Zlatan Ibrahimovic of the Paris Saint Germain dazzles whatever league he is playing. He may not be getting the recognition that the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are getting, one shot is enough to prove that he is one of the world’s best. His bicycle goal against England in November of 2012 is something that Zlatan is famous for. It is one of his epic goals because one, it came at a time when the Swedish footballer is being criticized for not delivering a goal against England. Two, he did it like it is something he does everyday.
Well, according to Zlatan Ibrahimovic himself, that bicycle kick, which won the 2012 FIFA Goal of the Year, didn’t just happen out of pure luck. It is something that he masters, even in training.
“I worked harder than ever that day and I also scored the same bicycle kick goal in training. It was raining and I did the backflip again and scored in one of those very small training goals. Nobody could believe it," Zlatan told the Guardian.
Ibrahimovic said that goal means a lot for himself because it was against England.
“I take risks in the way I play so sometimes it doesn’t look ‘wow’. But then came England. They were saying the same thing about me but I just said it will be fantastic – the first match in our new stadium. The first goal came and I was happy. When the second came I was crazy. And when the third went in I looked around. ‘OK, what will you say now?’ With the fourth, the bicycle kick, I thought: ‘That’s it. I don’t know what more I can do.’ Even if you live in England I have to say it gave me an extra-special feeling.”
On his failed transfer to Arsenal
The Zlatan Ibrahimovic Bicycle Kick isn’t just something that his fans, especially PSG, are bragging about. They are also happy that the 33-year old football star didn’t land in English Premier League’s Arsenal. Zlatan didn’t give the deal a green light because Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger asked him to audition to his team, something he was not comfortable with.
“Today, Wenger says it was a misunderstanding. But I didn’t like being asked to prove myself,” he says. “I know I’m good enough. I don’t need to show it to you. Either you know who I am or you don’t. I remember being in Wenger’s office and you could tell he was the boss. It was Wenger! But I don’t think I was so close [to signing]. I went to Ajax the next day.”
