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Perdicinae
Grey Partridge (Perdix perdix)
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Chordata
Class:	Aves
Order:	Galliformes
Family:	Phasianidae Horsfield, 1821
Subfamily:	Perdicinae Horsfield, 1821
Genus
Alectoris Ammoperdix Arborophila Bambusicola Haematortyx Lerwa Margaroperdix Melanoperdix Perdix Ptilopachus Rhizothera Rollulus Tetraophasis Xenoperdix

Birds of Hindustan luchas, called būqalamūn, and partridges

Partridges are birds in the pheasant family, Phasianidae. They are a non-migratory Old World group.

These are medium-sized birds, intermediate between the larger pheasants and the smaller quails. Partridges are native to Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East. Partridges are ground-nesting seed-eaters.

According to Greek legend, the first partridge appeared when Daedalus threw his nephew, Perdix, off a roof in a fit of jealous rage.

Partridges famously appear as part of the first gift listed in the Christmas carol, "The 12 Days of Christmas". As such, "A partridge in a pear tree" is sung as the last line of each chorus.

Species list in taxonomic order[link]

• Genus Ptilopachus
  • Stone Partridge, Ptilopachus petrosus
  • Nahan's Partridge, Ptilopachus nahani
• Genus Lerwa
  • Snow Partridge, Lerwa lerwa
• Genus Tetraophasis
  • Verreaux's Monal-Partridge, Tetraophasis obscurus
  • Szechenyi's Monal-Partridge, Tetraophasis szechenyii
• Genus Alectoris
  • Arabian Partridge, Alectoris melanocephala
  • Przevalski's Partridge, Alectoris magna
  • Rock Partridge, Alectoris graeca
  • Chukar, Alectoris chukar
  • Philby's Partridge, Alectoris philbyi
  • Barbary Partridge, Alectoris barbara
  • Red-legged Partridge, Alectoris rufa
• Genus Ammoperdix
  • See-see Partridge, Ammoperdix griseogularis
  • Sand Partridge, Ammoperdix heyi
• Genus Perdix
  • Grey Partridge, Perdix perdix
  • Daurian Partridge, Perdix dauurica
  • Tibetan Partridge, Perdix hodgsoniae
• Genus Rhizothera
  • Long-billed Partridge, Rhizothera longirostris
• Genus Margaroperdix
  • Madagascar Partridge, Margaroperdix madagascarensis
• Genus Melanoperdix
  • Black Wood-partridge, Melanoperdix nigra
• Genus Xenoperdix
  • Rubeho Forest Partridge, Xenoperdix obscuratus
  • Udzungwa Forest Partridge, Xenoperdix udzungwensis
• Genus Arborophila, the hill partridges
  • Hill Partridge, Arborophila torqueola
  • Sichuan Partridge, Arborophila rufipectus
  • Chestnut-breasted Partridge, Arborophila mandellii
  • White-necklaced Partridge, Arborophila gingica
  • Rufous-throated Partridge, Arborophila rufogularis
  • White-cheeked Partridge, Arborophila atrogularis
  • Taiwan Partridge, Arborophila crudigularis
  • Hainan Partridge, Arborophila ardens
  • Chestnut-bellied Partridge, Arborophila javanica
  • Grey-breasted Partridge, Arborophila orientalis
  • Bar-backed Partridge, Arborophila brunneopectus
  • Orange-necked Partridge, Arborophila davidi
  • Chestnut-headed Partridge, Arborophila cambodiana
  • Red-breasted Partridge, Arborophila hyperythra
  • Red-billed Partridge, Arborophila rubrirostris
  • Scaly-breasted Partridge, Arborophila chloropus
  • Chestnut-necklaced Partridge, Arborophila charltonii
  • Sumatran Partridge, Arborophila sumatrana
  • Vietnam Partridge, Arborophila merlini
• Genus Caloperdix
  • Ferruginous Partridge, Caloperdix oculea
• Genus Haematortyx
  • Crimson-headed Partridge, Haematortyx sanguiniceps
• Genus Rollulus
  • Crested Partridge, Rollulus roulroul
• Genus Bambusicola
  • Mountain Bamboo Partridge, Bambusicola fytchii
  • Chinese Bamboo Partridge, Bambusicola thoracica

External links[link]

• Partridge videos on the Internet Bird Collection

Alan Gordon Partridge OBE (Honour Removed) is a fictional radio and television presenter portrayed by English comedian Steve Coogan and invented by Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Stewart Lee and Richard Herring for the BBC Radio 4 programme On The Hour. A parody of both sports commentators and chat show presenters, among others, the character has appeared in two radio series, three television series and numerous TV and radio specials, including appearances on BBC's Comic Relief, which have followed the rise and fall of his career.

Character[link]

This section relies on references to primary sources or sources affiliated with the subject, rather than references from independent authors and third-party publications. Please add citations from reliable sources. (April 2009)

Whereas many of his personality defects are apparent in his appearances in shows such as The Day Today and Knowing Me, Knowing You with Alan Partridge, it is largely from I'm Alan Partridge onwards that his creators began to explore his personality in depth, and most of the observations that follow originated in that show.

