Zlatan IbrahimovićCritiques

Obviously there was a lot of fuzz about this book when it came out and it sold a lot of copies (unless I'm misremembering) ... but I can't recall that I heard anything about it once it was published. Did people like it? I mean, Zlatan fans probably did, but just random book readers? I have no idea.

I did like it, although I'd hardly consider myself a fan (though his recent stunt to support the World Food Programme certainly made me like him a lot more, as did this). Still, he's one of the most famous people in this country, so of course reading his biography was cool either way.

It's not written by Zlatan, but David Lagercrantz has done a great job in showing Z's voice through-out the book: at first the spoken language annoyed me, but honestly, that was the only way to write it. All the "you know what I mean", and "and do you know what happened next?" and other times where he addresses the reader makes it seems like you're just sitting around listening to Zlatan talk about his life rather than reading a book, and it was nice.

It's also a lot funnier than I expected it to be? Not only because an entire page is dedicated to a small pic of a pug eating pizza (though that is hilarious), but because a lot of the phrasing is just fun to read ("två Kalle Ankor från Aftonbladet" - I can't even translate that). And of course, the first half of the book is 90%: "Then they were upset with me because they thought I had done [Thing]. And sure, I had done [Thing], but still, rude" or "I was called into a meeting and you know how it goes, my first thought was: shit, did I steal a bike again?", which gets funnier the longer it goes on.

Zlatan kinda glosses over a lot of the bad stuff he's done, especially anything regarding physical violence, but he also does own up to it, and never pretends like he didn't fight someone (or steal bikes) or that it wasn't a bad thing, though he often makes it sounds like it's something just happened and not something he did. While I don't exactly love that, I also think that a lot of famous people have gotten away with a LOT worse with way less retribution.

You might enjoy this a little more if you're actually into football, since there's a lot of names and teams and leagues and whatnot that I just can't keep up with (I honestly had to text my brother to help him clarify a part of the book), but I'd still say it's one of the funnier biographies I've read. It gets repetetive, sure, but it's also part of the charm, as are the sidetracks: "When this was going on I was home playing video games. It was either this or that game, I can't remember, but they're both great games. Anyway ...", because it adds to that whole "you're not reading a book you're listening to someone telling you a story feel", and that's probably the book's biggest strenght.

Zlatan växte upp i Rosengård där fotboll snabbt blev en passion som var svår att inte tänka på nästan varje sekund. Det var ett sätt att spendera tiden men även ett sätt att vara någon, någon som stod ut i mängden. Tack vare talang och hård arbete tar han sig framgångsrikt upp bland lagen. Men där finns även motgång och kritik, inte bara på grund av hans bakgrund utan för hans tendens att snabbt brusa upp och hans vägran att vara någon annan än han själv.

Vi får följa honom genom åren där han går framgångsrikt från klubb till klubb men även hans popularitet hos svenska journalister som snabbt ger honom stereotypen som en bad boy. Han möter kritik efter kritik men oavsett vad som händer fortsätter han att framgångsrikt ta sig upp till listan på världens toppspelare medan han envist håller sig sann till sig själv.

Jag förstår mer och mer varför Zlatan är en nationell hjälte, och jag håller definitivt med. Hans drivkraft är en inspiration, speciellt för barn och unga i liknande arbetarklassförhållanden. Men samtidigt... det har fått mig att inse att jag aldrig kommer vilja kolla på herrfotboll igen. Hans ilska och rättfärdighet av toxisk manlighet. Att den är viktig och till och med nödvändig på plan. Boken bekräftar mer eller mindre det faktum att männen spelar ut löjligt mycket på plan och det blir mer om det än bara fotbollen. Jag förstår det inte.

Zlatan har åstadkommit mycket och medan jag kan hålla med om att han är en inspiration så är det svårt att verkligen gilla honom som person.

This is the story of how a Swedish outsider rose from poverty to become a soccer genius.

Ik vind dit boek zelf echt top, dat komt omdat ikzelf ook een groot fan van voetbal en dus bijna automatisch wel van Ibrahimovic. Het is supergaaf om te lezen wat hij allemaal heeft gedaan buiten het voetbalveld en gewoon iets meer te weten te komen over de persoon Ibrahimovic.

Reading this book you could be forgiven thinking that he is a very self centred big head. There are lots of self references to how brilliant he was in very games and how fantastic his goals were. However, I think it becomes obvious that it is more a case of a deep self belief in his abilitu and he actually says tjese things as a matter of fact, ratjer than a boast. A very enjoyable book which gives a very interesting view of the life of a footballer and his agent

Boek waarin het leven van profvoetballer wordt omschreven. Ook zie je hoe de voetbalwereld er achter de schermen uit ziet

A book about Zlatan Ibrahimovic and his journey to becoming a professional football player. From a street boy to playing in the Champions League. From Malmö FF to Ajax, AC Milan and even FC Barcelona. Because the book is written in Zlatan's own words, it is possible for the reader to really empathize with his hardships, but also with his accomplishments. The life of a football player, or any other well-known profession, isn't always sunshine and rainbows.
In short, a well-written book which I can only praise.

