AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who had not played for his national team for five years, could not help but cry when asked on Monday about his family’s reaction to returning to the Swedish national team.
“It’s not a good question. He was with Vincent (one of his sons) and he started crying when I left him. But everything is fine …” he said in Stockholm. Zlatan had to pause and wipe away his tears.
The 39-year-old Swedish star is the big news on the list to face the first two qualifying matches for Qatar 2022 against Georgia and Kosovo and the friendly against Estonia.
‘Ibra’ retired from Sweden’s national team after Euro 2016, but suggested in the autumn of last year that he wants to return and met with Swedish coach Jan “Janne” Andersson, whom he has criticized several times in the past because it did not include players of foreign origin.
“When I asked, they were all positive. When it comes to playing for your country, no one opposes. It’s just about giving up or not,” the striker said of the reaction of his closest people to a possible return. in Sweden.
As he did a few days ago in an interview broadcast by the Swedish Federation, Ibrahimovic reiterated that he is returning to Milan for his performance, not for his name. “I’m here because I deserve it, what I did before doesn’t matter at all,” said the Swedish star, who was proud and assured that she was there to “help” and not “ask” for anything.
The all-time top scorer for the Swedish team, with 62 goals in 116 games, confessed that if he had said “no” to return, he would have regretted it within a year and stressed that the important thing is ” to continue to do what you love as much as you can ”.
Sweden, Spain’s rival in the next European Championship, is also in the team of Luis Enrique from the same World Cup qualifier.