Zlatan Ibrahimovic never won the Ballon d’Or because he “speaks his mind” and was not “intimidating” to play with, says ex-team-mate Sulley Muntari.

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• One of the greatest strikers of his generation
• Never finished higher than fourth in Ballon d'Or vote
• Earned respect of those he played alongside

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  Former Ghana international Muntari spent time working with enigmatic Swedish striker Ibrahimovic at Inter and AC Milan. The outspoken frontman is famed for his sharp tongue and demanding attitude, but that was never considered to be an issue for his club colleagues.

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  WHAT SULLEY MUNTARI SAID

  Muntari, who also spent time in the Premier League at Portsmouth during his playing days, has told when asked about self-proclaimed football “god” Zlatan: “As a team-mate Ibrahimovic wasn’t intimidating at all. He just wants the best out of you. He won games easily for whichever team I played. I managed to play with him during his early years in Inter during his first season then we met at Milan.”

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Muntari added on why one of the greatest strikers of his generation, who won countless trophies in major divisions across Europe, was denied a Golden Ball and title of best player on the planet: “Ibrahimovic is the top player, he's one of the best during his time. They didn't want to give him the Ballon d’Or because he speaks his mind. Sometimes they don't like to hear that but Ibrahimovic is massive. My best strikers of all time are [Samuel] Eto'o, Ibrahimovic and [Thierry] Henry.”

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  DID YOU KNOW?

  Ibrahimovic retired in 2023, having played into his 40s, and is now an advisor to AC Milan’s ownership team. He is expected to thrive in that role, with Muntari saying: “Ibrahimovic has been a winner for a very long time and now that he is taking care of Milan not on the field but in an advisory role, I think with time he will be one of the top football administrators in the world.”

Tags: Futebol
Category: News