The former
Barcelona striker says his old coach did not deal well with his
"original" personality and refused to speak to him for much of his
time at Camp Nou
Former Barcelona
striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic says that coach Pep Guardiola
"could not cope with him" during his solitary season at the club.
The Swedish star completed a hotly-anticipated €70 million move to Camp Nou in 2009 but left a year later for AC Milan amid rumours of a bust-up with his boss.
He has since voiced his dissatisfaction with Guardiola's coaching and has now claimed that the Spaniard could not handle his "original" personality.
"In my first days, I was told by Guardiola that Barcelona players do not drive fast cars; that they keep a low profile," he told The Times.
"He wanted me to think of myself as just an ordinary guy. But I am Zlatan: I like to be different, to be an original. Guardiola couldn’t cope with that.
"Every time I walked into the coffee room, he walked out. When he went past me in the corridor, he looked at the floor. He is not a man. He can be the best coach in the world, but I don’t care.
"One day, I exploded at him in the dressing room. Even then, he didn’t speak to me.”
Ibrahimovic, now at Paris Saint-Germain, went on to slam Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for their conformist attitudes.
“Don’t get me wrong: I like Messi and Iniesta. What they can do with the ball is unbelievable," he added.
“But they are so sensible, so quiet. They did exactly what they were told and never complained about anything."
The Swedish star completed a hotly-anticipated €70 million move to Camp Nou in 2009 but left a year later for AC Milan amid rumours of a bust-up with his boss.
He has since voiced his dissatisfaction with Guardiola's coaching and has now claimed that the Spaniard could not handle his "original" personality.
"In my first days, I was told by Guardiola that Barcelona players do not drive fast cars; that they keep a low profile," he told The Times.
"He wanted me to think of myself as just an ordinary guy. But I am Zlatan: I like to be different, to be an original. Guardiola couldn’t cope with that.
"Every time I walked into the coffee room, he walked out. When he went past me in the corridor, he looked at the floor. He is not a man. He can be the best coach in the world, but I don’t care.
"One day, I exploded at him in the dressing room. Even then, he didn’t speak to me.”
Ibrahimovic, now at Paris Saint-Germain, went on to slam Barcelona stars Lionel Messi and Andres Iniesta for their conformist attitudes.
“Don’t get me wrong: I like Messi and Iniesta. What they can do with the ball is unbelievable," he added.
“But they are so sensible, so quiet. They did exactly what they were told and never complained about anything."
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