Personality[link]

Partridge is characterised as an insecure, superficial and narcissistic 'wally', concerned largely with status, the level of his public profile and, to a lesser extent, the ostentatious possessions this allows him to acquire (such as his beloved Rover and Lexus cars and Bang & Olufsen stereo systems). Despite being a broadcaster, Partridge is a socially incompetent and awkward character prone to one-upmanship, embarrassing social faux pas and displays of deep insensitivity to social norms. His thoughtlessness and selfish lack of interest in anything beyond his own objectives exposes an unsympathetic character that is disliked and privately lampooned by many of those with whom he comes into contact. Among Partridge's few friends are Lynn Benfield, his put-upon and long-suffering personal assistant whom he regularly humiliates, and Michael, an emotionally tortured ex-soldier from Newcastle upon Tyne. It is notable, however, that he treats even these people with little more than disdain despite expecting complete loyalty from them in return; in the first series of I'm Alan Partridge he does not even seem to be on first-name terms with Michael (who exclusively addressed him as Mr Partridge throughout the two series). Bizarrely, he appears to have a close friendship with Bill Oddie, who even sends Alan Christmas presents. Partridge is otherwise depicted as being unable to forge genuine friendships or connections with other people (who are, seemingly without exception, repelled by his unpleasant and self-absorbed personality).

Attraction[link]

Partridge is depicted as being a sexually repressed and prudish man, uncomfortable and awkward with overt (or even subtle) displays of sexual or romantic feelings, or what he views as being ‘perverted’ sexual practices. He is particularly disconcerted by homosexuality, and despite describing himself as "homosceptic" at one point appears to entertain homoerotic or bisexual tendencies. This is the subject of numerous running gags in I’m Alan Partridge, in particular his numerous efforts to deny his interest in Bangkok "lady-boys" (whom he describes as ‘fascinating creatures’ whilst insisting that he is merely confused by them and not attracted to them) and a recurrent gag in which he will daydream about performing an erotic dance in a peephole Pringle jumper and a vulcanised rubber thong for a selection of men (usually those who can help further his career in some way, such as BBC Chief of Programming Tony Hayers). He is also quite misogynistic, displaying a tendency to objectify and patronise women (who usually view him with some disdain). Despite this, in the second series of I’m Alan Partridge he manages to sustain a romantic relationship with Sonja, a scatterbrained 33-year-old immigrant from Ukraine who is quite devoted to him. Even this relationship, however, is marked by Alan’s open contempt for her, and it is apparent that her affection towards him is largely unreturned and that his relationship with her is mainly based on the boost to his ego that their 14-year age gap provides (which he is frequently heard boasting about).

Family[link]

No member of Partridge’s family is shown on any of the series that he appears in; however, his dysfunctional relationship with them informs much of the background of the show. In his early appearances, Alan was married to Carol; although never-seen on screen, she can be heard in the mock documentary 'Knowing Knowing Me, Knowing You' that accompanies the BBC Radio 4 series of 'Knowing Me, Knowing You' first broadcast in 1993. Their relationship appeared to be under a lot of strain. In the Christmas special Knowing Me, Knowing Yule, Alan attributed his rash and erratic behaviour to the fact that Carol had left him on Christmas Eve. By the time of I'm Alan Partridge, Alan and Carol are divorced, and while Alan lives in a Travel Tavern, Carol remains in their home with her new boyfriend, who Alan describes unflatteringly as "a narcissistic sports pimp" who apparently enjoys protein drinks. During their marriage, Alan and Carol had two children — Fernando (apparently named after the song by ABBA) and Denise — neither of whom is ever seen or heard on-screen. During the run of Knowing Me, Knowing You, Alan states that Fernando is studying Politics at Christ's College, Cambridge. The next references to Alan's children are made in I'm Alan Partridge, in which Fernando hangs up on one of Alan's rambling go-nowhere telephone conversations, and in which a staff member at the Travel Tavern mentions that Denise has an oddly similar appearance to Alan. It is also revealed that Denise has a pierced navel, and that Fernando seems to spend much of his time in bed with a succession of girlfriends. The final mention of Alan's children is an offhand comment in the second episode of the second series of I'm Alan Partridge, in which Alan glibly states that he has access to his children, but that they have no desire to see him.

Ambitions[link]

Outside of his all-consuming quest to be on television, his various appearances often demonstrate that Partridge does not possess a particularly rich or detailed personal life. In I’m Alan Partridge in particular, he is often shown to occupy himself with pointless or needless tasks, seemingly just to give himself something to do. This is particularly evident in the first series episode "Basic Alan", over the course of which he walks to a petrol station to buy 12 bottles of windscreen washer fluid for no apparent reason, spends time driving repeatedly around a ring road and purchases a packet of tungsten-tipped screws which he states he has no intention of ever using. Most of the interests he is depicted as having show him as out of touch with modern society in general; he describes Paul McCartney's band Wings as "the band The Beatles could have been". In "Towering Alan" he claims to have a broad taste in music; he is a fan of Kate Bush, the Electric Light Orchestra, UB40, Def Leppard and particularly ABBA, the music of which is a recurrent theme in Knowing Me, Knowing You. In the second series episode "I Know What Alan Did Last Summer" he enthusiastically plays "air-bass" to the Gary Numan song "Music for Chameleons", and in "Never Say Alan Again" is seen drumming along inside his Lexus to the theme of Return of the Saint which he plays at full volume insensitively at the cemetery whilst having given his assistant Lynn ten minutes to commemorate the anniversary of her mother's passing. The few hobbies he is depicted as indulging in include driving, rambling, birdwatching and collecting celebrity memorabilia.

