 Live Scores

Advertisement

'Zlatan took up too much

space at Barca' - Ingla
reveals 'friction' between
Ibrahimovic & Messi
Goal 14-Feb-2017 11:36+04:00

     0

Getty

Primera División Premier League Manchester United

Barcelona
The former marketing director at Camp Nou
believes the Manchester United striker
struggled in Spain because he failed to
connect with a club talisman

Advertisement

There was “friction” between Zlatan

Ibrahimovic and Lionel Messi during the
former’s short stint at Camp Nou, according
to former marketing director Marc Ingla.

Barca snapped up Ibrahimovic from Inter in

the summer of 2009, with Samuel Eto’o
heading in the opposite direction as part of
the deal.

The Cameroonian had enjoyed considerable

success in Catalonia, but he was considered
to be past his peak.

Zlatan eyes 'two or three' cups with Utd

Ibrahimovic agreed a five-year contract with

the La Liga giants, but would see out just 12
months of that deal.

He did score 21 times in all competitions and

add a Spanish top-flight title to his glittering
CV, but the Swede struggled to settle in new
surroundings.

Now on the books at Manchester United,

Ibrahimovic has admitted since leaving Barca
that he failed to see eye-to-eye with Pep
Guardiola – with a breakdown in that
relationship edging him towards the exit.

Ingla, though, believes that an inability to

integrate alongside club talisman Messi also
cost the powerful forward an opportunity to
prove himself over a prolonged period of time
at Camp Nou.

Now working for French side Lille, Ingla told

Telefoot: “Why it did not work for Ibra
at Barca? Zlatan is a beast, a machine – but he
was next to another, smaller machine.

Only Ronaldo compares to Zlatan

“Ibrahimovic was too static, Messi needed

more space. Zlatan took up too much of it.

“There was a bit of friction, I think.”

Ibrahimovic le! Barca to return to Italy with

AC Milan, where he would spend two seasons
before joining the ambitious project being
pieced together at Paris Saint-Germain.

Who is the best No.9 in the world?

31% Karim Benzema

37% Erling Haaland

4% Harry Kane

10% Robert Lewandowski

11% Kylian Mbappe

7% Victor Osimhen

647130 Votes

See all
Follow your team
See content tailored for you

Manchester United

Barcelona

Most Read Most Commented

1 Tevez slams PSG over Messi apology

debacle

2 PSG ultras to boycott games after Messi

& Neymar protests

3 Ballon d'Or 2023: Messi or Haaland - who

wins?

4 No Qatari takeover? Ratcliffe closes in on

deal to buy Man Utd

5 Don't do it, Leo!

   

Contact Us Terms of Service Privacy policy

Privacy Settings Careers Goal App (Android)
Goal App (iOS) Goal Live  

India (English) India

Copyright © 2023 Goal All rights reserved. The information contained in Goal may
not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed without the prior written
authority of Goal