Original subtitles

What nasty fog...

Do we have to stand?

Relax...

You're way too stressed.

Honestly...

Take it easy? I do...

I mean at work and everything.

Relax, enjoy it.

- How many players are there? - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7...

...20, 21, 22, 23, 24.

- Transfers for 50 million. - I'm worth more than all 24.

Hello, nice to meet you.

Hello, welcome to Ajax.

Yeah, it's incredible.

Nervous? No, I'm a pro now. I'm past that.

Two things: We never talk about money,

and if they ask about No. 9, that's the problem of the coach.

We go upstairs...

Zlatan, the Ajax shirt.

With the No. 9 behind.

Good luck.

I think Ajax is the perfect club for me.

They play my kind of football.

- What's your style of playing? - Technical.

- But you are very big? - Yes, but I have very technical feet.

People will be expecting a lot from him.

But he loves the game so much

that he goes out on the pitch to have fun.

It's so Zlatan that if you look in the trunk of his car, there's a football.

He'll say: "I kick it around whenever I'm feeling down."

You didn't make a picture of him?

When we had more or less a deal,

I had to call the General Director of Ajax...

...and I told him the result of the negotiations.

And he asked me about ten times later: "Leo, Are you sure?"

I said: "Yes, I'm sure."

"Leo please, it's a lot of money for Ajax."

It was, at that time, a record in the history of Ajax.

I said: "Yes, I'm sure."

I would have another one...

What do you want?

I knew, of course, that he was a bit of a conflicted guy.

Not easy to manage.

I said to Zlatan:

"If you fuck me, I fuck you."

"Then you can forget your career, I can tell you that."

- It's big, right? - It's terrific.

It's very Dutch.

And then eat it...

Do you like it?

The Dutch are very laid-back.

If you're famous here, usually they leave you alone.

They let you do your own thing.

But when a star acts arrogant...

Then straight away, they throw him to the side.

They like a person to act normal.

- We've been waiting for Zlatan. - Yeah, for a long time.

Yeah. And the trainer also.

We have a new goal-getter, we hope.

- Next year, champion. - You have to be.

It's an honor to play here. To eat here also.

He's young, strong and cocky:

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, or just Zlatan, as the new forward likes to be called.

The 1.92 m tall striker is exactly what Co Adriaanse wanted for his squad.

Hey, Mido.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

After!

For the players it's an obligation, but fans want it on their bedroom walls:

The Ajax team photograph.

Today, photographers were on their knees to capture the best shots.

- Are you vain? - No, absolutely not.

- You don't care how you look? - Of course I do.

My hair has to look good in a photo like this.

- Is Zlatan photogenic? - He doesn't seem that keen on this.

But it'll be fine.

I never in my whole career bought a player

without looking him in his eyes.

I want to see not only what I get for my club, but who.

But that was amazing for a 19-year-old, looking me straight in the eyes...

Within a half an hour, I was ready with him.

I don't know why. Don't ask me why you fall in love with that girl...

And for me it's not the right girl, or on the opposite way. Come on!

What is it? I cannot... I have no words for it. I don't know.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic combines power with technique.

In Sweden, despite being only 19, he was much talked about.

Not only because of his football qualities.

- What kind of player are you? - Me?

I want to show it, I don't want to talk about it.

When I've played, you can come back.

I know the very first match he played. It was against an amateur team

somewhere in the north of Holland, a small place, small club.

I was sitting behind the goal of the opponents.

So I was very close.

I see him getting the ball on his foot.

Makes these movements with his big, strong body

and the eyes were like fire.

You could feel, you could smell that there was a big ambition there.

The best way of expressing from the club that they believed in this player

was giving him the shirt with the number nine.

Number nine means you are the starting player,

you are the focal point in the team, you're our center forward.

Then he hits the ball so hard with his left foot in the upper corner.

It's an amazing goal.

But not too many words were spilled on that.

You can tell he is a special player. He does amazing things.

He scored two fantastic goals.

But you can also tell that he's read the book "Alone on Earth" too...

He definitely has to learn that football isn't just playing solo,

"Oh solo mio", it's also about playing together.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, shoe size 47.5!

It's amazing that such big feet can make magic with the ball!

It's 45, actually...

Welcome, boys! Welcome, Zlatan.

But especially welcome to you, Yksel.

We'd like to ask you for some good advice, Yksel.

As you know, Malmö FF likes to boost their youth players.

Zlatan is just as promising as you were at his age.

But he's been a pain in ass this year.

He's skipped 350 hours of school. A new record. Right, Zlatan?

And he doesn't listen to old guys. So now that you're here,

maybe you could tell him what you think?

Learning languages is important.

I assume that you want to go pro in the future,

and then languages are important. It makes everything easier.

- What do you think about that? - Of course school is important.

My mind was only on my football. That's why I didn't go.

But after Christmas, I'll make an effort.

That's good.

We were playing Bröndby,

and you got angry with one of their players...

