Club Atlético Osasuna, known as Osasuna, is a Spanish football team based in Iruñea-Pamplona, in the autonomous community of Navarre.

Founded in 1920, it currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at the 19,500-capacity Estadio Reyno de Navarra. The team's home kit is red shirt, navy blue shorts, black socks with red back, whereas the away one is navy blue shirt, orange shorts and navy blue socks.

History

Founded in 1920, Osasuna first reached Segunda División in 1932, making it to La Liga three seasons later.

The club achieved their first ever UEFA Cup qualification in 1985–86 after finishing sixth, eventually reaching the third round in the 1990–91 edition. Finishing last in 1993–94, the side spent six years in the second level.

After a stellar 2005–06 domestic campaign, Osasuna made history by finishing in fourth place - tied for best ever - synonymous with the chance of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League in the following season through play-off matches. This achievement was made all the more dramatic by the suspense that was maintained until the last day of the championship in which Osasuna and Sevilla FC were both vying for the fourth place. Both teams eventually ended the season with the same number of points but Osasuna got through due to their head-to-head record. However, Osasuna didn't make it to the Champions League group phase, as they were eliminated by Hamburger SV in the third qualifying round, leaving the Navarrese to vie in the UEFA Cup for the fifth time in their history.

Osasuna were drawn in Group D of the 2006–07 UEFA Cup along with Parma FC, RC Lens, OB Odense and SC Heerenveen. The club successfully qualified to the knock-out stage, finishing second in their group, and were drawn against FC Girondins de Bordeaux, who had dropped into the UEFA Cup following an unsuccessful Champions League campaign. Osasuna progressed 1–0 on aggregate, drawing 0–0 away before winning 1–0 in Pamplona through an extra-time winner by Javad Nekounam.

Next up were Scottish side Glasgow Rangers, and the Spanish side again progressed, following a 1–1 draw in Scotland and a 1–0 win at home. They were drawn against German side Bayer Leverkusen in the quarter-finals. Regarded as severe underdogs, Osasuna not only progressed to the semifinals but did so in style. A 3–0 away win had virtually sealed the tie, but Osasuna also won the second leg, 1–0. In the last-four round, Osasuna was drawn against holders and fellow Spanish side Sevilla, eventually losing 1–2 on aggregate after a 1–0 home win.

In the following two seasons, Osasuna struggled mightily in the league. In 2008–09, it only avoided relegation in the final day: being in 18th place and going into the final matchday, home to Real Madrid, they fell behind 1–0, but came back with two goals (the decider courtesy of Juanfran, a Merengue youth graduate) to remain in La Liga.

Seasons

Recent history

:{|class="wikitable" |-bgcolor="#efefef" ! Season ! ! Pos. ! Pl. ! W ! D ! L ! GS ! GA ! P !Cup !colspan=2|Europe !Notes |- |2000–01 |1D |align=right |15 |align=right|38||align=right|10||align=right|12||align=right|16 |align=right|43||align=right|54||align=right|42 ||last 32 ||||| |- |2001–02 |1D |align=right |17 |align=right|38||align=right|10||align=right|12||align=right|16 |align=right|36||align=right|49||align=right|42 ||last 32 ||||| |- |2002–03 |1D |align=right |12 |align=right|38||align=right|12||align=right|11||align=right|15 |align=right|40||align=right|48||align=right|47 ||semi-finals ||||| |- |2003–04 |1D |align=right |13 |align=right|38||align=right|11||align=right|15||align=right|12 |align=right|38||align=right|37||align=right|48 ||last 16 ||||| |- |2004–05 |1D |align=right |15 |align=right|38||align=right|12||align=right|10||align=right|16 |align=right|46||align=right|65||align=right|46 |bgcolor=silver|final ||||| |- |2005–06 |1D |align=right |4 |align=right|38||align=right|21||align=right|5||align=right|12 |align=right|49||align=right|43||align=right|68 ||last 16 ||UC|||1st round | |- |2006–07 |1D |align=right |14 |align=right|38||align=right|13||align=right|7||align=right|18 |align=right|51||align=right|49||align=right|46 ||quarter-finals ||UC|||semi-finals |- ||2007–08 |1D |align=right |17 |align=right|38||align=right|12||align=right|7||align=right|19 |align=right|37||align=right|44||align=right|43 ||last 32 ||||| |- ||2008–09 |1D |align=right |15 |align=right|38||align=right|10||align=right|13||align=right|15 |align=right|41||align=right|47||align=right|43 ||last 16 ||||| |}