Political views[link]

Partridge is politically conservative, and his favourite newspaper is the Daily Mail, a right-leaning publication which he claims is "arguably the best newspaper in the world" in the episode Bravealan. He is very pro-law and has a strong stance on criminality, viewing hoodlums and miscreants as "sub-human scum". He also favours the death penalty for treason and murder. Despite these professed views, he appears to have no strong moral compunctions; in one episode he exploits an "all you can fit on a plate" breakfast deal at the Travel Tavern by bringing in a slightly larger plate of his own, a "scam" of which the staff are in fact fully aware but tolerate with amusement. Alan is not a fan of the modern obsession with health and safety, stating on one occasion that political correctness had "gone mad" after being told that naked flames are not permitted on the forecourt of his local petrol station, thus curtailing his plans for a barbecue there. He has admiration for former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher and believes she was betrayed by her own party when she was forced out of Downing Street, and in 1997 claimed that the Referendum Party had "more integrity than the whole of the other political parties put together."^[1]

He has commented on the troubles in Northern Ireland stating that he believes both Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness to be very clever men, though that he does not trust either of them as he believes Adams looks like a deputy headmaster and McGuinness looks like a clown without make-up. He displays ignorance over the issues that unfolded in Ireland, once chastising the Irish over the potato famine with the remark, "at the end of the day, they will pay the price for being a fussy eater", and also completely misunderstanding the lyrics to Sunday Bloody Sunday by U2, believing the song to "really encasuplated the frustrations of a Sunday" (both of these conversations happened in front of two Irish television producers in To Kill A Mocking Alan). Alan once caused a security alert at Choristers Country Club by booking a room under the name "The Real IRA".

Fictional biography[link]

Early years and career[link]

Within his fictional world, Partridge was born to Dorothy Partridge on 2 April 1955 in King's Lynn, Norfolk, England, and spent his childhood in Norwich. He was often bullied at school, as we find out in an episode of the original Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge radio show when Alan is hypnotised and regressed to his childhood, and reveals he was called "Smelly Alan Fartridge" by classmate Stephen McCoombs - happily for Partridge now McCoombs has back problems and lives on disability benefits. He claims in his autobiography that this was infantile humour that any self-respecting comedian would have dismissed and that he was particularly sensitive to hygiene issues and if there were anything he did smell of, it would have been Radox and Colgate. In the second series of I'm Alan Partridge, Alan recounts a story about a time he was once caned for having a chalk penis drawn on the back of his school blazer by another student, an incident about which he still feels bitter. The same student also dropped Alan's swimming trunks into a urinal one day at school, despite Alan being his scout pack leader. He appears to have had a lonely childhood, and in a 'Rural Alan' special feature (found on the DVD release of Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge) recounts how he would ramble about the Norfolk countryside in solitude, singing his favourite pop songs.

After passing two A-levels Partridge attended the (fictional) East Anglia Polytechnic. He later married Carol, who gave birth to Alan's son Fernando and daughter Denise. Carol left Alan for a fitness instructor (whom Alan claims to be an "idiot" and a "narcissistic sports pimp"), and took the children with her.

Radio career[link]

Alan worked his way upwards from a position as a DJ on Radio Smile on St Luke's hospital radio, until he left, after arguments with patients. He then began presenting the drive time Traffic Buster show on Radio Norwich, where he stayed for five years and was named sports reporter of the year in 1988. He then became a presenter on the BBC's Scoutabout programme, where he entered into the top eight of BBC sports reporters. Alan soon garnered a slot presenting sports news on BBC Radio 4's On the Hour programme (1991) presented by Chris Morris. On that show Alan suffered from a severe lack of any sporting knowledge and developed a notable talent for mixed and/or nonsensical metaphors.

Alan got his first starring role in 1992 as host of BBC Radio 4's Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge (a spoof chat show with fictional guests). A typical question was "You've just published your autobiography. What's that about?" He managed to offend people on his show who would then attempt to disgrace the host. During his tenure on the show, Alan hit a child genius, unknowingly took cocaine, bribed rent boys, lost his wife's car in a bet, was openly homophobic, forced the resignation of a junior government minister and, in the series finale, his guest Lord Morgan of Glossop died of an apparent heart attack.

There was also a one off spoof-documentary about the show called Knowing, Knowing Me, Knowing You. It provided a behind-the-scenes look at how the show was put together and the antagonism between Alan and those who worked for him, as well as giving insight into the problems with his marriage to Carol.

[edit] The Day Today

On The Hour transferred to television as The Day Today in 1994, where Alan continued as the inept sports reporter ("This is Sports Desk... I'm Alan Partridge"). Here he bungled his way through a feature on the 1994 FIFA World Cup, gave a colourful report on the previous sporting season, made a complete mess of reporting the recent horse racing tournament, and was beaten up by a female martial-arts instructor.