They were all after me. I did a dirty tackle on one guy.

I should have gotten a red card, but didn't.

Then everybody on their team got aggressive and started chasing me.

But I was substituted, so I got away with it.

Shit... I'll never forget.

No, that was not good at all.

Afterwards, Bröndby called me and said:

"We've played thousands of games, but have never seen anything

like what happened at Malmö stadium."

Tony?

Don't forget to get that material for us.

- Is Zlatan here? - No, he isn't.

He should be, though. Maybe he's in school.

No, he never goes to school.

- When he was meant to be here? - By a quarter to...

He'll get fined. That's 200 kronor.

Zlatan, my friend, what the hell?

You're late!

- Film this star. - No, that's the star.

Did you see Del Piero's dribbling? Made the others look stupid.

It was the best.

So you missed the entire game yesterday?

- You're talking about Italian football? - Yes.

- Is that the route you hope to take? - Yes, of course.

No England, right Zlatan?

- How do you like English football? - It's crap.

It's crap, that's right!

Let's go, time for our meeting.

I always played football when I was younger.

Then it just got to be my thing.

Dad said: "You should join a team."

So I joined the team that my friends were on, Balkan.

Then Dad said: "You should try out for Malmö FF."

After one practice, they said: "Welcome aboard."

I got on the first team just as they were relegated.

I was 17 years old.

They put me in, I don't know what minute it was.

I had red gloves on.

I remember that we lost 3-0 and dropped down.

We all sat together in the locker room.

I was the one who was the least disappointed or sad.

Because I was new.

Then Bengt said...

"We're going to make it back!"

I felt that it was my chance to show who I am...

And I remember thinking "I'm going to make it happen".

Put Zlatan in! Put Zlatan in!

Come on, Zlatan!

Red card!

Red!

It was easy to become friends with Zlatan.

And Andy, as well.

We always said to Andy: "You're not Dutch."

Andy was the only guy who was very close to us.

The Dutch boys they were a little bit... together.

Wesley Sneijder, Van der Vaart...

We were always sitting together, Zlatan, and Mido also.

They were always making jokes with each other in the changing room.

"You cannot score goals." "You're ugly"...

We were laughing a lot.

We were just young kids who have money and are famous.

I remember when I first went, I bought a Z8 BMW.

It was the car of James Bond.

And I bought it. It was the only one in Amsterdam.

And then three months later, I bought a Ferrari.

When Mido came with the Ferrari, Zlatan had a Mitsubishi Galant.

It was quite a nice car, but it's not a Ferrari.

The cars of Ajax were Mitsubishi at that time.

He was in training, he was the best.

But when the game started, something locked him.

Something blocked him in his head.

He was also talking to me on the pitch when we were training...

"I don't know, tomorrow I have to play."

"It's hard for me because... it don't come out."

"I'm not myself when I'm on the pitch."

And I just said to him: "Come on, play. Play good. You're strong."

"You can do it, it's no problem."

"Don't think about the people, think about yourself."

In Holland, they say: the spectators in the Amsterdam Arena,

they don't come to support the team,

they come to control if the players are playing well.

So they're sitting there, saying: "Okay, this is our club... Show us!"

And after a few games and he lost so many balls,

they were whistling.

You could see he wasn't used to it.

So surprised. "Are they whistling at me?"

And later, we talked about it. He was astonished.

He was also a little bit mad at the people.

"They don't know how good I am."

He had some aggression in him.

"It's my ball, you don't touch it."

I was always happy when I played with him in training,

and not against him,

because he was always... Yeah, with his long legs,

he will go for it. And he won't stop.

If he wants to score goals and it don't come out...

Then you go... a little bit crazy. You do stupid things.

Trabelsi...

Ibrahimovic and Beukenkamp...

The ball is...

...out of play, so Schoenmakers can be treated.

This is what happened: He got an elbow from Ibrahimovic.

Hugo makes it clear to Ibrahimovic that this is unacceptable.

This kind of behavior doesn't belong on a football pitch.

The footage clearly showed the way he misbehaved.

And he was fined for it.

He's let down himself, his coach, the club and the supporters.

It doesn't belong on a football pitch, especially not for an Ajax player.

- But was he sorry? - Oh yes, immediately.

He will probably be suspended.

We got three points but we can certainly do better!

There were a lot of openings, but Zlatan didn't see us.

Where a simple pass would've given us a scoring opportunity.

We need to understand his way...

But he also needs to find his place within the team.

He isn't a star yet, but he thinks he is.

You play around and do tricks.

Don't you think it might make them angry?

No, I'm just teasing them a little.

There is no sweeter victory than winning by 1-0!

Isn't that right?

This is only the beginning.

Zlatan is probably the biggest talent I have ever seen.

He's got everything.

I've had calls, many of them in fact,

from several different countries...

But they all get the same answer: He is not for sale.

And Zlatan in particular needs to mature.

I have a good relationship with him.

I can see that he needs experience.

Not only on the field but also in life.