Season to season

{| |valign="top" width=49%| {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#f0f6fa;" !Season !Division !Place !Copa del Rey |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1929 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|7th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#CECE1B;"|1929/30 |style="background:#CECE1B;"|Regional |style="background:#CECE1B;"|— !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1930/31 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3rd !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1931/32 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1932/33 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|8th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1933/34 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|5th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1934/35 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1935/36 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|12th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1939/40 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|2nd !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1940/41 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|5th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1941/42 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|6th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1942/43 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|4th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1943/44 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|13th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1944/45 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2nd !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1945/46 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|5th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1946/47 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|2nd !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1947/48 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1948/49 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1949/50 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|7th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1950/51 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|7th !style="background:#efefef;"| |} |valign="top" width=51%| {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#f0f6fa;" !Season !Division !Place !Copa del Rey |- |style="background:#808080;"|1951/52 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|6th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1952/53 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1953/54 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|13th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1954/55 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|9th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1955/56 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1956/57 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|6th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1957/58 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|5th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1958/59 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|8th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1959/60 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1960/61 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1961/62 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|12th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1962/63 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1963/64 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|5th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1964/65 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|10th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1965/66 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|9th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1966/67 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|4th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1967/68 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1968/69 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1969/70 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1970/71 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|4th !style="background:#efefef;"| |} |} {| |valign="top" width=49%| {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#f0f6fa;" !Season !Division !Place !Copa del Rey |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1971/72 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1972/73 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1973/74 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|17th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1974/75 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1975/76 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|19th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1976/77 |style="background:#FF7F00;"|3ª |style="background:#FF7F00;"|1st !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1977/78 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|10th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1978/79 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|13th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1979/80 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|3rd !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1980/81 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|11th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1981/82 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|10th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1982/83 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|14th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1983/84 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1984/85 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|6th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1985/86 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|14th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1986/87 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1987/88 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|5th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1988/89 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|10th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1989/90 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|8th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1990/91 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|4th !style="background:#efefef;"| |} |valign="top" width=51%| {| class="wikitable" |- style="background:#f0f6fa;" !Season !Division !Place !Copa del Rey |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1991/92 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1992/93 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|10th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1993/94 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|20th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1994/95 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|7th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1995/96 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|10th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1996/97 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|16th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1997/98 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1998/99 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|13th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#808080;"|1999/00 |style="background:#808080;"|2ª |style="background:#808080;"|2nd !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2000/01 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2001/02 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|17th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2002/03 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|11th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2003/04 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|13th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2004/05 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|15th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2005/06 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|4th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2006/07 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|14th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2007/08 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|17th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2008/09 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|14th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2009/10 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|12th !style="background:#efefef;"| |- |style="background:#FFFF00;"|2010/11 |style="background:#FFFF00;"|1ª |style="background:#FFFF00;"|— !style="background:#efefef;"|Round of 32 |} |} ----

33 seasons in La Liga

33 seasons in Segunda División

13 seasons in Tercera División

1 season in Categorías Regionales

Current squad

The numbers are established according to the official website: www.osasuna.es and www.lfp.es.

