Zlatan Ibrahimovic believes Erling Haaland's potential at Manchester City will depend on Pep Guardiola's ego.
Ibrahimovic and Guardiola famously didn't see eye-to-eye when the Swedish striker was at Barcelona under Guardiola's management, and has not been shy in criticising Guardiola in the years since. Plenty of comparisons have been made between Ibrahimovic and Haaland due to their confident personalities and similar playing styles.
Haaland has 22 goals for City already and has impressed Ibrahimovic, who told Canal+ that the 22-year-old reminds him of three European greats. However, Ibrahimovic warned Haaland that his progress could be limited if he becomes 'bigger' than his manager.
"I like Haaland very much, he’s a very intelligent player," Ibrahimovic said.
"He doesn’t do things that aren’t within his reach, he doesn’t drop deep to play the ball, he waits in front of the goal and scores. He reminds me of players like [Filippo] Inzaghi, [David] Trezeguet and [Christian] Vieri. He is a sort of ‘new version’ of all three."
But when asked if Haaland can keep improving under Guardiola, Ibrahimovic struck a different tone, saying the City manager's ego could prevent Haaland from improving, like it did with Ibrahimovic and 'many others'.
Ibrahimovic said: "It depends on Guardiola’s ego, whether he lets him become bigger than he is or not. Why didn't he allow me to improve? Because it didn't just happen to me, but to many others."
Guardiola could be reunited with Ibrahimovic next year, if the striker recovers from injury in time for the Champions League last-16, and City draw AC Milan when the pairings are decided on Monday.
wakdinptu
0
Ibrahimovic u r talking too much your time is over u better keep quite .... don't talk abt the past it will not help u anymore
Laggos
0
keep quite. you mean those Barca players who stayed weren't paid salaries? do you even think before you talk? this mess were brought by him
the man had to be paid.... Its not his fault that the club was buying alot of expensive players that flop with high wages like Coutinho and Dembele etc. I dont blame you for being stupid and not knowing what a gold digger is.
Pessi219
0
Would you work for free...???
keep quite. you mean those Barca players who stayed weren't paid salaries? do you even think before you talk? this mess were brought by him
AmNelson7
0
THAT GOLD DIGGER WHO KEPT BARCA IN THEIR PREVIOUS MESS, KEEPS EARNING 8 PLAYERS SALARY BY GETTING EMBARRASSED IN UCL SINCE XAVI'S RETIREMENT IN 2015. UCL BOOST CLUB'S REVENUE..WHEN YOU DON'T ACHIEVE IT, YOUR IN A MESS. NOW HE RAN TO PSG, THEY ARE IN FINANCE CRISIS, FIRST TIME PSG HAS WITNESSED THIS. THIS COULD BE AS A RESULT OF POOR PROGRESS IN UCL LAST SEASON, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN 5 SEASONS OR MORE. GOLD DIGGER AT WORK. DON'T BLAME MBAPPE, HE WANTED TO GO AND NOT YOUR MONEY.
👉You shameless biased bitter... what are you talking about?! Are you the one paying Messi?! Barcelona and PSG came to you to complain right?! In case you're so biased that you don't his value, Barcelona and PSG do know! And they HAVE EXPERTS WHO HAVE STUDIED AND KNOW FOOTBALL, FOOTBALL BUSINESS AND PLAYERS MORE THAN YOUR ORDINARY BRAIN CAN DO! IN CASE YOU STILL DON'T KNOW, MOST PLAYERS, MOST COACHES AND EXPERTS THINK HE IS THE BEST EVER! And no matter how bitter you are, no matter what you say, no matter what you think, YOU CANNOT CONVINCE BARCELONA, PSG, ... THE EXPERTS, FOOTBALL FANS, COACHES, ... THAT HE ISN'T WORTH WHAT HE'S EARNING. THAT'S YOUR BITTER AND BIASED OPINION.
bimi_ibra
0
I mean zlatan ur ego 🤪 it's lazy Pep it's the most skilled menager ever... at barca u have seen ur self like a god but player's comes and goes the club have too stand there soo no-one it's more important than a club so do not talk about mbappe??!!