Deep down, Zlatan is such a nice guy.

But he doesn't have faith in many people.

It must be tough at his age, not having anybody to turn to.

I can be a pain in the ass.

I'm hard to get along with.

I have my dad's temper.

He's a confident guy too.

He knows what he wants and he knows what he's doing.

I like to dribble.

So sometimes, instead of passing, I dribble.

Sure, that might annoy the other players,

but it's a part of the game.

Without that, it's no fun.

Football has to be fun. Otherwise, it's not worth playing.

A big game in Superettan between Malmö FF and Djurgården...

Malmö had a good team, on paper, with well-known players.

And then they had this newcomer, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

A young, arrogant, cocky guy

who didn't really have anything to be cocky about.

It was like he enjoyed humiliating his opponents

more than scoring a goal.

That if he cut someone down, it made him bigger.

My job was to mark Zlatan.

This kid who could basically do anything with a football...

But who had a hard time controlling himself,

he'd want to retaliate, and he'd get physical about it.

So I'd stand right behind him and trash-talk a little.

We knew that if we could get him off-balance,

he wouldn't play as well.

We'd had several clashes already.

Zlatan elbowed me hard when the ref wasn't looking.

So I remember thinking: "You want trouble, you got it!"

"That guy belongs on the bench. He should be taught a lesson."

Then there's this situation where he falls and I think he's diving.

So I run up and say some choice words about that elbow of his...

Zlatan walks away and he's really pissed off.

We had him exactly where we wanted him.

Mission accomplished...

We win the game.

And the Djurgården supporters really taunted Zlatan.

When Zlatan gave the elbow, it was a big scandal.

People were talking badly about Zlatan and agreed with the suspension.

I saw him a lot of times after that.

He felt the media had played a role in this,

building up his image in a negative way beforehand.

And then of course, the suspension was extra hard because of that.

Usually it doesn't take me too much time get into a person.

But with Zlatan, this was different.

Me, as a team manager, I have to help him, to comfort him a little.

To show also that you understand why things happen.

Not only punish him and say "You're a stupid fool,

you damage the team, you damage yourself"...

But I could not touch the right strings

to make him do what I wanted or understand him...

The real Zlatan, he was always protected by a little wall around him.

He didn't have that many people visiting him.

I remember his girlfriend Mia came...

And I just met her a few times

and then suddenly she stopped coming.

I met her, I think, twice.

and he introduced her very politely.

And then suddenly I asked for her, "Hey, how's your girlfriend?"

"She's gone. We split." And that was it.

Zlatan, may we take a picture?

- Doesn't it get lonely sometimes? - Yes, it does.

There's a lot of downtime.

I'm at home alone a lot.

I try to make the best of things, But there's not much going on...

I miss my family and friends and what I had in Malmö.

Even the football there. Now I have to start over.

I have to make a new life for myself.

Malmö or Amsterdam?

Malmö.

Zlatan lived in Diemen, this little place near Amsterdam.

With this big couch, big bed and...

...a computer.

And that was his life.

When you're finished training, you're home at 1 or 2 o'clock maybe.

And then, the rest of the day, what do you have to do?

You just sit there alone. Make phone calls to Sweden.

And then play computer, eat something and go to sleep.

This Sunday, Ajax will play PSV in a top-of-the table clash.

The good news is that Yakubu and Zlatan will be back.

After a five-game suspension due to elbowing,

Zlatan will be available again on Sunday against PSV.

I remember his dad coming to see him play.

Dad visited the arena, the stadium and the dressing room...

Introducing him to the people at the stadium...

He was looking around and you could see his eyes twinkling.

We have a great picture.

Me and Zlatan and his dad at the car park of the arena,

with his dad standing in between us with a suit...

I remember that his dad wasn't happy that he had the name Zlatan on his back.

His dad wasn't happy.

He wanted him to have Ibrahimovic on his back.

Two minutes left. 2-2.

Kindvall to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Really keeps his cool, this 18-year-old.

His seventh goal, the second tonight, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

And now Malmö FF tops the league again.

Today, everything clicked.

It was a real show.

It felt good from the start.

- Good job, Zlatan. - Thanks!

I had to be great since I've had a lot of criticism lately.

I haven't been on top of my game.

I've been feeling off... I haven't been playing well.

That's probably it. Now everything is perfect.

- Why haven't you been feeling well? - I've had stomach pains.

Too much stress.

- In what way? - It's nothing I want to comment on.

The Super Diva of Superettan.

I've learned to take care of myself.

I lived alone with my dad.

Dad's... not the best cook, so I had to do it on my own.

I've done many things all by myself.

So when I lived with him, I'd go to my mom's house everyday.

Okay, I was a bit annoying. I'd go there and eat a lot.

So sometimes she threw me out, when I was too much.

I had to go outdoors and play football.

And it was a good move to get my own place.

To take care of myself. That's important.

But I don't do my own laundry yet.

Mom takes care of that. But I'll get there.

