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| Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken Ligue 1 by storm this season. |
Zlatan Ends PSG Career With A Bang
Personal information
Full name: Zlatan Ibrahimovic
Date of birth: 3 October 1981
Age: 34
Place of birth: Malmo, Sweden
Height: 1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)
Playing position: Striker
Club information
Current team: Paris Saint-Germain
Number: 10
Youth career
Malmo BI
FBK Balkan
Malmo FF
Senior career
1999–2001 Malmo FF 47 Appearances, 18 Goals
2001–2004 Ajax 110 Appearances, 48 Goals
2004–2006 Juventus 92 Appearances, 26 Goals
2006–2009 Inter Milan 117 Appearances, 66 Goals
2009–2011 Barcelona 46 Appearances, 22 Goals
2010–2012 Milan (loan) 85 Appearances, 56 Goals
2012– Paris Saint-Germain 179 Appearances, 154 Goals
National team
1999 Sweden U18 4 Appearances, 1 Goal
2001 Sweden U21 7 Appearances, 6 Goals
2001– Sweden 112 Appearances, 62 Goals
Zlatan Ibrahimovic finished his Paris Saint-Germain career by setting yet another historic mark, becoming the club’s single-season top scorer and Ligue 1’s 2015-16 top scorer with 38 goals after finding the net twice in the 4-0 win over Nantes last Saturday.
Through an individual pre-match introduction to tifos in the crowd and a pause after 10 minutes of the game—in reference to Ibrahimovic’s shirt number—the PSG supporters were able to pay tribute to the man who has pushed the capital club so far since his arrival back in 2012. But Ibrahimovic made the night even sweeter, opening the score after 17 minutes and finding a second goal just before the final whistle to break the club’s scoring record – it was the perfect send-off for the 34-year-old. Ibrahimovic was already Les Parisiens’ all-time leading scorer, despite only moving to the French capital in 2012. On Twitter, he wasn’t shy about the legacy he believes he will leave behind: “My last game tomorrow at Parc des Princes. I came like a king, left like a legend”. Ligue 1’s single-season record is still held by Marseille’s Josip Skoblar, who scored an incredible 44 goals during the 1970-71 campaign. With Carlos Bianchi’s 1977-78 record of 37 Ligue 1 goals bettered and Ibrahimovic’s emotional Parc des Princes farewell done, it is time for the curtain call. It is fitting it should come against Olympique de Marseille, PSG’s bitter rivals and one of the Scandinavian superstar’s favoured opponents, in the Coupe de France final at Stade de France on Saturday. Zlatan is already a hero for the French capital outfit, but his final match for the club gives him the chance to add one final layer to his PSG legacy. Already the top scorer in the fixture known as Le Classique with nine goals across all competitions, the former AC Milan, Barcelona, Inter Milan, Juventus, Ajax and Malmo FF man has the chance to hit double figures and beat Marseille one last time before departing. Not only does Ibrahimovic have personal gains to be made in the Coupe de France final, but there is also collective achievement at stake. If the Sweden international can help to lead Les Parisiens to victory at Stade de France, it will complete a second consecutive domestic clean sweep. Until last season, that was something that had never been done before in French football. Now it has already been achieved once, doing it one final time would emphasise Zlatan and PSG’s sheer dominance of the football landscape in France.
Paris Saint-Germain president Nasser Al Khelaifi has revealed he plans to name a stand after the departing striker at the club’s Parc des Princes stadium. The plan is a worthy tribute for a player set to leave PSG this summer, after four seasons of sterling service, including winning a quartet of Ligue 1 titles. Ibrahimovic has been the one consistent star force since Al Khelaifi acquired the club. The owner’s riches have attracted a host of stars to the French capital, including Edinson Cavani, Thiago Silva and Angel di Maria, but 34-year-old Ibrahimovic has remained the leading light. Now the club’s talisman is being heavily linked with a free-transfer switch to the English Premier League. But the only current certainty is that Ibrahimovic won’t be playing with PSG. Yet, his efforts lifting the profile of the club and ensuring domestic dominance deserve a tribute. The club has come up with the perfect gesture for one of its true greats. After the Marseille clash, that will be it for the towering striker and his employers. All that will be left to do is bid farewell to France during this summer’s UEFA European Championship before moving on to his next challenge—wherever and whatever that might be.