Zlatan als Ich-Erzähler. Etwas holprig geschrieben und mit einigen Wiederholungen. Gibt aber einen guten Einblick in die Gedankenwelt des Fußball-Superstars und warum er es vom Malmöer-"Ghetto" zu einem der bestbezahlten Fußballer der Welt geschafft hat.

Reads like Zlatan's personal journal, easy reading but quite enjoyable. It is a really interesting perspective on the football world and the personalities in it.

It does not surprise me that this book was an international best seller, although Zlatan Ibrahimovic never became FIFA World Player of the Year, he has been one of the best footballers of the past 20 years, winning multiple individual & team trophies, A player hugely popular and very highly rated by millions of football fans, this books is a great record/story of his rise from a Swedish outsider to become a football genius. I have been a football fan for over 30 years, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic is my favorite player. This book will appeal to football fans of all ages, a true pleasure in reading. The book includes many amazing stories and wicked one-liners, gives you insight to what makes Zlatan tick. My favorite sports book.

ikke særlig god ...

Arrogant, strident and utterly unapologetic, this is a deeply enjoyable insight into the mind of zlatan.

I am currently reading this book and I am really enjoying it. I love the way Ibra doesn't hide his emotions/feelings when he writes the book and doesn't pretend to get on well with everyone nor like everyone. Great book. :)

A really enjoyable book. As you would expect from Zlatan, this book is without apology and no hang ups about saying what he really feels. It was really interesting to read the thought processes and adventures of such a talented player, from his upbringing in the tough Malmo suburbs, to the football of Italy and Spain.

Entertaining all the way through.½

It was very fun reading the book. I knew little about Zlatan before, so it was very interesting. And I like his personality!

Jag hade hört många lovord om den här boken innan jag började läsa. Det skruvar naturligtvis upp förväntningarna. Men jag blev inte besviken. Den är mycket bra. Främst för att Zlatans historia är så bra. Och han kan berätta den också. Självklart har han haft god hjälp av Lagercrantz, men Zlatans egna ord lyser igenom. Och han (eller Lagercramtz, eller någon redaktör - men det spelar ingen roll vem) har känsla för vad som är intressant. Jag slås över hur målmedveten han har varit - från början. Och det är klart, tänker man i efterhand, hur skulle han annars ha blivit så jäkla bra? Men det finns ju en myt om "fotbollskonstnären" som har allt medfött. Där allt kommer naturligt, utan särkskilt mycket övning. "Jag är Zlatan.." tar (äntligen) död på den myten.
Det är roligt att läsa om alla dessa konstmål han har gjort, som man själv har sett och känner igen. Lite förvånande är det att Zlatan själv verkar vara lika förvånad över att de blir till och hur snygga de är.
Synd bara att boken är utgiven innan bicikletan mot England...

Förvånansvärt bra även för en som är totalt ointresserad sv fotboll

Being somewhat interested in sport events, and/or fotball/soccer in particular helps you in taking a liking in this autobiography. Lagercrantz writes in a fluent, rythmic prose with an ear for Zlatans very own way of speaking. The story begins in Malmö where the young Zlatan grows up with his mother and younger brother and sister. His dad has moved out and lives by himself, accompanied by beer, music from the balkans and the everpresent memories from the war in former Yugoslavia.

It´s not a story that you have never heard before. It is really an archetypical (clichélike) success story of a man who makes it by himself, going from nothing, to being on top of the world (by european fotballstandards that is). What strikes me as urgent, though, through the somewhat monotonous recounts of Zlatans megastar paraphernalia, is the plain and seemingly simple fact that Sweden is and has for at least twenty-thirty yrs been a country with another country hidden inside it´s borders. A secret Sweden with it´s own very different national hymn. Off course theres been some signs of life from this subworld in both literature, art, and in the political debate but with Zlatans breakthrough as an athlete and rolemodel this Other Sweden has been exposed in a much larger scale than ever before. So in my view this this could be regarded as something more than a book. It´s a communitybuilder in the shape of a megapopular bestseller. I´m all for that. As for the pure literature side of it; I guess you could wish for more, but being an amateur swedish fotballer with a softspot for socialdemocratic ideals l find Zlatans autobiography not only highly readable and entertaining but also an important account on our recent historical swedish failure/success story.