[edit] Knowing Me, Knowing You

The transition to television was to be a success for Alan and was swiftly followed by a television version of Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge. The format was largely the same as the radio show, with the addition of a house band under the directorship of Glen Ponder (played by musical comedian Steve Brown). In the sixth episode, Alan accidentally shot dead one of his guests (Forbes McAllister) on air while examining one of Lord Byron's duelling pistols. He was cleared of any wrongdoing by an internal BBC investigation. The show featured an Alan Partridge tie and blazer badge set which, like the Alan Partridge face mask, was produced but never marketed - instead the famous "Tie and Blazer Badge Set" was included as part of a Boxed Set of videos released towards the end of the 1990s.

In reality, KMKYWAP was a huge success; in the fictional world of Alan Partridge, it suffered from terrible ratings. This was because of "poor scheduling" (The show was aired at the same time as the News at Ten^{[disambiguation needed ]}) and Alan's PA, Lynn, claimed that "the ratings started poorly and went downhill from there". In the end the show was taken off the air at the end of the first series.

In 1995, Alan hosted a Christmas special of KMKYWAP, humorously titled Knowing Me, Knowing Yule. One of his guests was the (fictional) director of programming at the BBC, Tony Hayers (later to become Alan's nemesis, played by David Schneider). Alan, with a characteristic lack of subtlety, was seen probing for a new series of KMKYWAP. However, the show was an unmitigated disaster for Alan, as his attempt at product placement was blatantly exposed, and the show climaxed with Alan punching both a man in a wheelchair and Tony Hayers (twice) with his hand inside a roast partridge. After punching Hayers for the first time, Partridge begged "please don't take my chat away from me", then after punching him a second time declared "I'll never work in broadcasting again". Mick Hucknall of Simply Red then played the show out. It was clearly the beginning of the end of his time at BBC television. He was "kept on the books", as it were, for a short while, but after a particularly harrowing meeting with Hayers at the BBC cafeteria (which involved assault by cheese) he was left in no doubt that his BBC TV career was over.

[edit] I'm Alan Partridge

Partridge next appeared in I'm Alan Partridge (1997), a look behind the scenes of his rapidly failing career. In this television series, he is seen having gained a slot on the fictional Radio Norwich. He continues to cause offence, this time mainly to his listeners. He also has a bad relationship with his colleague Dave Clifton (played by Phil Cornwell), Alan occasionally insults him while introducing him on his show (for example in ‘Alan Attraction’ Alan says "Here's a man who indeed won't be killing anyone with syphilis"). However Dave usually gets the better of Alan except in ‘Basic Alan’ where he tells Dave to "fuck off" after he torments him over a recent incident with a traffic cone, Dave is stunned by this and lays into Alan by claiming that "dead-air is a crime and that it is terrible that he has to fill it with swearing on his show". Alan's comeback refers to the correct time (7.01am) and that it is Dave's show and he is merely a guest whom Dave has failed to control, he then says "Read the smallprint on your cone-tract". By this stage in his life Alan had been kicked out by his wife and, after wandering around a John Menzies for five hours in a state of depressed homelessness, Alan had been forced to take up residence in the equally fictional Linton Travel Tavern, which he chose because it is "equidistant between London and Norwich". The first episode featured Alan meeting Tony Hayers, begging for a new series on the BBC. Hayers was not impressed, and Alan had to wrap up his production company Peartree Productions (a reference to the Christmas Carol "The Twelve Days of Christmas"), firing all its staff including Jill (whom he had feelings for and had one-night stand with; albeit unsuccessful). During his time at the Linton Travel Tavern, we discovered more about Alan's failed marriage, his children and his obsession with "Bangkok Chick Boys". In ‘Watership Alan’ he was crushed by a dead cow after insulting farmers on his show. And in ‘To Kill a Mocking Alan’ he was nearly kidnapped by his "number one fan", a crazed lunatic called Jed Maxwell.

In the final episode, Tony Hayers died after a fall from a roof, and one of Alan's old friends, Chris Feather, took over as head of programmes at the BBC. However, at the decisive moment when the new executive was about to sign a five-year contract, he keeled over and died, forcing Alan to forge the dead man's signature.

The programme itself is not presented as a documentary, but during the in-character commentary on the DVD release, Alan explains that it is in fact a "post-documentary"; all the events depicted in the series took place, but everyone in the show, apart from himself and his personal assistant Lynn Benfield (played by Felicity Montagu), were actors hired to portray them "after they had actually occurred".

Alan's next appearance was in a 1999 half-hour special filmed for Comic Relief in which Alan started to lose the plot, foreshadowing his mental breakdown in the second series of I'm Alan Partridge. A simulcast between BBC Two and Radio Norwich, Alan appears incoherent and incapable of keeping track of the format of his own show. A second Comic Relief appearance followed in 2001, showing him interviewing a boxing manager, played by Peter Kay. Eventually, this resulted in Alan taking on one of the boxers in the ring and being beaten by the boxer, the manager and his friend Michael.

Coogan was apparently reluctant to continue playing the character, but returned for a second series of I'm Alan Partridge in 2002.

In the second series Alan was temporarily living in a caravan while waiting for his new house to be built. Despite his five-year contract with the BBC, Alan claims to his old school teacher "Sweaty" Frank Raphael in ‘The Talented Mr. Alan’ that there was "bad blood" between them and they were "bitter bastards" plus every profession has its "shits", so they had to let him go.

