“The legend can still deliver” was the typically arrogant warning from Swedish captain Zlatan Ibrahimovic before his side’s Euro 2016 opener against the Republic of Ireland.
The 34-year-old announced the end of his time with PSG last month with the statement “I came like a king and left like a legend” and he’s striving to enhance that reputation further with a stellar performance at this tournament.
““I take responsibility on and off field. To become a leader is not a choice it’s something you grow with”
Ibrahimovic comes here after another title-winning season with the Paris club during which he scored 38 goals, while his recent record at international level is 19 goals in 21 competitive games.
That has taken his international tally to 62 goals, although he has yet to find the net against Ireland. Should he improve that record over the next two weeks, he would become the first man to score at four successive European championships.
“I feel really strong. I’m getting better with every year that passes,” he told a news conference at the Stade de France ahead of tomorrow’s game.
“I feel really good. It’s all about learning and developing new things. I have the hunger to become a better player.
“That’s when I feel I have accomplished something when I learn new things. I have worked hard on the pitch and didn’t just sit down and do nothing.
“The legend can still deliver. I have been dominating wherever I go and I feel very confident.
“I have had a strong season behind me. Mentally I feel very strong and I have come here to enjoy this tournament.”
The talent around him in the Swedish squad may not be as strong as the players he’s lined up with at club level, but despite the confidence of his earlier comments, Ibrahomvic refused to yield to suggestions that Sweden were a one-man team.
Instead, he was keen here to emphasise the importance of the collective and how he’s grown as a player by being captain of the national side.
He said: “It’s great to score but the individual objectives are second for me. The collective is more important. What I do well is a bonus. I will do whatever I can do to have a good tournament. It’s something that I really want. Let’s see what happens.
“I take responsibility on and off field. To become a leader is not a choice it’s something you grow with. I’ve had the role for the past few years and it’s made me a better player and stronger mentality.
“You become the best by having teammates around you. If the collective succeeds, then you can succeed. I have the greatest pressure on my shoulders and I want to take the pressure off the team as much as possible.
"I have good chemistry with all of the players. I work for them and they work for me.”
Turning his attention briefly to Ireland and tomorrow night’s game, Ibrahimovic was asked if he agreed with his colleague Marcus Berg’s comments that Ireland’s defence was slow and its centre-backs were the weak point in the team.
“I’m also slow, so it doesn’t matter they can still be good if they’re slow,” he said with a wry smile.
“I think it’s going to be a difficult game. Ireland are a good team. I agree with our coach that it’s going to be a 50/50 game because they fight hard. What happens on the pitch is what matters. It’s all about the 90 minutes.”
“We have a mix of young and experienced players and we really hope we can do well" - Eric Hamren
Ibrahimovic has been linked with one final money-spinning move to Manchester United, which has got the backing of Ireland assistant manager Roy Keane, who this week compared him to Eric Cantona.
He said: “‘I take it as a compliment because if a player like Roy Keane speaks he knows what he’s talking about, he has been in the game.
“For me, with Manchester, there is nothing to say. I feel happy for the moment. What the future will be, you will know soon. But I enjoy football. Wherever I go I will be the same person and I will enjoy.”
Meanwhile, Swedish coach Eric Hamren dismissed suggestions that his side’s preparation for this game had been less than ideal following the training ground bust-up between John Guidetti and midfielder Albin Ekdal.
Hamren, who will leave his position once his side’s involvement in this tournament ends, is hoping to end his tenure on a high by reaching the knockout phase, at the very least.
Four years ago, Sweden beat France in the group stage but still failed to make the quarter-finals after defeats to England and Ukraine. This time around the squad has been boosted by the inclusion of six players who won last summer’s European U-21 Championships
“We want the results we didn’t get last time,” said Hamren. “We worked for each other and didn’t get the results. We beat France but didn’t go through.
“We have a mix of young and experienced players and we really hope we can do well. The U21s won the European Championship and this is a good group and with a good attitude.”
Ireland and Sweden seem evenly matched at the outset and Hamren believes it could come down to what Giovanni Trapattoni used to call “the little details”.
Hamren said: “The first 20 minutes are very important and it’s important to feel you are getting into the game. We always have the same ambition. We expect this to be an intensive game.
“It can be about the small details that don’t go the way we want. Passes can go wrong, aerial challenges and tackles can go wrong, and those things can change the way a game goes. It’s as important for Ireland as well.”