I couldn't find the laundry room. But I'll get there...

I spend a lot of time with my dad. We're in touch a lot.

He's followed my career since the very beginning.

He's very demanding.

He pushes me a lot.

There was a time when we fought a lot.

I... I just wanted too much.

It was when I got promoted to the first team.

I really thought I was something.

Whenever I thought I'd done well, he'd say something negative:

"You simply have to play better."

Sometimes he can be a bit rough. But that's good.

'Cause if I'd played a good game,

I might think that I've made it.

But he keeps pushing me.

He said to me: "You're nobody until you're somebody in Europe."

Come on!

Show us some goddamn strength!

Yes! Zlatan!

I'll take your phone number...

Really?

So do you want the number or what?

Ibrahimovic is a boy who doesn't deserve to wear the Ajax shirt.

If it weren't so sad for Ajax, for the fans, for Leo Beenhakker who bought him,

you'd be able to laugh about it. That's how hilarious it is.

I'd like to insult this lazy migrant worker in such a way to make him leave.

According to article 1 in our constitution, discrimination is against the law.

But can't we just this once make use of Pim Fortuijn's argument.

And say: "Hey, Zlatan, you second-class foreigner..."

"Beat it! The Netherlands is full!"

Ajax moved one step closer to the league title.

The hard-fought 1-0 victory over FC Utrecht yesterday

means the first title in four years is within reach.

John O'Brien brilliantly assisted the all-important goal for Mido.

The Egyptian's 11th goal of the season gave Ajax those 3 vital points.

Mido's been unhappy as a left winger and has hinted at leaving,

but after those important goals, things are looking up again.

The first six months wasn't great.

I wasn't happy playing as a left-winger.

When Co Adriaanse left and Koeman came,

I went to his office and said I want to play as a striker.

So he said: "Yeah, but you will have big competition with Zlatan being there

because Machlas being there." And I said: "I don't care.

I want to play as a striker, this is my position."

Didn't Ajax buy the same type of striker when it comes to Zlatan and Mido?

No, I think that Zlatan and Mido are different types of strikers.

Mido is, even more than Zlatan, a "real number 9".

Especially considering his aggression by the goal.

He is a good header. He takes up positions at the both posts.

Zlatan has to do better at those aspects of the game.

You have three strikers now:

Machlas, Zlatan and Mido. Isn't that one too many?

There was a moment at every Monday

after again a bad match from his side,

he came upstairs to my office...

"Boss"...

There is a big stadium and there are 60 thousand people,

and you have to show that you are worth nine million fucking euros!

It's not easy.

That every week there came more pressure on me also, of course,

for the big money I had spent.

I was doing very well and scoring in every game.

I was the striker

that fits the No. 9 of Ajax a little bit more than Zlatan.

Zlatan was more the player who wants to get the ball a bit deep

and dribble two players and try to score.

Which is great, but it's not Ajax.

In Ajax, you have to be a team player.

You have to adapt yourself to the Ajax system.

How do you see your future at Ajax?

I think I will die tomorrow.

I'm only 20, I have all my future in front of me.

And the future is in Ajax.

- Definitely? - Yeah, that's why I signed for 5 years.

Koeman always did training the day before a game,

and then say who is playing and who is not.

If you don't play, that is the hardest thing, actually.

I had that a lot of times in my life as a footballer.

You feel lonely, like everybody is against you.

Or you're not important because they don't need you,

you're on the bench.

You're second choice.

Sometimes he could handle it,

but sometimes he was also pissed off.

Don't talk. Don't make jokes. Go home quick.

There was a rule in Ajax: After training, you eat with each other.

And then, when he was not playing, he'd go home quick.

You felt alone and not part of the team.

Amsterdam, let's hear it for Nikos Machlas!

Amsterdam, a big hand for Zlatan!

He was smiling, laughing and jumping around...

So he was happy, but I know...

I know deep inside...

...a little thing is still telling you

"Shit, you don't play!"

He scored again today... Here he is, Mido!

While vacation officially began for Ajax today,

the next season's squad is already taking shape.

Ajax has three strikers: Zlatan, Mido and Machlas.

"One too many," says Koeman.

He thinks it best if the Swede, bought last year for 9 million euros, is sold.

So the most expensive player in the history of Ajax,

can look for another club just a year after his arrival.

Press "S"...

Press "S".

- Not that one, press "S"! - Not on my computer.

- Press the left button! - Yeah...

- That's what I'm doing. - The one you shoot with!

Look!

Don't touch my computer.

I haven't touched it. I just changed the buttons.

Sweetie... Look.

You're twisted...

Mom didn't know when I began negotiations with Ajax.

I didn't tell her. She found out by watching TV.

They ran this photo of me. Her Swedish isn't that good,

so she thought something had happened to me.

She phoned in a panic: "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I've been sold to Ajax!"

She started crying. When I got home, I got a big hug.

So she's happy.

Dad knew. I'd asked him: "What do you think about Ajax?"

