Hungry Zlatan still happy with his lot
ZLATAN Ibrahimovic would love to put the seal on a glittering career by finally getting his hands on the Champions League.
But the veteran striker says he would not swap the 33 other trophies he has won over the last two decades for Europe’s top club prize.
Ibrahimovic, 36, launched his 16th attempt to win the Champions League with his seventh different club when he came on as a substitute in Manchester United’s shock defeat in Basle. Barring a miracle, United should still ensure they qualify for the knockout stages as group winners by collecting the point they need in their final game against CSKA Moscow at home on December 5.
Then Ibrahimovic will be hoping for better luck when the competition gets serious.
But he still derives great satisfaction from being a serial trophy winner at Ajax, Juventus, Inter Milan, Barcelona, AC Milan, Paris Saint-Germain United.
“Of course, winning the Champions League would be massive,” he said. “It is one of the targets every season.
“But looking at the whole picture, I wouldn’t change one Champions League for my other 33 trophies – no way.
“The way I see it is in the long term. I see many players who have won one Champions League and then nothing.
“Then you can say it in a different way – he won it because of luck, or because and now the team was good. But I have won trophies every year.”
The furthest Ibrahimovic has got in the Champions League was the semi-final in 2010 with Barcelona, and he has exited at the quarterfinal stage eight times.
But ample compensation for all those setbacks has come from collecting some form of silverware in every season since he left his first club Malmo for Ajax in 2001.
“Wherever I’ve gone I have won,” he said. “I didn’t win the Champions League, something everybody knows, but I’m doing everything to win it. And if I could, I would be on top of the world.
“But in my career, I won everything else. I see many players who have won the World Cup and they didn’t even put a foot on the field, yet still say they have won it.
“I won in five different countries, so my career is full of achievements.” LOOK OUT: Zlatan eyes Champions League