Out on loan

Honours/Achievements

Spanish Cup: Runners-up 2004–05

4 UEFA Cup participations

Famous players

{| |- style="vertical-align: top;" | Mariano Armentano Martín Astudillo Daniel Montenegro Bernardo Romeo John Aloisi Pierre Webó Dady Pablo Contreras Rafael Olarra Sammy Lee Jamie Pollock Robert Ullathorne Ludovic Delporte Javad Nekounam Masoud Shojaei Ashley Grimes Michael Robinson Ibrahima Bakayoko Christian Manfredini Javier Aguirre Carlos Ochoa Carlos Vela Manuel Vidrio Zdravko Drinčić || Moha Emeka Ifejiagwa Roman Kosecki Ryszard Staniek Mirosław Trzeciak Jan Urban Jacek Ziober Nuno Ionel Gane Dmitri Kuznetsov Sergey Shustikov Savo Milošević Predrag Spasić Goran Stevanović Petar Vasiljević Risto Vidaković Jaroslav Plašil Manuel Almunia Paco Bienzobas Vicente Biurrun Thomas Christiansen César Cruchaga Carlos Cuéllar Ignacio Eizaguirre || Josep Fusté Andoni Goikoetxea Domingo Larrainzar Iñigo Larrainzar Martín Domínguez Martín González Aitor Ocio Pablo Orbaiz Javi Martínez Pachín Tiko Juan Carlos Unzué Ignacio Zoco Fabian de Freitas Pablo García Richard Morales Marcelo Sosa |}

see also

Famous coaches

Javier Aguirre Ivan Brzić Rafael Benítez José Antonio Camacho Miguel Ángel Lotina

see also

See also

CA Osasuna B

External links

Official website

"El Sadar" Stadium at Google Maps

Category:La Liga clubs Category:Spanish football clubs Category:Association football clubs established in 1920

Playername	Zlatan Ibrahimović
Fullname	Zlatan Ibrahimović
Dateofbirth	October 03, 1981
Cityofbirth	Malmö
Countryofbirth	Sweden
Height
Position	Striker
Currentclub	Milan
Clubnumber	11
Years1	1999–2001
Clubs1	Malmö FF
Caps1	40
Goals1	16
Years2	2001–2004
Clubs2	Ajax
Caps2	74
Goals2	35
Years3	2004–2006
Clubs3	Juventus
Caps3	69
Goals3	23
Years4	2006–2009
Clubs4	Internazionale
Caps4	88
Goals4	57
Years5	2009–
Clubs5	Barcelona
Caps5	29
Goals5	16
Years6	2010–
Clubs6	→ Milan (loan)
Caps6	17
Goals6	10
Nationalyears1	2001–
Nationalteam1	Sweden
Nationalcaps1	66
Nationalgoals1	25
Pcupdate	9 January 2010
Ntupdate	13 October 2010

Zlatan Ibrahimović (born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish footballer who currently plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team.

Ibrahimović started his career at Malmö FF in the late 1990s under Roland Andersson. He was signed by Ajax, and made a name for himself under Ronald Koeman. Years later, he signed with Juventus for €16 million. Ibrahimović gained fame in Serie A, benefiting from his strike partnership with David Trézéguet. In 2006, he signed with league rival Internazionale, where he won individual awards such as the Oscar del Calcio, the Guldbollen, and was named in the 2007 and 2009 UEFA Team of the Year, in addition to finishing as the league's highest scorer in 2008–09 while winning three straight Scudetti. In the summer of 2009, he transferred to Barcelona before moving to Milan the next season.

As of February 2009, Ibrahimović and Kaká were the highest-paid football players in the world, each with an annual salary of €9 million. He currently holds the record for the second highest transfer fee in football history, with a total of €69 million for his transfer from Internazionale to Barcelona.

Early life

Ibrahimović was born in Sweden to a Bosnian father that immigrated to Sweden in 1977, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croatian mother, Jurka Gravić, who emigrated to Sweden, where they first met. Ibrahimović grew up in Rosengård, a Malmö neighbourhood known for its immigrant communities, along with his three sisters and two brothers. After receiving a pair of football boots, Ibrahimović began playing football at the age of six, alternating between local junior clubs Malmö BI and FBK Balkan. He has stated in an interview that while his team was down 4–0 during halftime, he came on as a substitute for his Balkan youth team and dramatically scored eight goals. While in his early teens, he was a regular for his hometown club Malmö FF. Ibrahimović successfully completed junior high school in the ninth grade. Though he was admitted to Borgarskolan and had above average grades, he soon dropped out of high school to focus on his football career.

Club career

Malmö FF

Ibrahimović signed his first contract with Malmö in 1996, and moved up to the senior side for the 1999 season of Allsvenskan, Sweden's top-flight league. That season, Malmö finished 13th in the league and were relegated to the second division, but returned to the top flight the next season. Arsène Wenger unsuccessfully tried to persuade Ibrahimović to join Arsenal, while Leo Beenhakker also expressed interest in the player after watching him in a training match against Norwegian side Moss FK. On 22 March 2001, a deal between Ajax and Malmö regarding Ibrahimović's transfer to Amsterdam was announced, and in July, Ibrahimović officially joined Ajax for €7.8 million.