I didn't say that I was negotiating, just asked what he thought.

"It's a good team," he said. I just wanted his opinion.

He collects newspaper clippings.

He tries to get them all.

In the room he fixed up, there's a lot of Zlatan.

It's nice.

He's proud of me.

We moved around a lot.

One year, we might live in two different places.

We'd move every six months.

We didn't like it, so we complained about the apartment being cold...

Then we didn't like the neighbors, and we moved again.

We moved a lot.

Photos of when he was little...

- "Zigge". - "Zigge", the gypsy.

That's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

- Doesn't he look sweet? - Looks can deceive you...

"Zlatan tastes life as a pro"

"Zlatan's new life"

The first game is between MFF and AIK.

But most eyes are on Zlatan Ibrahimovic,

who will be going off to play with Ajax as of August 1.

The crowd got the start that they were hoping for.

1-0 after the first half for Malmö. Goal scored by Zlatan.

He gets the ball, runs full speed into the penalty area and shoots.

Right into the goal!

How does he do it?

Super-Zlatan! Super-Zlatan!

Can I have your shorts?

May I have the shirt?

- Can I have your shoes? - You can have this.

I don't have any more.

Can I have one shoe? Just the one?

Nice ring!

She's very cute.

She's great... both cute and pretty.

A great girl.

I met her last year, in June.

It was vacation time for MFF and I went to Ayia Napa.

I was staying at some hotel.

She was working at the bar there.

She claims that I was checking her out, but she was checking me out.

We started talking. Then a little boy asked for my autograph.

She thought I'd paid him to come and ask in front of her.

She had no idea who I was. And I really appreciate that.

Then... things just unfolded.

We talked and all...

Well, something happened...

She cried when I left. I was like "what happened?"

After I got back home, we kept talking. She called from Cyprus.

She got this terrible phone bill, and her mother was upset.

And then she came home.

I went up to Gothenburg to see her.

I was so nervous.

I got to meet her entire family at the same time.

Her grandpa, grandma, mom, dad, and her little sister.

They even had a dog.

I met them all...

Things have just evolved. She's coming with me to Holland.

She'll study and I'll play football.

Then we'll see what happens...

Hoping for a Zlatan Junior in future.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is back at Ajax. During the World Cup, Zlatan said

that he didn't want to return to Ajax to sit on the bench.

What do you expect of this season?

Train hard...

Try to play some games, hopefully...

I can't expect other things. Hopefully, I will play.

He is a talented young player, but he needs to grow.

Usually the second year is better. Let's hope that's the case with Zlatan.

I had some doubting moments

about the future of Zlatan in the Ajax system.

My first decision was to bring Jari Litmanen back to Ajax.

Litmanen was an idol in Holland, an experienced player.

Mostly the offensive position on the midfield,

close to the position of Zlatan.

From the first training, I was talking to him quite a lot.

He was a little bit unsure about his future there and about himself.

One of the things I said immediately was

"Zlatan, I'm helping you."

"And I'm not your opponent here."

Because I was the second striker,

my role was to play behind Zlatan and give him the passes.

And Zlatan wanted to hear things from me,

because I was the experienced player.

I had already done all the mistakes.

At that time, I wasn't really every day at the club.

But when I saw him, he was always... interested if I had something to say.

He knew me as a former football player.

He knew what I had done before,

but he was also, at the same time... he wanted to play with me.

To challenge me, show it to me, if I could do all these things.

So I said: "You have a big temperament."

"It's good. The only thing is that you have to use

these energies coming into you in the right way."

And then he was watching me like: "Okay, what do you want?"

"You are acting, talking like a big star,

but show it to me." "It's good what you're doing,

but in the end, the ball has to be in the goal."

Our first game was in Champions League.

Zlatan's first Champions League.

He was a little bit nervous and wanted to talk with me.

And I just reminded him...

That... "Don't worry."

"Just be relaxed, we are playing together."

Van der Meyde. Galasek.

Chivu. Maxwell.

Good pass, straight to Ibrahimovic.

Well done! What a brilliant goal

by Zlatan Ibrahimovic after 10 minutes.

Litmanen...

Good. Ibrahimovic, and it's 2-0.

Ajax is really cleaning up here!

Once again, it's Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Well, I wonder what Mr. Mido is thinking in the stands.

You must be the happiest man in this stadium.

I'm happy, but not maybe the happiest. But it went well today.

This was the first game where people shouted your name.

It's good. When it goes well, they shout my name

but when it doesn't go well, you never know.

Galasek...

Litmanen...

Ibrahimovic scores his first league goal in this year's competition.

And Jari Litmanen created it.

Zlatan, the second season, has started to do better.

He's started to gain his confidence back.

And I started to create problems.

Which actually helped Zlatan a lot to get into the team.

Because if I didn't have my problems,

I don't think Zlatan would have been let in easily.

When I got to the point where I had to fight a lot for my position,

I handled things the wrong way, if you can say that.

If I'm not playing, you have a war with me.