Alan returned to radio, securing the "third best slot on Radio Norwich", presenting Norfolk Nights, a big leap from his former timeslot of 4am to 7am, when he presented Up With the Partridge. Alan also presents a military-based quiz show called Skirmish on the (fictional) cable station UK Conquest, and has a deal with Meteor Productions to make the Crash! Bang! Wallop!... What a Video/Scum on the Run series of car-crash videos.

In the period from his time at the Linton Travel Tavern to his residence in the temporary "static home", Alan suffered a mental breakdown and put on weight, or as he put it, was "clinically fed up" and "repellent to women for two years". This collapse culminated in Alan driving a Vauxhall Vectra to Dundee in his bare feet while gorging himself on Toblerone (in a similar incident, Alan recounts throwing all his tax receipts off a ferry). However, by 2002, his life was firmly back on track, save for the odd glitch. He even had a Ukrainian girlfriend called Sonja, who was 33 years old — 14 years younger than himself (a point Alan emphasises with the smug exclamation, "Cashback!"). This period in Alan's life is documented in his autobiography Bouncing Back, which Alan claims has been described as "lovely stuff" by entertainer Shakin' Stevens.

Memorable moments of this series include Alan dry-vomiting his way through a speech about fireplaces after impaling his foot on a spiked fence; mistakenly getting involved with swingers; attacking a six-foot stuffed Beefeater bear; his summing up the entire opening of The Spy Who Loved Me in less than a minute during a failed attempt at a 24-hour Bondathon; Lynn's baptism at her Baptist church and, of course, the sad pulping of his autobiography which, despite taking up four weeks of his life to write, simply wasn't selling well (partly because every anecdote ended with the phrase "Needless to say, I had the last laugh".) Unfortunately, Alan tells us, it seems the public was more concerned with buying gangster autobiographies like Bad Slags.

The second series saw a move away from the drier and more realistic style of the first, a move that was at odds with more recent sitcoms, most notably The Office. This led to it being less well received than the first. Surprisingly, producer and co-writer of the series, Armando Iannucci states in the commentary to his own DVD of The Armando Iannucci Shows, that he had recently re-watched the second series of I'm Alan Partridge, and describes it as "terrible". On the DVD commentary of the second series of I'm Alan Partridge, Steve Coogan appears surprised at the over-the-top style he used to play Alan in the 2002 series, calling it "big acting".

Steve Coogan's profile on the BBC Comedy website talks of another series featuring Alan Partridge, entitled I'm Still Alan Partridge.^[2] However this was in fact the provisional title for I'm Alan Partridge series 2.

[edit] Anglian Lives

In 2003, Alan again returned to our screen in a half-hour special of Anglian Lives (also known as "Anglian Alan"), a fictional regional BBC show. This was presented by Ray Woollard (Peter Baynham, who had appeared previously in 'I'm Alan Partridge' as the voice box using executive from the boat holiday company in 'Watership Alan') and "Digital Dave", and was basically a sycophantic look at Alan's career, past and present; the credits listed it as being executively produced by Alan himself. It shed more detail on Alan's hatred of London, his Toblerone addiction, and his future.

[edit] Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge and Other Less Successful Characters: Live

In October 2008 Alan returned as part of the tour "Steve Coogan is Alan Partridge and other less successful characters". Alan is now a life coach and claims to have helped such celebrities as Ross Kemp, Vinnie Jones, Jeremy Kyle, and the Cheeky Girls. Also, in a recent interview, Coogan confirmed that Partridge would return at some stage, for either a film or a Television special.^[3]

Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge[link]

In August 2010, it was reported that Alan Partridge would make a comeback series online for lager giant Fosters.^[4] On 8 October 2010, it was announced that the new show, entitled Alan Partridge's Mid Morning Matters, would premiere on 5 November 2010 on Foster's comedy site, http://www.fostersfunny.co.uk . In a press release, Steve Coogan announced, in character:

"I am delighted to announce that after years as a regional broadcaster on North Norfolk Digital my groundbreaking radio segment, Mid Morning Matters, will now be accessible to a potential audience of billions via the World Wide Web (www).

That it has taken Foster’s to help realise my dream of joining the information superhighway is a damning indictment of the established broadcasters whose shabby treatment of me on Sept 10th 2001 was frankly shabby. I made dozens of calls the next day, all of which were ignored.

My appreciation must go to Armando Iannucci and Baby Cow for ignoring the lies, God bless them. In the meantime I look forward to “hanging out ‘n’ chillin” with the MySpace generation."^[5]

After the six episodes aired online, in December 2010, Armando Iannucci confirmed on Twitter that "there will be 6 more Alan Partridge Mid Morning Matters starting in February." This series started on February 4, 2011, as episode 7, and ran every Friday until episode 12 on March 11, 2011.