Ajax

Ibrahimović received little playing time under manager Co Adriaanse, but when Adriaanse was sacked on 29 November 2001, new coach Ronald Koeman inserted Ibrahimović into the starting lineup as Ajax won the 2001–02 Eredivisie title. The next season, Ibrahimović scored twice in a 2–1 victory over perennial French champions Lyon in his Champions League debut on 17 September 2002. He scored four Champions League goals overall as Ajax fell to Milan in the quarter-finals. In his final season with Ajax, Ibrahimović's profile rose when he scored a breathtaking goal against NAC on 22 August 2004, a goal that was eventually voted the "Goal of the Year" by Eurosport viewers. He netted only once in the 2003–04 Champions League (against Celta Vigo on 22 October) as Ajax were eliminated in the group stage.

On 18 August 2004, Ibrahimović injured fellow Ajax teammate Rafael van der Vaart during an international match against the Netherlands, which led to accusations from van der Vaart that Ibrahimović had hurt him intentionally. This led to Ibrahimović's sudden sale to Juventus on 31 August.

Juventus

Ibrahimović moved from Ajax to Juventus for €16 million. He was promptly inserted into the starting eleven due in part to top scorer David Trezeguet's injury problems, and scored sixteen goals. Near the end of the season, Juventus reportedly rejected a €70 million bid for him from Real Madrid, which was later revealed to be a publicity stunt initiated by Ibrahimović's agent, Mino Raiola, in order to increase his market value.

The following season was poor compared to his first season; his role in Juventus' attack changed, as he became less of a goalscorer and moved more to the sidelines, taking much part in the build-up play, especially as a target player, and his assist numbers increased. In the 2005–06 season, Juventus fans often got frustrated with him due to his anonymous presence in certain important games such as the Champions League defeat to Arsenal. Juventus were stripped of their last two Scudetti as part of the verdict from the Calciopoli scandal, and were relegated to Serie B. The new staff tried to persuade Ibrahimović and other top players to stay with Juventus, but the player and his agent were adamant to move on, with Raiola threatening legal action in order to extricate Ibrahimović from his contract.

Internazionale

against Palermo in 2009.]] On 10 August 2006, Ibrahimović completed a €24.8 million move to Internazionale, signing a four-year-deal, this coming only a few days after Patrick Vieira had completed his transfer. Zlatan revealed that he had supported Internazionale when he was young. He started his spell at the club by scoring one goal and assisting another in a league match against Fiorentina and ended his first season as Inter's top goalscorer with 15 goals. Inter won the league for the first time in 17 years. They finished the league with 97 points, a league record, a feat Ibrahimovic would go on to repeat at F.C Barcelona. During the season Inter also broke the European Big Five League Record for most consecutive wins, 17. The record still stands.

Ibrahimović played his 100th Serie A match on 16 September 2007. His contract was renewed in 2007, it was due to expire in June 2013. He was estimated as the top of footballer wages. He scored two Champions League goals in the group stage against PSV on 2 October, which marked his first European goals since December 2005 and his first goals overall in an Inter jersey, and finished with five goals in seven Champions League matches. Against Parma in the final league matchday on 18 May 2008, he returned from a chronic knee injury and scored both goals as Inter won 2–0, clinching their third straight Scudetto.

On 16 November 2008, Ibrahimović said that he would not return to the Allsvenskan as an active player, but he would stay the rest of his active career as a player abroad.

Ibrahimović's 2008–09 season started brilliantly, hitting the back of the net in Inter's first league match. His goal against Bologna was voted "Goal of the Year". He scored it with his heel without moving and accurately into the net from a cross by Adriano. Ibrahimović's form in the season had been eye-catching, with clever movement on and off the ball, and his passing had been outstanding, such as his acrobatic pass against Lazio. He ended a month long goal drought against Genoa, handing them their first home loss of the season, making Inter the only team not to lose at home in the league. In the final league game of the season, Ibrahimović scored twice against Atalanta, securing the Capocannoniere for himself by finishing one goal ahead of Marco Di Vaio and Diego Milito with 25 goals in the domestic season.