doybceikt
0
zlatan is correct some how,what has hindered him for the pass years to win a champion league ever since he left Barca is because of his ego and pride. no manager in the world has spend the amount of money pep Guardiola has spend on players yet no champion league
harryozor
0
👉 ARROGANT AS ALWAYS! So a player should be superior to his coach!? If Haaland thinks like you, he's doomed and will have a difficult career. RONALDINHO AND MESSI ARE GREATER THAN YOU. DOES A PLAYER NEEDS TO BE SUPERIOR TO HIS COACH TO SUCCEED? PEP IS A MAN, A REAL MAN, AND AS A COACH, HE'LL NOT LET AN IMPOLITE AND DISRESPECTFUL PLAYER DO WHAT HE WANTS. So those like you, Eto'o,... cannot make it with Pep. Yeah, but it isn't his fault, it's your fault! If you don't know that, then you didn't get any wiser despite your age! See Ronaldo, some coaches tolerated his arrogance, but not all of them! And in spite of his success, his arrogance and attitude made him very controversial! You, Zlatan would have grown even bigger if you were humble and not as arrogant as you are. Now, a question for you Zlatan: IF YOU EVER BECOME A COACH, WOULD LET AN IMPOLITE AND ARROGANT PLAYER DISRESPECT YOU AND CLAIM HE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU???!
This post was about Ibrahimovic and haaland but u just had to drag Ronaldo into it eh messi fan boy.. messi's Ego sacks coaches,,good coaches
Factos
0
when last did they fail to progress to quarter finals? I thought they had Messi? also lost their domestic cup
N Btw, if Messi was such a liability- why is PSG wanting to renew him ( with a bigger package) n Barca wants him back, City n many other clubs wanting him. While CR7 was rejected by every CL club? Even Porto rejected him with his current wage. Like I said, u can dream all the fantasies u want of Universe where Messi is a liability. But unfortunately for u, reality is a little different.
Laggos
0
THAT GOLD DIGGER WHO KEPT BARCA IN THEIR PREVIOUS MESS, KEEPS EARNING 8 PLAYERS SALARY BY GETTING EMBARRASSED IN UCL SINCE XAVI'S RETIREMENT IN 2015. UCL BOOST CLUB'S REVENUE..WHEN YOU DON'T ACHIEVE IT, YOUR IN A MESS. NOW HE RAN TO PSG, THEY ARE IN FINANCE CRISIS, FIRST TIME PSG HAS WITNESSED THIS. THIS COULD BE AS A RESULT OF POOR PROGRESS IN UCL LAST SEASON, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN 5 SEASONS OR MORE. GOLD DIGGER AT WORK. DON'T BLAME MBAPPE, HE WANTED TO GO AND NOT YOUR MONEY.
Would you work for free...???
Factos
0
when last did they fail to progress to quarter finals? I thought they had Messi? also lost their domestic cup
March 2019 - Went out in Round of 16 against a struggling Man Utd. Messi did play in the league Cup, no player is going win alone. Meanwhile CR7 has won only 2 CdR when he played in the same league as Messi won 5 when cr7 was in LA Liga. After leaving Real, he has won 1 Coppa Italia ( Juve had won 4 consecutively before he joined.) N I am not going to mention Man Utd. Seems like even haters hold a high bar for Messi.
Pessi219
0
[Crylaugh] u really think PSG is in a financial crisis, being bankrolled by one of richest countries in the world. smh. The only thing PSG might get in trouble is FFP rules, but their owner knows how to balance them. N speaking of not progressing, they lost to a struggling Man Utd. Last year, they lost to the champions- means the team everyone else lost to. But whatever let's u sleep at night especially with somebody's recent form
when last did they fail to progress to quarter finals? I thought they had Messi? also lost their domestic cup
old_traford
3
guys, please don't write in capital letters and don't write big paragraph.. thank you
Factos
0
THAT GOLD DIGGER WHO KEPT BARCA IN THEIR PREVIOUS MESS, KEEPS EARNING 8 PLAYERS SALARY BY GETTING EMBARRASSED IN UCL SINCE XAVI'S RETIREMENT IN 2015. UCL BOOST CLUB'S REVENUE..WHEN YOU DON'T ACHIEVE IT, YOUR IN A MESS. NOW HE RAN TO PSG, THEY ARE IN FINANCE CRISIS, FIRST TIME PSG HAS WITNESSED THIS. THIS COULD BE AS A RESULT OF POOR PROGRESS IN UCL LAST SEASON, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN 5 SEASONS OR MORE. GOLD DIGGER AT WORK. DON'T BLAME MBAPPE, HE WANTED TO GO AND NOT YOUR MONEY.