In Mid Morning Matters Alan again works as a disc jockey, this time on the fictional station 'North Norfolk Digital'. He is occasionally joined by 'Side-kick Simon', played by Tim Key, who after Episode 10 is fired due to Alan's gradual dislike towards him. Alan is noticeably annoyed when he discovers that Simon had started guesting as a side-kick on another radio show (a late night comedy show). Much of the comedy surrounding Simon was his failure to grasp political correctness on sensitive issues which Alan would have to cover for when Simon slipped. After his departure Alan recruits a new side-kick, 'Zoe' and quickly develops a crush on her. In the twelfth and final episode of Mid Morning Matters, Zoe reveals she is going travelling for three months much to Alan's disappointment. The episode ends with a shot through the window into the recording booth as Zoe hugs Alan and gives him a kiss on the cheek; there is no sound and it is unknown what Alan has said to warrant this reaction. This is a rare low key ending to an Alan Partridge series with the high point culminating in Episode 10 when Alan scolds Side-kick Simon following a practical joke on Alan.

In Episode 3, released on 18 November 2010, Alan invites listeners to vote for "simply the best of Norfolk" (who is the best person Norfolk has produced?) in which he makes reference to Bernard Matthews ("he is tantalisingly close to producing the ten-pence turkey, now there's a thought..."). Matthews died a week later on 25 November 2010.

Following the series, Alan appeared again as part of the Red Nose Day 2011 set for a one-off show akin to the Mid Morning Matters arrangement, and here Side-kick Simon reappears in his former capacity. Here, Alan interviews a nun over whom he sneezes blood by mistake. The series was written by Steve Coogan, Rob Gibbons, Neil Gibbons and Armando Iannucci.

On 4 October 2011 co-writer Neil Gibbons announced on his Twitter feed that a second series of Mid Morning Matters was in development.^[6] On 10 November 2011 it was reported that the rights to the current and future series of Mid Morning Matters were to be acquired by Sky to be shown on subscriber-only channel Sky Atlantic.^[7]

[edit] I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan

On 22 July 2011, Armando Iannucci announced on his Twitter feed that "Alan Partridge [had] delivered his autobiography to the publishers".^[8] The book was published in the UK by HarperCollins on 29 September 2011, and is entitled I, Partridge: We Need to Talk About Alan. It is available in hardcover and paperback, as well as in CD and downloadable audio and ePub formats, and is also set to be published in Australia on 1 November 2011 and in Canada on 1 December 2011.^[9] Alan Partridge promoted his autobiography on ITV's The Jonathan Ross Show show on 1 October 2011.^[10] It was met with positive reviews and was a commercial success, compared to his fictional last book 'Bouncing Back' which was panned by critics and didn't sell well.^[11][12][13]

The Alan Partridge Movie[link]

In August 2004 a small piece appeared in the Metro newspaper which claimed that: "Steve Coogan got the green light from a US studio to play the spoof DJ on the big screen." Coogan reportedly said: "It's always been my plan to make Alan go global. It's what he lives for really, not just doing the show on Radio Norwich." Other sources confirm the film will be going ahead and ITV has reported that Victoria Beckham will be playing a "demanding diva" in the film. Coogan has since denied that Beckham will appear.

In April 2005, Coogan's production firm Baby Cow announced that an Alan Partridge movie was in the pipeline.^[14][15] It was later revealed the film would involve an al-Qaeda siege. Due to the sensitivities of such a storyline after the 7 July 2005 London bombings, the project was put on hold,^[16] but in November 2007, further details of the film were released.^[17]

The plot of the film involved Alan Partridge attempting another comeback from local radio, only to have his ambitions thwarted when Middle Eastern terrorists hijack the BBC offices. Coogan had written some dialogue, but has said he is not sure whether he wants to revisit his most famous creation. "Part of me wants to do it, and other things," he said in an interview.^[18] Playwright Patrick Marber, whose early collaborations with Coogan included The Day Today and being the principal writer of both radio and TV versions of Knowing Me, Knowing You... with Alan Partridge, has also been working on the script, but the pair put their plans on hold following the London bombings, for fear the screenplay would appear in bad taste. Actress Felicity Montagu, who plays Partridge's PA Lynne, said last year^[when?]: "There was a lot of talk about it, but then the London bombings happened and it got put to one side. I'm sure Steve will write an Alan Partridge film eventually. But for the moment I don't think it's happening."^{[citation needed]}

In 2005, Armando Iannucci, who helped Coogan create Partridge, said he did not want to be involved in any movie spin-off, saying: "Steve wants to do an Alan Partridge film, but I couldn't bear to go through that again. For me, the idea of spending two more years in a room with that voice is more than I can take". However, in more recent interviews, Iannucci has been more positive about the idea and it is expected that both he and Peter Baynham will be involved in writing the film.

Armando Iannucci revealed in late March 2010 that Alan won’t be travelling to the USA as the rumours have suggested though: “At the moment we’re just deciding whether we should (make an Alan Partridge movie) and the ideas we’ve come up with are very much Alan in the UK and his ideas of what he could be. We don’t see Alan, for example getting Simon Cowell’s spot on American Idol and going over there. That’s too good for Alan. Alan’s future is always brighter in his head than it is in the real world. I think Alan harbours this distortion that, with reality TV bringing back your Keith Chegwins and your Tony Blackburns and so on that his time will come, but it hasn’t come, he hasn’t had that call.” ^[19]

Armando Iannucci confirmed in July 2010 that a film is definitely in the works and that Steve and himself have "now agreed a story for the film. It's NOT Alan goes to America." ^[20]

In November 2011 Peter Baynham said that the movie is happening next year.^[21]

The movie's screenplay is currently being written by Steve Coogan, Armando Iannucci, Rob Gibbons and Neil Gibbons - plus Peter Baynham - with the storyline completed in January 2012. ^[22]

In spring 2012, Armando Iannucci stated that the as-yet-untitled film would be shooting later in the year, released in 2013, and would be directed by Declan Lowney.^[23]

Other activity[link]

In 2004 Coogan also gave an interview with Now magazine, and when asked "Is it true that you're killing off Alan Partridge?", Coogan replied: "No, not at all. What's he up to at the moment? Well, I'd say he's being cryogenically preserved next to Walt Disney. Don't worry. When the day comes that I feel like I need to do something else with him, I'll defrost him and make him funny again."

