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CL Comment: It’s Official - Barcelona’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic Is A Big-Game European Flop
The Swede disappointed on the big stage once again last night.
Apr 29, 2010 7:30:00 AM
By Carlo Garganese
But he wasn’t fully fit. But the whole team played badly. But he had two men marking him. But he scored twice against Arsenal in London in the quarter finals and once in the last 16 against Stuttgart.
Please. The time for excuses with Zlatan Ibrahimovic is over. In Barcelona’s semi final defeat to Inter, we had the final, definitive proof that the 28-year-old is indeed a big-game European flop.
In the first leg in Milan, Ibrahimovic was so inactive that he ran less distance than goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Yesterday, the Swede again made no impact whatsoever despite Barcelona spending the entire game in Inter’s half with an incredible 75 per cent of the possession. So ineffective was the Swede that coach Pep Guardiola subbed the frontman for youngster Bojan on 63 minutes. In fact it was only when defender Gerard Pique was thrown into attack that Barcelona started to carve Inter open, scoring once and creating two other excellent opportunities in the final 10 minutes.
Defenders of Ibrahimovic cite his double against Arsenal as evidence that the striker can cut it against the best. With all due respect, The Gunners are not a top side, and it certainly isn’t an achievement scoring twice against a Dumb and Dumber double act, and only doing so after you have already missed three sitters.
The statistics and history books don’t lie.
In two years with Juventus, and three with Inter, Ibra scored just nine European goals in 41 appearances. Most tellingly, the attacker never found the back of the net in the knockout stages, leading to his label as a ‘big-game European flop’. All of his strikes, barring a meaningless injury time consolation against Bayern Munich for Juve, came in the group stages against so-called lesser teams – Rapid Vienna (2), PSV (2), CSKA Moscow (2), Fenerbahce and Werder Bremen.
Inter’s dreadful Champions League record, prior to this season, has been well documented, but where was Ibra during the last 16 losses against Valencia and Liverpool? Last year against Manchester United, his all-round build-up play at Old Trafford was sublime at times, and neither Nemanja Vidic nor Rio Ferdinand could get close to him, but he failed the most important endeavour – putting the ball in the back of the net – missing a number of gilt-edged chances. When Juventus were dumped by Liverpool in 2005, Ibra choked, and this was the case the following campaign against Arsenal. The only time while playing in Italy when the hitman turned it on in a knockout game was in a tie against Real Madrid in Turin.
Ibrahimovic and his supporters often complained that the real reason why Ibra failed in Europe was not because he was a Champions League flop, but rather down to the fact that he was playing in teams that didn’t suit his technical qualities. Fabio Capello’s Juventus, Roberto Mancini’s Inter, and Jose Mourinho’s first term at Appiano Gentile championed substance over style. These are teams who dominated domestically through efficiency and muscle, rather than skill and artistry. In the Champions League, as proved by Milan’s dominance between 2003 and 2007, you need flair and imagination to triumph, something that Mourinho has brought to Inter this season with great success via the purchases of Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder and Goran Pandev.
Zlatan fans said that their idol just needed a club who played to his strengths. Then the real Ibrahimovic, who dreams of the Ballon d’Or, would take the Champions League by storm. There could not have been a more perfect club in this regard than Barcelona. Undoubtedly the best attacking unit in the world, and one of the best of all time, Ibra was gushing at the prospect of linking up with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Co.
But, while the former Ajax man has had a decent first season domestically (he always does - remember he has won six straight league championships), scoring a number of decisive goals including the winner at Camp Nou against Real Madrid, his European misfortunes have continued. Four goals and just two assists from 10 games is not a great return when you are surrounded by so many world class players. Meanwhile, his former club have roared to the Champions League final without him. With their bank balance 46 million euros plus big-game performer Samuel Eto'o better off.
Ibrahimovic turns 30 next year. His time at the top is fast running out. His time for European excuses has run out.
Keep up to date with all the latest Champions League news with Goal.com and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Please. The time for excuses with Zlatan Ibrahimovic is over. In Barcelona’s semi final defeat to Inter, we had the final, definitive proof that the 28-year-old is indeed a big-game European flop.
In the first leg in Milan, Ibrahimovic was so inactive that he ran less distance than goalkeeper Victor Valdes. Yesterday, the Swede again made no impact whatsoever despite Barcelona spending the entire game in Inter’s half with an incredible 75 per cent of the possession. So ineffective was the Swede that coach Pep Guardiola subbed the frontman for youngster Bojan on 63 minutes. In fact it was only when defender Gerard Pique was thrown into attack that Barcelona started to carve Inter open, scoring once and creating two other excellent opportunities in the final 10 minutes.
Defenders of Ibrahimovic cite his double against Arsenal as evidence that the striker can cut it against the best. With all due respect, The Gunners are not a top side, and it certainly isn’t an achievement scoring twice against a Dumb and Dumber double act, and only doing so after you have already missed three sitters.
The statistics and history books don’t lie.
In two years with Juventus, and three with Inter, Ibra scored just nine European goals in 41 appearances. Most tellingly, the attacker never found the back of the net in the knockout stages, leading to his label as a ‘big-game European flop’. All of his strikes, barring a meaningless injury time consolation against Bayern Munich for Juve, came in the group stages against so-called lesser teams – Rapid Vienna (2), PSV (2), CSKA Moscow (2), Fenerbahce and Werder Bremen.
Inter’s dreadful Champions League record, prior to this season, has been well documented, but where was Ibra during the last 16 losses against Valencia and Liverpool? Last year against Manchester United, his all-round build-up play at Old Trafford was sublime at times, and neither Nemanja Vidic nor Rio Ferdinand could get close to him, but he failed the most important endeavour – putting the ball in the back of the net – missing a number of gilt-edged chances. When Juventus were dumped by Liverpool in 2005, Ibra choked, and this was the case the following campaign against Arsenal. The only time while playing in Italy when the hitman turned it on in a knockout game was in a tie against Real Madrid in Turin.
Ibrahimovic and his supporters often complained that the real reason why Ibra failed in Europe was not because he was a Champions League flop, but rather down to the fact that he was playing in teams that didn’t suit his technical qualities. Fabio Capello’s Juventus, Roberto Mancini’s Inter, and Jose Mourinho’s first term at Appiano Gentile championed substance over style. These are teams who dominated domestically through efficiency and muscle, rather than skill and artistry. In the Champions League, as proved by Milan’s dominance between 2003 and 2007, you need flair and imagination to triumph, something that Mourinho has brought to Inter this season with great success via the purchases of Samuel Eto’o, Wesley Sneijder and Goran Pandev.
Zlatan fans said that their idol just needed a club who played to his strengths. Then the real Ibrahimovic, who dreams of the Ballon d’Or, would take the Champions League by storm. There could not have been a more perfect club in this regard than Barcelona. Undoubtedly the best attacking unit in the world, and one of the best of all time, Ibra was gushing at the prospect of linking up with Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta, Xavi and Co.
But, while the former Ajax man has had a decent first season domestically (he always does - remember he has won six straight league championships), scoring a number of decisive goals including the winner at Camp Nou against Real Madrid, his European misfortunes have continued. Four goals and just two assists from 10 games is not a great return when you are surrounded by so many world class players. Meanwhile, his former club have roared to the Champions League final without him. With their bank balance 46 million euros plus big-game performer Samuel Eto'o better off.
Ibrahimovic turns 30 next year. His time at the top is fast running out. His time for European excuses has run out.
Keep up to date with all the latest Champions League news with Goal.com and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
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