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AC Milan's Zlatan Ibrahimovic: I knew that I'd left the best team in the world when I said farewell to Barcelona
The Sweden international is eagerly anticipating Wednesday's Champions League clash and has reflected on his departure from Camp Nou.
Nov 21, 2011 7:42:00 AM
By Stefan Coerts
Getty Images
AC Milan attacker Zlatan Ibrahimovic is looking forward to the Champions League Group H game at home against Barcelona on Wednesday, with his side taking on the club he believes is the world's best.
The powerful striker left the Blaugrana for the Serie A champion in the summer of 2010 and is keen to meet his former employer again, although he realizes it won't be easy.
"It will be a very exciting, fantastic game," Ibrahimovic said to uefa.com. "We will be playing against the best team in the world, without doubt. Even when I left the team, I knew I'd left the best team in the world."
The 30-year-old felt he had no other choice but to leave Barcelona as he was no longer happy at Camp Nou.
"For me and all the other parties involved, I think the best solution was to leave the club," he said. "Given the results for both sides, it was the best solution. For me, it's important that you're happy when you play. If you're happy, it makes it easier for you. The way you feel off the pitch is the way you feel inside. I struggled there in the end, so the best thing was to move. I was a man. I stood up, we found a solution and I moved."
Despite leaving Barcelona, the former Ajax star went on to say that he feels Milan is actually a bigger club than the Spanish team.
"I think Milan are the biggest club I have ever played with," he said. "I felt at home from my first day here – they welcomed me with open arms. Some people said that it was impossible to make this move [after playing for Inter], but I'd already moved from Juventus to Inter and I think that was even harder. The past and the future don't bother me. I just try to give my best and achieve results for myself and the club I represent."
The powerful striker left the Blaugrana for the Serie A champion in the summer of 2010 and is keen to meet his former employer again, although he realizes it won't be easy.
"It will be a very exciting, fantastic game," Ibrahimovic said to uefa.com. "We will be playing against the best team in the world, without doubt. Even when I left the team, I knew I'd left the best team in the world."
The 30-year-old felt he had no other choice but to leave Barcelona as he was no longer happy at Camp Nou.
"For me and all the other parties involved, I think the best solution was to leave the club," he said. "Given the results for both sides, it was the best solution. For me, it's important that you're happy when you play. If you're happy, it makes it easier for you. The way you feel off the pitch is the way you feel inside. I struggled there in the end, so the best thing was to move. I was a man. I stood up, we found a solution and I moved."
Despite leaving Barcelona, the former Ajax star went on to say that he feels Milan is actually a bigger club than the Spanish team.
"I think Milan are the biggest club I have ever played with," he said. "I felt at home from my first day here – they welcomed me with open arms. Some people said that it was impossible to make this move [after playing for Inter], but I'd already moved from Juventus to Inter and I think that was even harder. The past and the future don't bother me. I just try to give my best and achieve results for myself and the club I represent."
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