Wally with a Brolly

There is no doubt that Sweden have been one of the major disappointments at Euro 2012. Whilst I remember brushing aside their chances when seeing their starting XI, there was still hope that they would produce some decent football. After all, players like Kallstrom, Larsson, Elm and Toivonen had a glowing reputation in European football. What's more, older players like Mellberg (great beard!) had bags of experience at the highest level and could draw on that to perhaps cause an upset in a quite open Group D. Not only that, but Sweden could call on a unique world class striker in the shape of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. As Zlatan goes, so Sweden goes.

Mellberg: Superb beard, too old for Sweden and Zlatan to have an impact

I feel safe in assuming that I'm not the only person constantly puzzled by Ibra throughout his career. I remember the hype surrounding him when he was at Ajax, especially after THAT goal when he decided to dribble past the entire opposing team before basically walking the ball into the net. Granted, this was in the Eredivisie where Kezman was also scoring goals for fun (Remember Mateja Kezman? 105 goals in 120 games for PSV. The man retired after a last stint with South China FC). So could we seriously believe Ibra was going to be the next big thing? After all Zlatan wasn't particularly prolific at Ajax, scoring a goal every other game. Good by any striker's standard, but even Dirk Kuyt scored 29 in a season for Feyenoord and had a better scoring record. Yes, we're talking about Dirk Kuyt, the man who went from lone striker to defensive right-midfielder.



Not only that, but Ibrahimovic displayed an arrogance that overshadowed his (at the time) meagre achievements on the football pitch. When you watched Zlatan play you could tell here was a man who thought of himself as one of the best in the world even though he still had to prove himself. This wasn't the sort of 'swagger' which Henry or Van Nistelrooy had. This was an undoubted self-belief in his own abilities which bordered on the ridiculous. Ibra still had to prove himself. And for that reason we didn't believe he was up there with the best. And most importantly, we didn't particularly like him.

(It's obvious the man hasn't always helped himself with some of his statements. Take this one from his autobiography: 'Then Guardiola started his philosopher thing. I was barely listening. Why should I? It was advanced bullshit about blood, sweat and tears, that kind of thing.')

Zlatan and Pep. Apparently one of them is full of shit. A relationship that damaged Ibra's reputation.

Was it also the fact that he moved to the best Barcelona side we had ever seen, and barely seemed to enjoy himself? Was it the fact that he arrived and considered himself Messi's equal? Was it the fact he replaced the likeable yet eccentric Eto'o, himself not immune to delusions of grandeur? Pick any reason you want. The main thing was that people still didn't like him and labelled Zlatan a bust after he left Barca after one season.

It is quite clear that Ibrahimovic's image has played a huge part in the way we view him. And when this realisation hit me, I started to appreciate his game and career immensely, to the point where a sudden understanding of his valour and ability dawned on me.

Arrogant? The man has not only represented Sweden, he has also represented a certain type of population within Sweden itself. Born to a Bosnian father and a Croatian mother, Zlatan came to symbolise a uniting figure within Sweden's multi-cultural identity. He has always embraced that role, repeatedly giving back to his local community, such as when he funded 'Zlatan court' back in his hometown of Malmo.

A flop? Here was a player who had won a championship for every club he had played for. Up until this 2011/2012 season, Zlatan had won every championship he'd played in since 2001. There are no such things as coincidence when stats like these pop up.

A flop at Barcelona? The man actively participated in Barca's capture of the La Liga title, scoring 16 goals in 29 league games. He was also an integral part of their Champions' League run, scoring goals against Arsenal, including a beauty of a lob in the 2-2 at the Emirates. Again, it was no coincidence that Barcelona failed to beat Inter once Guardiola, whose own ego has been protected through great PR, lost his faith in Ibrahimovic and dropped him from the starting XI.

The main criticism for Ibrahimovic was that he failed on the biggest stage. He had this unfortunate stat of not scoring in the knock-out rounds of the Champions' League until he moved to Barcelona. But his Juventus and Inter sides were particularly mediocre at the European level. And, because he failed to score against British sides, surely the best teams in Europe according to football 'pundits' (sense the irony), Zlatan was deemed a bust at the highest level and not worthy of the world-class label. This was the case even though I saw Zlatan dismember Arsenal at the San Siro in the Champions' League this season.

People could not have been more wrong.

Zlatan was and still is part of the footballing elite of Europe. His goals for his different clubs have given him an unusually high number of honours and winners' medals. And his performances for Sweden should have helped cement his status as one of the world's best.



Euro 2004 in my mind sticks to my mind. One of the enduring visions I have from this dour tournament was the sight of Ibrahimovic lifting himself higher than Buffon (at the time the world's best goalkeeper) to acrobatically back-heel the ball into the top corner. This was footballing skill at its highest degree of difficulty, combining grace, power, athleticism and subtle technical ability in one instant to produce one of the best goals ever scored at international level.

Genius.

And as I watched Sweden pitifully lose to an inspired Shevchenko-led Ukraine in the first game, I was reminded of that day in Portugal in 2004. And as I watched Olof Mellberg launch a long ball with 5 minutes left, I finally understood Zlatan Ibrahimovic and the weight he carried on his shoulders.

It finally struck me that Zlatan was carrying this team on his  back. And whilst results didn't go his or Sweden's way, I thought about how other players have had their careers considered and how unlucky Zlatan was. After all, he has won major honours in three different leagues and carried Sweden by himself to a Euro quarter-final (lost on pens to Holland) and to World Cups. Had, say, Wayne Rooney been in his position, would we have qualified him as world class? After all, the burly Liverpudlian has never showed his worth at a major tournament since Euro 2004, even playing an active role in England's defeat against Portugal at the 2006 World Cup and severely undermining his team by getting suspended for the first two games of Euro 2012. Would Wayne Rooney have brought Sweden to these tournaments if he had been the one fed long balls by Mellberg, or if he had been forced to partner Johan Elmander or Markus Rosenberg?

Elmander: Zlatan's partner for Sweden. Of course he's missing the target.

Please understand me; this is not an attempt to denigrate Wayne Rooney, even though I deeply dislike him. This is more an attempt to finally understand and value Zlatan Ibrahimovic for his achievements and his career as a whole.

And whilst Zlatan didn't have the best of Euros, struck down by a niggling injury, he was still the classiest player against Ukraine, his touches creating danger and space every time. Had Elmander equalised in the last few minutes against Ukraine, perhaps Zlatan would have been credited with one of the assists of the tournament (seriously, look at that outside of the foot flick again. Enjoy).

Dragged down by Sweden's mediocrity, the tae kwon do practising Swede will once again leave a major international tournament with a damaged reputation. Once again this is an unfair reflection on one of the most talented players in Europe.