic made his exit from Old Trafford in 2018 and the former United star completed his move to the States after signing for MLS outfit LA Galaxy.
The ex-Barcelona and Inter Milan striker spoke highly of Jose Mourinho and called the 61-year-old Portuguese manager a “machine” and “manipulative” at times.
Ibrahimovic claimed that Mourinho reminded him of former England and Real Madrid manager Fabio Capello, who coached the Swede when he was at Juventus.
Speaking to The Athletic, he said: “I was 35. I came to England. People said I’m too old, I should retire, blah blah blah. But this triggers me. This — I will prove you wrong.
“Jose was a machine. He brings the best out of you. He’s that person — manipulative.
“He knows how to get in your head. He knows how to treat you, independent of your level.
“He reminded me of Capello. But a newer version. Discipline. Hardcore. Intense. Not the soft types. This is what I like. Remember where I came from? My family is tough.”
Ibrahimovic on his mindset post-Man Utd
Ibrahimovic briefly played with LA Galaxy after his United spell before making his return to AC Milan for a second spell.
The former Milan striker, who retired from football as a player in 2023, admitted that he didn’t feel anxious about himself after returning from the MLS.
“It is because if I’m objective, I go all in, and then either you succeed or you fail,” Ibrahimovic said.
“Is it a 50-50 chance? No, in my case, it’s 99-1. I will do everything to succeed. It’s all mental. I know how good I am. Even higher, actually, 99.9 per cent.
“It depends on you. I am sure about myself. The 0.1 per cent chance or 1 per cent chance [of failure] is depending on them.
“Either they follow or they go against, but whoever goes against, they fail. This time they followed. And we won.”
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