[Crylaugh] u really think PSG is in a financial crisis, being bankrolled by one of richest countries in the world. smh. The only thing PSG might get in trouble is FFP rules, but their owner knows how to balance them. N speaking of not progressing, they lost to a struggling Man Utd. Last year, they lost to the champions- means the team everyone else lost to. But whatever let's u sleep at night especially with somebody's recent form
Factos
2
Guardiola is arguably one of best to manage star players other than Zidane. Zlatan had problem getting what he wanted bcoz the other players were already bigger than him- Leo, Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol.
Pessi219
3
THAT GOLD DIGGER WHO KEPT BARCA IN THEIR PREVIOUS MESS, KEEPS EARNING 8 PLAYERS SALARY BY GETTING EMBARRASSED IN UCL SINCE XAVI'S RETIREMENT IN 2015. UCL BOOST CLUB'S REVENUE..WHEN YOU DON'T ACHIEVE IT, YOUR IN A MESS. NOW HE RAN TO PSG, THEY ARE IN FINANCE CRISIS, FIRST TIME PSG HAS WITNESSED THIS. THIS COULD BE AS A RESULT OF POOR PROGRESS IN UCL LAST SEASON, WHICH HAS NEVER HAPPENED IN 5 SEASONS OR MORE. GOLD DIGGER AT WORK. DON'T BLAME MBAPPE, HE WANTED TO GO AND NOT YOUR MONEY.
Kuoeinstuy
0
👉 ARROGANT AS ALWAYS! So a player should be superior to his coach!? If Haaland thinks like you, he's doomed and will have a difficult career. RONALDINHO AND MESSI ARE GREATER THAN YOU. DOES A PLAYER NEEDS TO BE SUPERIOR TO HIS COACH TO SUCCEED? PEP IS A MAN, A REAL MAN, AND AS A COACH, HE'LL NOT LET AN IMPOLITE AND DISRESPECTFUL PLAYER DO WHAT HE WANTS. So those like you, Eto'o,... cannot make it with Pep. Yeah, but it isn't his fault, it's your fault! If you don't know that, then you didn't get any wiser despite your age! See Ronaldo, some coaches tolerated his arrogance, but not all of them! And in spite of his success, his arrogance and attitude made him very controversial! You, Zlatan would have grown even bigger if you were humble and not as arrogant as you are. Now, a question for you Zlatan: IF YOU EVER BECOME A COACH, WOULD LET AN IMPOLITE AND ARROGANT PLAYER DISRESPECT YOU AND CLAIM HE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU???!
@AmNelson7.....u right bruv...well said 👏 pep is the best coach cuz he makes every player get better around him...some players hate him cuz he's a man that comes to business in coaching ...
AmNelson7
5
👉 ARROGANT AS ALWAYS! So a player should be superior to his coach!? If Haaland thinks like you, he's doomed and will have a difficult career. RONALDINHO AND MESSI ARE GREATER THAN YOU. DOES A PLAYER NEEDS TO BE SUPERIOR TO HIS COACH TO SUCCEED? PEP IS A MAN, A REAL MAN, AND AS A COACH, HE'LL NOT LET AN IMPOLITE AND DISRESPECTFUL PLAYER DO WHAT HE WANTS. So those like you, Eto'o,... cannot make it with Pep. Yeah, but it isn't his fault, it's your fault! If you don't know that, then you didn't get any wiser despite your age! See Ronaldo, some coaches tolerated his arrogance, but not all of them! And in spite of his success, his arrogance and attitude made him very controversial! You, Zlatan would have grown even bigger if you were humble and not as arrogant as you are. Now, a question for you Zlatan: IF YOU EVER BECOME A COACH, WOULD LET AN IMPOLITE AND ARROGANT PLAYER DISRESPECT YOU AND CLAIM HE IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN YOU???!
Pessi219
0
fact