So I have a clash with Koeman and I have a fight with him.

an argument with him. I didn't show up at training.

I want to go back to Egypt, I'm not happy, I want to leave...

Because I want to be playing.

You don't understand how people were following me back in Egypt.

I was the only player from there playing at the top level, you know.

So people were waiting for the Ajax game.

"Ajax will play today, so we have to sit and watch Mido."

All the coffee shops, the restaurants,

everywhere was just waiting for the Ajax game.

If I'm not playing, you have a personal problem with me.

We played the game against PSV.

Zlatan and Mido were playing, both...

And the game was not going well.

I was very upset that I didn't start the game.

I was upset and when I came on, we were 2-0 down, I think.

And I started arguing with Zlatan on the pitch.

And Mido was not passing the ball to Zlatan.

Mido was keeping the ball too much and too long for himself.

And not looking to other players.

There's a moment when Zlatan asks for the ball,

is in a good position to score...

Mido has the ball on the left

and tries himself to score a goal, misses and Zlatan gets angry.

There's shouting and there's doors slamming.

And they come into the dressing room...

It burns, it's like a volcano.

I was shouting at everyone and Zlatan...

Zlatan was shouting back at me.

Zlatan was still screaming at Mido.

And Mido said: "you know, it's enough now."

And I had the scissors in my hand because I was taking off...

...the wrapping of my ankles.

Zlatan keeps going on... And Mido was cutting the tape away.

And then he threw the scissors almost at Zlatan's head.

He just throws it at Zlatan...

Zlatan makes a reflex and it misses his head by an inch.

Ten minutes later, I just went into the shower,

and he was sitting there at the Jacuzzi.

We just looked at each other and started laughing.

I said to Zlatan: "You know that I almost killed you?"

And he said: "Yeah, I know."

The final decision was out of the team.

Everybody can do a mistake, but not that kind of mistake...

Because that's crazy.

Are you willing to take him back if he apologizes?

Well, the chance is very slim.

I think Mido has one problem, and that is Mido himself.

Since Mido was banned from the first-team squad last Friday,

not a single player has stood up for him in public.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is now the first to do so.

Everybody tried to put shit on Mido.

Mido is young, he has done mistakes.

But don't dig him under the grave.

When he scored the goals here, he was God.

Then you didn't talk and now you're talking...

That's why I'm asking, because he gets the blame.

Think instead that when he played good and you didn't talk.

But now you're talking because he did something

that can happen to everybody. I did some mistakes in Sweden.

I did it, no problem, we go on. It's a new day.

You become older, you grow up.

Every day something new happens.

- Have you done mistakes? - Many.

Nobody's talking about them because you're only a reporter.

After that, Mido left.

And I got sold to Italy.

That was my best period of football.

You know, we were friends.

Zlatan and me, we had a good contact.

I went to his house, we played on the computer...

And Zlatan was very open to me. And I was open to him. Very honest.

We come from the same situation.

I was alone with my mom in Amsterdam.

I didn't see my dad, he was a gambler.

And we had difficult times at home.

Sometimes the police came in to search for my father.

Because he didn't pay bills, or whatever.

And Zlatan also had trouble at home with his dad...

...who was drinking alcohol. So we had a connection.

With that. The same things, really, we've seen in life as a young person.

I felt very good with him.

We were always talking, also when I played in Inter.

We'd go on the computer and chat all day.

And make fun... "How is it in Inter? How is it in Italy?"

"It's nice..."

"Nice, you have to come also." I hoped that he was coming to Inter.

I was playing there. It would be good for me also, you know.

When Zlatan was sold to Ajax for that kind of money, you take notice.

He went from being a noob to being Mr. Big.

And everyone wants to bring the big ones down.

Number nine, Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

We had some battles in Superettan,

and the pressure from the fans to see a tough fight.

We have to take him down.

Patrik Eriksson-Ohlsson is showing fine qualities...

...keeping the three-man defence line tight.

"You won't get past us, Zlatan."

"Djurgården's defence line is going to stop the super-talent today."

There was an article the day before,

where the three of us said how we were going to stop Zlatan.

We knew exactly how to do it, because we had done it before.

"We have to play tough,

our fans don't want him to get through," Eriksson-Ohlsson says.

Wallinder's looking for Andreas Johansson.

Zlatan goes in pretty hard on Patrik Eriksson-Ohlsson.

Zlatan isn't exactly the sweetheart of Djurgården...

Zlatan breaks and Ijeh's in a good position.

Can he get the ball to him?

He can't get past Eriksson-Ohlsson.

Zlatan again and check out his glorious technique!

And he finishes!

Oh, what an artist!

What a wonderful player he is!

He's making gestures at the Djurgården crowd!

That's not exactly popular...

He made a fool out of us. Cheated the entire defence.

All three of us.

He could've made a simple pass to the left,

but chooses to dribble and shoot.

"Don't mess up!" I remember thinking that.

He had read the article and wanted to show us:

"Forget about it, guys! It's me..."