In November 2008, Coogan stated that he has some ideas for what to do with Partridge next on TV and that he's glad to be well known for playing him, despite it over-shadowing most of his other ventures. "As a character he's given me the opportunity to play lots of other characters and to have other opportunities in film and television. So I can't resent him really. And I enjoy playing him, performing him because it's very comfortable. It's like putting on an old jacket".^[24]

List of appearances[link]

• On the Hour (BBC Radio 4, series) 1991
• On the Hour (BBC Radio 4, series) 1992
• Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge (BBC Radio 4, series) 1992
• Knowing, Knowing Me, Knowing You (BBC Radio 4, spoof documentary) 1992
• The Day Today (BBC Two, spoof news series) 1994
• Knowing Me Knowing You with Alan Partridge (BBC Two) 1994
• A Christmas Ramble (BBC Two, spoof documentary) 1994
• Comic Relief (BBC One, with John Thomson) 1995
• Knowing Me Knowing Yule with Alan Partridge (BBC Two, Christmas special) 1995
• The Big Snog (Live show in support of gay rights) 1996
• I'm Alan Partridge (BBC Two, series) 1997
• Clive Anderson: All Talk (BBC One, spoof interview) 1997
• Election Night Armistice (BBC Two, political satire show) 1997
• Brit Awards (ITV, presenting award for Best Video to the 'not unattractive' All Saints) 1998
• Steve Coogan Live: The Man Who Thinks He's It (Live show) 1998
• Stephen Fry's "Live from the Lighthouse" (Channel 4, spoof interview with Simon Pegg as an AIDS charity worker and Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher) 1998
• Comic Relief (BBC Two, half-hour special featuring Bryan Ferry; Partridge sings a Kate Bush medley) 1999
• Comedy Awards (performing a duet with Elton John) 2000
• Comic Relief (BBC One, featuring Peter Kay) 2001
• I'm Alan Partridge (BBC Two, series) 2002
• Anglian Lives (BBC Two, spoof career retrospective - also featuring Peter Baynham) 2003
• Cream of British Comedy (Live Show, as well as the live show a DVD was released includes Radio Norwich extras such as Alan meets Roger Daltrey) 2005
• Comic Relief (BBC One, monologue; KMKY-style (fictional) interview featuring Simon Pegg as the Milky Bar Kid) 2005
• Steve Coogan as Alan Partridge and Other Less Successful Characters: Live (Live tour, Alan was a featured character in Coogan's 2008 live tour, where he has become a life coach) 2008
• Mid Morning Matters with Alan Partridge (Foster's Funny/Sky Atlantic, New Alan Partridge web/TV series) 2010-present
• Comic Relief Mid Morning Matters (BBC One, Comic Relief Special of Mid Morning Matters) 2011
• The Jonathan Ross Show (ITV1, Spoof Interview with Jonathan Ross promoting his autobiography) 2011
• The Richard Bacon Show (BBC Radio 5Live, Spoof Interview with Richard Bacon promoting his autobiography) 2011
• Under 1 Roof (Charity show appearance) 2011

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Alan Partridge

• Alan Partridge at BBC Online
• British Sitcom Guide

Zlatan Ibrahimović

Ibrahimović while playing for Milan in 2010.
Personal information
Full name	Zlatan Ibrahimović
Date of birth	(1981-10-03) 3 October 1981 (age 30)
Place of birth	Malmö, Sweden
Height	1.95 m (6 ft 5 in)[1]
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current club	Milan
Number	11
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999–2001	Malmö FF	40	(16)
2001–2004	Ajax	74	(35)
2004–2006	Juventus	70	(23)
2006–2009	Internazionale	88	(57)
2009–2011	Barcelona	29	(16)
2010–2011	→ Milan (loan)	29	(14)
2011–	Milan	32	(28)
National team‡
2001	Sweden U21	7	(6)
2001–	Sweden	76	(30)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 13 May 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 30 May 2012

Zlatan Ibrahimović (Bosnian pronunciation: [ˈzlatan ibraˈxiːmɔʋitɕ]; born 3 October 1981) is a Swedish professional footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Milan and the Swedish national team for which he is captain.

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 Trezeguet. In 2006, he signed with league rival Internazionale, where he won individual awards such as the Italian Oscar del Calcio and the Swedish 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 for €69 million, the second highest transfer fee in football history. His time at Barcelona was short lived however; moving back to Serie A football with Milan the following season, in a deal which made him one of the highest paid footballers in the world^[2] and cost the Italian club a confirmed €24 million.

