Zlatan Ibrahimovic was introduced by the LA Galaxy on Friday, and he was nothing short of typical Zlatan.
“The lion is still hungry” the Swede proclaimed on the eve of the first-ever Los Angeles derby, which he declared himself eligible to play in. “I know what I’m able to do,” Ibrahimovic said. “I know what I can do. I’m here to win.”
Ibrahimovic came over from the Premier League, having spent the last two seasons with Manchester United, although he struggled with injuries at times. Before he joined the Red Devils in the summer of 2016, Ibrahimovic claims he came close to signing for the Galaxy then.
“My head was here,” Ibrahimovic said of his near-miss in 2016. “I wanted to come here, and it didn’t happen,” he said. “Okay. Things go sometimes like it’s not supposed to go, but the destiny said I will come here. So LA called and I answered.”
Ibrahimovic said he’s ready to go for the Galaxy and play as much as he can, even at 36 years old.
“Because I’m Ibrahimovic, I’m there to give you results, and if I cannot do it, I will not let you force me or somebody else to go on the field because of my name, just because I have achieved. I don’t like it like that. I like to do something where I can give back, and that is giving results.”
“Mentally I’ve become stronger. I’ve become different, I think different,” he said. “I just want to go out there, smell the grass, appreciate every time I put my shoes on, just to touch the ball, kick it, to pass it, to run.”
Zlatan claimed that he spoke with David Beckham about the move, with the former Galaxy player texting him “Enjoy it” after the move was announced. He also said that Galaxy technical director Jovan Kirovski was so persistent, he spoke to Ibrahimovic “more than my wife.”