Sorry to say, people are throwing stuff from the stands.

That's not... very nice.

Coins and cans are being thrown at the pitch.

I didn't see it happen, but apparently Zlatan got hit.

I'd totally forgotten about this.

We hate Zlatan! We hate Zlatan!

Zlatan is a diva...

- Have you been to the circus? - Yes.

Have you seen the guy with the red nose?

Then you know who Zlatan is.

Come to the bus.

- Can you sign my shirt? - Sure, come to the bus.

- Think about Rosengård. - What?

We're gonna get you.

- It's gonna get ugly back home. - Why?

Well, if you keep on like this.

He has to hide out. It's hard to go anywhere.

He only wants to be at home watching movies. Take it easy...

It's hard on him, he can't go out.

Like just chilling out in town.

Walking around, going out to eat

without people coming up to him, asking for autographs.

Just to have a day by ourselves. That would be really great.

I hope we can get that in Holland. At least in the beginning.

Later, who knows...

"King Zlatan"

"Good Luck, Zlatan!"

Malmö is forced to make a substitution.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is leaving.

Please give him a big hand. Wish him good luck with Ajax!

Number 9, Zlatan Ibrahimovic!

In the first two seasons, Zlatan played with "Zlatan" on the back of the shirt.

Then one day he came and said "I want my full name on my shirt."

I didn't understand at first... What do you mean?

"No more Zlatan, Ibrahimovic."

The season starts, then there's a friendly match

with Sweden against Holland.

Zlatan playing against his team mates.

Even though it was a friendly match, he played with an extra dose of ambition.

At a certain moment, Zlatan receives the ball.

Van der Vaart, his team mate at Ajax, his captain of Ajax, interferes.

His big foot comes in like a spade to protect the ball,

but hits also the leg of Rafael, who starts screaming on the ground.

And Zlatan walks away like nothing happened.

What an annoying little guy!

What a major pain in the ass.

Always lashing out at people...

I don't like him.

Yeah, it's just ridiculous.

I don't know if it was on purpose, but it was an awful foul.

And not the only one in the game. What's going on with him?

I don't know. There was nothing the matter...

Maybe he felt the need to show off, but in a misguided way.

What will happen tomorrow when you meet at Ajax?

That will be difficult, because I'm disappointed in him.

Many questions remain, so it's time to visit the Amsterdam Arena.

There he is, hiding in his agent's car.

Everybody in Holland is asking "What about this?"

No comment.

Is Ibrahimovic looking for a transfer? What is wrong with Koeman's Ajax?

Everybody saw on TV what happened between Sweden and Holland,

and between Van der Vaart and Zlatan. And we had to have the next day

a big meeting to handle both players.

That was difficult because in that meeting, Zlatan said to Rafael:

"I don't like you. I don't like you as a captain."

"If Rafael is a man, he should come up to me

and tell me what he thinks about the situation, not talking behind my back.

And if he does this again, I chop off his head."

And there was silence...

After the meeting, there's a competition match coming up.

Rafael wasn't playing, being injured, on the stands.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic is the most notorious player in Ajax right now.

Because of him, Rafael van der Vaart is licking his wounds today.

Ibrahimovic is showered with angry whistles.

The general atmosphere and attitude from the crowd

towards Zlatan, helped by the media, of course,

is very negative.

The atmosphere was more like Zlatan against the rest of the world.

Ajax is trailing behind. Boukhari hits the post,

and Zlatan Ibrahimovic scores.

Then he scores one goal and then another...

And there was a certain tension there,

you could feel it also with the players.

And Ibrahimovic rounds it off.

The enthusiasm is for Ibrahimovic, but he doesn't show a lot of emotion.

Then comes one of the most remarkable goals ever scored

in an Ajax shirt by an Ajax center forward.

Ibrahimovic...

Great control.

Now where's the shot?

Maradona, Zidane, they can do it.

And so can Ibrahimovic!

The stadium exploded, people went berserk.

The same people who earlier whistled and booed Zlatan...

...all loved him now.

For Van der Vaart sitting on the stands, he was as cool and collected

as if nothing happened.

A stunning goal.

It's ballet... Art.

He put his mark...

"Don't forget, this is Zlatan!"

There's only one Zlatan.

- Are you sure? - Yeah. You know Zlatan?

Sometimes I think it's his twin brother.

Because last Wednesday it was another behavior then.

Are you proud when you make a goal like that?

I'm proud for my team and for my club, yes.

Can you describe us who is Zlatan? A lot of Dutch people doesn't understand.

I've never heard this question before,

I think only you're the one who doesn't understand,

so you should ask the people who know Zlatan.

- What do you think they'll say? - Ask them.

A few days later, there's a deadline of the transfer period

which comes together with the celebration

of the "Footballer of the Year" event.

He was there together with his agent

and strange things were happening...

His agent was sitting calmly at the table. But not for long...

Raiola had to leave the party after an urgent phone call.