Barcelona

.]] After Maxwell completed his transfer to Barcelona, president Joan Laporta confirmed that there was an agreement in principle between Barcelona and Internazionale for Ibrahimović to join the club in exchange for Samuel Eto'o, plus a fee. Laporta revealed that the negotiations started when he decided to divert a flight, which was originally from Ukraine to Spain, in order to have talks with Massimo Moratti, the president of Internazionale, in Milan. Ibrahimović left Internazionale during their United States summer tour in the World Football Challenge on 23 July 2009 for negotiations with Barcelona, with his last match for Internazionale being against Chelsea. After Internazionale agreed terms with Eto'o and Barcelona with Ibrahimović, Barcelona announced Ibrahimović would arrive on 26 July 2009 and undergo a medical test on 27 July 2009. Ibrahimović passed his medical and was presented to a crowd of over 60,000 at Camp Nou. He signed a 5-year contract, for €46 million ($65 million) In his third appearance, he scored his first goal in Barcelona's La Liga season opener against Sporting Gijón in a 3–0 win. Ibrahimović went on to score in his next three appearances, thus setting a team record as the only player ever to score in his first four league matches.

On 20 October, he scored his first Champions League goal for Barcelona in a group stage match against Rubin Kazan. Five days later, he scored twice in a 6–1 thrashing of Real Zaragoza, giving him a league-leading seven goals in seven league matches while bringing Barcelona to the top of the table. However, on 7 November, Ibrahimović suffered a thigh injury that kept him out for three weeks. He returned to action in week 12 of the season against Real Madrid as a second-half substitute for Thierry Henry, and scored his eighth goal of the campaign. He finished with eleven goals and four assists in all but two of Barcelona's first fifteen league matches. Barcelona capped off 2009 by winning the Club World Cup against Estudiantes on 19 December.

Ibrahimović scored Barcelona's only goal in the 2009–10 Copa del Rey first leg match of the round of sixteen in a 2–1 loss to Sevilla on 5 January 2010. On 20 January, he was selected in the 2009 UEFA Team of the Year. His first goal of 2010 came on 14 February against Atletico Madrid. In his next appearance, Ibrahimović scored against Stuttgart in the first leg of their UEFA Champions League knockout stage fixture. He was sent off on 6 March in a league match against Almeria, which Barcelona appealed to no avail, and he was suspended for one game. A calf strain during warmups before the next La Liga match following his return from suspension against Athletic Bilbao ruled Ibrahimović out of the second leg 4–1 victory over Arsenal ,in which he scored two goals away from home, the return leg of the El Clásico against Madrid (which Barcelona won 2–0), and the next league match against Deportivo La Coruña. He made his return as a substitute in the 82nd minute in against Espanyol.

Ibrahimović finished the season with a sixth-best 16 league goals as Barcelona broke the world record of most points in a season in a 20 team league with 99 points in 38 matches. He scored his final goal for Barcelona in a Spanish Super Cup match on 14 August in a 3–1 defeat over Sevilla, and on 25 August, he played his last match for the club against Milan for the Joan Gamper Trophy, after which he claimed to the media that his relationship with coach Pep Guardiola had started deteriorating and that Guardiola had not spoken to him since March.

Milan

.]] On 28 August 2010, A.C. Milan announced on their official website that they had acquired the services of Ibrahimović for the 2010-11 season. He will be loaned out to Milan for the 2010-11 season; with Milan having the option to purchase him outright from Barcelona for €24 million at the end of the season. He made his team debut in a 2–0 loss to Cesena on 11 September, in which he missed a penalty late in the match, and scored his first goals for the club when Milan defeated Auxerre in their first Champions League match of the season on 15 September. On 14 November, Ibrahimović scored the only goal in a 1–0 victory over former club Inter in the Milan Derby. On 20 November, he scored his seventh goal against Fiorentina in the 45th minute with an over-the-head bicycle kick, passing Alexandre Pato as the team's top goal scorer for the season. On 4 December 2010, in a game against Brescia, he assisted Kevin Prince-Boateng to give Milan an early lead and then scored the third goal by a powerful shot near the edge of the penalty box to give Milan a 3–0 win. On 12 December 2010, history repeated himself in the game against Bologna after he assisted Boateng to give Milan an early lead once again and scoring later that match to make it 3-0, leading him to 13 goals with 8 assists in 21 matches in all competitions, after which he has been compared to AC Milan legend Marco van Basten by both the media and van Basten himself.

