International Players

Zlatan Ibrahimovic analyzed his return to the Swedish national team

By Fredi Roman

The forward recounted his feelings of defending his country again. 

The forward recounted his feelings of defending his country again. 

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Thursday was not another day in the life of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. It's that the forward returned to put on the colors of the Swedish national team after more than six years. He did it in the Qatar 2022 World Cup Qualifying match, where his country was measured against Georgia getting a victory by the smallest difference (1-0). What did Zlatan feel on his return? 

"It was like the first game I played for the national team. It tickled my stomach, it gave me goose bumps. I was not nervous, I was motivated," said the experienced forward. Zlatan's big return came on Thursday, in Sweden's debut for the European Qualifiers. Those led by Janne Andersson received the Georgia team, and took the victory by the minimum, thanks to an assist from Ibra.

"The feeling was amazing. I just missed the Swedish fans because the last time I played here it was with a full stadium and the atmosphere is different when it's full. But the rest was amazing. I was very happy, very proud". Ibra explained at the press conference. And he also added that even though his assistance helped the team win, he could have done more.

At 39 years old, the Swede is just as whole as ever. He shows it every week in Italy (he has 15 goals in 15 Serie A matches), and he showed it in the match against Georgia. Some years ago, he had declared that it was like wine ("the older the better"), and once again he brought it up again. "When I play, I try to do my thing. You never know what happens on the court. There is nothing I have planned. They are impulsive things. I look at situations and I try to do what I think is the best for each situation. I can still do those. movements, those ninja things. It's still in me, even though I'm 39 years old", he said after the victory.

Zlatan expressed that special motivation to re-represent his country from the moment the teams stepped onto the pitch. That is why he for the first time he sang the national anthem, fulfilling his promise to the coach. "I had promised Janne that he would sing. I learned the lyrics", he told C More channel. Before his re-debut, the forward already had 116 appearances for the national team, in which he scored 62 goals. And in none of those games had he ever sung the stanzas of his hymn.


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