- Mino, you're in such a hurry. - Yes, I'm afraid so.

I'll call you back in 10 seconds.

Along with AS Roma, another club is interested in the striker: Juventus.

And while the others went on partying unsuspectingly,

Juventus paid 15 to 20 million euros for Zlatan.

We lost a great player.

He knew he had grown too big for Ajax.

And it's destiny, that we lose players like this.

But I hate it...

He could be the real leader who would help Ajax to more titles.

And that's what I like, because I am Ajax.

I was Ajax.

At 2 am, Zlatan and his dad arrived at their hotel in Turin,

after signing his most important autograph ever.

After a medical exam he is ready to meet the press,

with a respectful and humble attitude.

I don't like to talk about myself, I want other people

to judge the way I'm playing, but what can I say...

I'm 1.92 meters, 93 kilos and... I like to play football.

I remember a columnist at Gazzetta dello Sport who wrote

that we shouldn't take Ibrahimovic because he plays only for himself.

Evidently he hadn't understood a thing. A player who comes to Juventus,

the main thing he needs to have is personality.

I wanted to know his past,

so we talked about everything, including his childhood.

He probably would have wound up a bicycle thief, if it wasn't for soccer.

Look here!

"Ajax Star Joins Juventus"

The day he came to Juventus.

I remember getting an early morning phone call from Moggi where he told me:

"I negotiated all night long, we have Ibrahimovic."

I didn't really believe him, since Moggi was known to stretch the truth,

so I thought: "He must be joking!"

At that time, Juventus was the strongest team I'd seen in my career.

And the best possible coach - Capello.

Zlatan, he'll be spending some time on the bench.

I told him: "You have the potential to become number one in the world."

That's what I told him.

But he doesn't play to score. He plays for the fun of it.

I kept telling him, "The circus is all show.

Your circus acts are for fans

who don't understand soccer and just want entertainment.

But there's no substance. None."

He understood.

It's a goal! Ibrahimovic!

The first match of the league,

he scores and makes the third goal for Juventus.

But above all, he scores big as Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The team wants him to feel welcome, all ten players.

They all hug this guy who just proved his worth and personality.

We're waiting in the mixed zone for an interview.

We're not allowed to film here, only the sponsor logos.

But Zlatan is late.

A Juventus guard tries to stop him.

Hey, come on!

He's never liked giving interviews.

We sports reporters were a bit intimidated by Ibrahimovic

because he was big and tall, with a deep voice and never smiled.

A joke is often enough to break the ice. With Ibrahimovic, it wasn't like that.

At Juventus, work is taken very seriously.

You work for the team, the club, and to improve yourself.

He realized that he had joined an exceptional group of players,

who lead decent, private lives and make sacrifices.

Zlatan was staying above the cafe where I used to work.

He'd stop by for a coffee and breakfast in the morning.

He didn't speak much Italian, but we understood each other.

He strung words together and you pieced together what he meant.

I could tell that he was a private person.

Every morning he'd ride his bike to the garage

where he kept his cars. Then he'd drive to the training field.

I often saw him come back home alone.

I'd bump into him at IKEA,

where he often ate at the restaurant. Alone.

After a few months, we went to a restaurant in Turin

where we could talk in peace.

And that evening he told me:

"My dad's Bosnian, my mom's Croatian. And me... I'm a gypsy!"

Then he asked me: "I want to buy an apartment, do you know someone?"

And I said: "There's a big apartment for sale in my building,

in Piazza Castello, one of the main plazas in Turin."

So I took him to see it...

...and he said: "Yes, I like it. Good, good!"

It was nice to see how a person growing up with nothing,

suddenly winds up living in Piazza Castello.

It's a journey we'd all like to experience in life.

Then, a few months later, Helena, his fiancée, joined him.

He committed, because he felt trusted.

He felt we had faith in him and that I...

That I recognized a top player in him. He understood that.

Hat trick by Ibrahimovic.

That's when he started to improve,

and to transform his naiveté and evolve into a leader.

This moment could determine the outcome of the championship!

The first time I met Zlatan, I could see his ego...

And Zlatan, in my opinion, hasn't changed a lot through his career.

You could say that he's more wise now.

But his main character hasn't changed.

Zlatan has been Zlatan since he was a young kid.

This is the strongest part of his game, his main quality.

He got everyone to play for him.

He got everyone to sometimes adapt to play with Zlatan.

And this is Zlatan.

He wouldn't change for anyone.

Everybody's been so excited to see you.

- You're obviously happy to be back? - It's fantastic.

It's great to see all these faces. It's awesome...

Where's the balcony where your mother shouted?

Up on the fifth floor. Under the yellow balcony.

- You couldn't stay out all night? - No.

Mom would curse in Serbo-Croatian,

she wanted me to come home. But I stayed anyhow.

I'm thrilled...

It's awesome...

...to be here for the formal opening of the football court.

This is truly my home turf.

Ten, nine, eight, seven...

...four, three, two, one!