International career

.]] Even though Ibrahimović was eligible to play for Bosnia and Croatia, he chose to play for Sweden, his country of birth.

Ibrahimović made his debut for Sweden in a 0–0 friendly against the Faroe Islands at the Värendsvallen on 31 January 2001 in the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship. His first competitive match was a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on 7 October. Ibrahimović was part of Sweden's 2002 World Cup finals squad who were eliminated in the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal.

Ibrahimović was in the starting lineup for Euro 2004, scoring a penalty against Bulgaria and rounding off a fine performance against the solid defense of Italy by scoring a late equaliser. However, he missed a penalty as Sweden were sent home following a shootout loss to the Netherlands. He went scoreless during the 2006 World Cup finals as Sweden were again snuffed out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.

He was called up for a Euro 2008 qualifier against Liechtenstein on 6 September 2006, but two days before the match, he violated team curfew by leaving the hotel with teammates Christian Wilhelmsson and Olof Mellberg and visiting a nightclub. Though none of the players consumed any alcohol, they were nonetheless all sent home by Lars Lagerbäck as punishment and did not take part in the match. Mellberg and Wilhelmsson did not appeal the coach's decision, but Ibrahimović felt that it was unjust and therefore refused to take part in Sweden's next qualifiers against Iceland and Spain. He also skipped a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later, and returned for Sweden's loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 qualifying matches; his one goal was disallowed for offside in a 3–0 loss to Spain on 17 November. On 12 November 2007, Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the "Country's Top Player of the Year."

Ibrahimović ended his international goal drought, which had lasted for over two years, against Greece in Sweden's Euro 2008 opener on 10 June 2008, and the next match against Spain four days later. He finished the tournament with two goals as Sweden were eliminated in the group stage by Russia.

Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Malta on 10 June 2009 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier. On 5 September 2009, he scored a last second goal in Stadium Puskás Ferenc against Hungary in a 2–1 win for Sweden in their qualification match.

Ahead of the Euro 2012 qualifications, Ibrahimovic was named team captain on his return to the national team.

Personal life

Ibrahimović has two siblings and three half-siblings. His longtime partner is Helena Seger with whom he has two children, Maximilian (born 22 September 2006), and Vincent (born 6 March 2008). He currently resides in Milan, although he visits his summer home in Malmö annually. Ibrahimović received a black belt in taekwondo at the age of 17, where he attended classes at the Malmö Taekwondo club Enighet. Ibrahimović is fluent in Swedish, Croatian, Bosnian, English, and Italian.

The name Zlatan was trademarked in May 2003 by PRV for "most likely being perceived as Zlatan Ibrahimović", which meant that he received exclusive rights to the name for certain products, including sporting goods, clothing, and shoes. He is under contract with Nike and features in their television advertising. He wears the Mercurial boot line and has the names and dates of birth of his sons embedded onto the external sides of his boots.

In the fall of 2007, Ibrahimović, with the help of Nike, self-funded a new football pitch in the streets of his hometown of Rosengård: he provided a playing mat, goalposts, lighting, and a modern fence. In 2008, he donated new Nike kits to his youth club, FBK Balkan.

Career statistics

.

|- |2001||5||1 |- |2002||10||2 |- |2003||4||3 |- |2004||12||8 |- |2005||5||4 |- |2006||6||0 |- |2007||7||0 |- |2008||7||2 |- |2009||6||2 |- |2010||4||3 |- !Total||66||25 |}

