Zlatan did not get on with then Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola…
Zlatan Ibrahimovic wanted to join Real Madrid after leaving Barcelona because it would have been the ‘perfect revenge’ on Pep Guardiola, according to his agent Mino Raiola, as reported in the Daily Mail.
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The prolific Swedish striker now plays for Paris Saint-Germain, but he left Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan side in 2009 for Barcelona, though he would only last a year after falling out with manager Pep Guardiola.
Ibra’s agent, Raiola, has now spoken about the difficult relationship endured between the striker and Guardiola.
“Zlatan wanted to play for Real [Madrid] when he left Barcelona, it would have been the ideal move; the perfect revenge against Guardiola,” the agent, who also represents Paul Pogba and Mario Balotelli, said while talking to Marca.
He continued, “As a person, Guardiola’s behaviour was terrible, shocking. He’s a great coach. [He called Zlatan] about 10 times [in the year he was at Barcelona]. He told him whatever he needed or wanted, he would be helped with. Then all of a sudden, he stopped talking to him.”
Ibrahimovic is the most expensive footballer in the world, in terms of transfer fees exchanged for a player, claimed that the disagreement was born out of him outshining Lionel Messi, who was having a difficult season.
According to the Swede, Guardiola changed the system to suit Messi, to the PSG striker’s detriment.
Raiola recounted a conversation he had with club director Txiki Begiristain, “Messi was upset and went crying to Guardiola and he’s going to play through the middle and Guardiola’s not going to play two strikers.”
According to the agent Guardiola never spoke to Ibrahimovic again after this and despite leaving for AC Milan, the striker’s desire to join Real Madrid was motivated by getting revenge over the Barcelona manager.