International goals

|- | 1. || October 07, 2001 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || || 3–0 || 3–0 || 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 2. || August 21, 2002 || Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow, Russia || || 1–1 || 1–1 || Friendly |- | 3. || October 12, 2002 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || || 1–1 || 1–1 || UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |- | 4. || April 30, 2003 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || || 1–1 || 1–2 || Friendly |- | 5. || September 06, 2003 || Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden || || 3–0 || 5–0 || UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |- | 6. || September 06, 2003 || Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden || San Marino || 5–0 || 5–0 || UEFA Euro 2004 qualification |- | 7. || March 31, 2004 || Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden || || 1–0 || 1–0 || Friendly |- | 8. || June 14, 2004 || Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon, Portugal || || 4–0 || 5–0 || UEFA Euro 2004 |- | 9. || June 18, 2004 || Estádio do Dragão, Porto, Portugal || || 1–1 || 1–1 || UEFA Euro 2004 |- | 10. || August 18, 2004 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || || 2–2 || 2–2 || Friendly |- | 11. || September 04, 2004 || Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || || 0–1 || 0–7 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 12. || September 04, 2004 || Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || Malta || 0–2 || 0–7 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 13. || September 04, 2004 || Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || Malta || 0–3 || 0–7 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 14. || September 04, 2004 || Ta' Qali Stadium, Ta' Qali, Malta || Malta || 0–5 || 0–7 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 15. || June 04, 2005 || Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden || Malta || 4–0 || 6–0 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 16. || September 03, 2005 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || Bulgaria || 3–0 || 3–0 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 17. || September 07, 2005 || Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary || Hungary || 1–0 || 1–0 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 18. || October 12, 2005 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || || 1–1 || 3–1 || 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 19. || June 10, 2008 || Wals Siezenheim Stadium, Salzburg, Austria || || 0–1 || 0–2 || UEFA Euro 2008 |- | 20. || June 14, 2008 || Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck, Austria || || 1–1 || 1–2 || UEFA Euro 2008 |- | 21. || June 10, 2009 || Ullevi, Gothenburg, Sweden || Malta || 3–0 || 4–0 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 22. || September 05, 2009 || Stadium Puskás Ferenc, Budapest, Hungary || Hungary || 1–2 || 1–2 || 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |- | 23. || August 11, 2010 || Råsunda Stadium, Solna Municipality, Sweden || || 1–0 || 3–0 || Friendly |- | 24. || September 07, 2010 || Swedbank Stadion, Malmö, Sweden || San Marino || 1–0 || 6–0 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |- | 25. || September 07, 2010 || Swedbank Stadion, Malmö, Sweden || San Marino || 5–0 || 6–0 || UEFA Euro 2012 qualification |}

Awards and honours

;Ajax

Eredivisie: 2001–02, 2003–04

KNVB Cup: 2001–02

Johan Cruijff Shield: 2003

;Internazionale

Serie A: 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09

Supercoppa Italiana: 2006, 2008

;Barcelona

La Liga: 2009–10

Supercopa de España: 2009, 2010

UEFA Super Cup: 2009

FIFA Club World Cup: 2009

;Individual

Serie A Top Scorer: 2009

Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year: 2005, 2008, 2009

Serie A Footballer of the Year: 2008, 2009

Guldbollen (The Golden Ball): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010

UEFA Team of the Year: 2007, 2009

Swedish Male Athlete of the Year: 2007, 2010

Jerringpriset: 2007

References

External links

Zlatan Ibrahimović Statistics – ESPNsoccernet

FC Barcelona Statistics

Zlatan Ibrahimović at Nike.com

Zlatan Ibrahimović – UEFA.com

Category:Swedish footballers Category:Association football forwards Category:Malmö FF players Category:AFC Ajax players Category:Juventus F.C. players Category:F.C. Internazionale Milano players Category:FC Barcelona footballers Category:A.C. Milan players Category:Allsvenskan players Category:Eredivisie players Category:Serie A footballers Category:Serie A topscorers Category:La Liga footballers Category:Sweden international footballers Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2004 players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:UEFA Euro 2008 players Category:Swedish expatriate footballers Category:Expatriate footballers in the Netherlands Category:Swedish expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands Category:Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Italy Category:Swedish expatriate sportspeople in Spain Category:Expatriate footballers in Italy Category:Expatriate footballers in Spain Category:Swedish people of Croatian descent Category:Swedish people of Bosnia and Herzegovina descent Category:People from Malmö Category:Swedish taekwondo practitioners Category:1981 births Category:Living people