Early life[link]

Ibrahimović was born in Sweden to a Bosnian father who emigrated to Sweden in 1977, Šefik Ibrahimović, and a Croatian mother, Jurka Gravić,^[3] who also 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.^[4][5] 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.^[5] At the age of 15, Ibrahimović was close to quitting his football career, in favour of working at the docks in Malmö, but his manager convinced him to continue playing.^[6] 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[link]

Malmö FF[link]

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.^[7] 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 80 million Swedish kronor.^[8]

Ajax[link]

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 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.^[9] 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.^[10] In May 2012, van der Vaart reignited the bitter feud between both players when he was filmed practicing his golf swing on Ibrahimović's face.^[11]

Juventus[link]

Ibrahimović moved from Ajax to Juventus for €16 million.^[12] 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.^[9] On 14 November 2005, he was awarded the Guldbollen, a prize awarded to the best Swedish footballer of the year.^[13]

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.^[14]

Internazionale[link]

Ibrahimović and Mario Balotelli against Palermo in 2009.

On 10 August 2006, Ibrahimović completed a €24.8 million move to Internazionale, signing a four-year-deal,^[15] this coming only a few days after Patrick Vieira had completed his transfer.^[16] Zlatan revealed that he had supported Internazionale when he was young.^[17] 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.^[18] He was estimated as the top of footballer wages.^[19] 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.^[20]

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.^[21] 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[link]

Zlatan Ibrahimović and his former teammate Xavi.

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.^[22] 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.^[23] 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.^[24] After Internazionale agreed terms with Eto'o^[25] and Barcelona with Ibrahimović,^[26] Barcelona announced Ibrahimović would arrive on 26 July 2009 and undergo a medical test on 27 July 2009.^[27] Ibrahimović passed his medical and was presented to a crowd of over 60,000 at Camp Nou.^[28] He signed a 5-year contract,^[29] for €46 million (US$65 million)^[29] and the exchange of Eto'o (valued at €20 million) and loan of Alexander Hleb (with an option to buy for a €10 million fee),^[29] with a €250 million release clause,^[29] making Ibrahimović worth €66 million ($94 million). However, as the Hleb deal collapsed, eventually Ibrahimović cost Barcelona €69.884 million (including other fees).^[30] Inter received €69.5 million,^[31][32] and part of the Inter fee (about 0.45%) was redistributed to youth clubs as solidarity contribution (except Juventus.^[33])

Ibrahimović spent one season at Barcelona.

Ibrahimović started the 2009–10 season with his competitive debut for Barcelona on 23 August 2009 by assisting on a goal by Lionel Messi, leading them to the Spanish Super Cup. In his next competitive match, Barcelona won the 2009 UEFA Super Cup.^[34] 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.^[35]

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.^[36] 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.^[37] 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 2009 FIFA Club World Cup against Estudiantes on 19 December 2009.

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.^[38] His first goal of 2010 came on 14 February against Atlético 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 Almería, which Barcelona appealed to no avail, and he was suspended for one game.^[39] 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),^[40] 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^{[citation needed]} 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 Josep Guardiola had started deteriorating and that Guardiola had not spoken to him since March.^[41]

Milan[link]

Ibrahimović playing for Milan.

On 28 August 2010, Milan announced on their official website that they had acquired the services of Ibrahimović for the 2010–11 season. He was 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.^[42][43] 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,^[44] 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 against his former club Internazionale 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 Milan legend Marco van Basten by both the media and van Basten himself.^[45]

He received a three-match ban after getting a red card during a Serie A match against Bari for punching an opponent in the stomach. He also received another 3 match ban on his return from the previous one for supposedly cursing at the referee. Ibrahimovic stated in his defense that he was talking to himself in frustration. He won his first Scudetto with Milan after a stalemate against Roma. He is therefore currently on a streak of eight straight league wins in three different countries and with five different clubs, including the later stripped wins with Juventus. All agreements between Milan and Barcelona were confirmed on 18 June 2011.^[46]

In the first official match of the 2011–12 season, Zlatan opened it in the best possible way scoring the first goal of a Milan comeback to beat city rivals Internazionale in the Italian Super Cup. He also scored Milan's first goal of their 2011–12 Serie A season in a 2–2 draw against Lazio. He scored his third goal in the first three games in Milan's Champions League game against Czech club Viktoria Plzeň from the penalty spot and assisted the second goal. Ibrahimović justified his tag of the carrier of Milan by scoring in many games, yet still providing many assists. He scored in the next UEFA Champions League game against BATE Borisov, a goal in Milan's 4–1 win over Parma and two more in their 2–3 win over A.S. Roma, ending a successful month of October. November was equally impressive for the Swede, scoring in consecutive games against BATE, in the UEFA Champions League, and Catania, in the league. In the highly anticipated encounter between Milan and Barcelona, Ibrahimović scored against his old club to equalise the game at 1–1 but eventually Barca ran away 3–2 winner at the San Siro. He ended November with a brace against Chievo, his first goal took his tally of goals in the Italian Serie A to 100, and the second from the penalty spot. Ibrahimovic continued his impressive form in December, and scored a goal in each of 5 Serie A games. 2012 started on high note for Zlatan, as he scored against Atalanta converting a penalty kick. He is currently top scorer of Italian Serie A, with 14 goals in 16 appearance, after the brace against Novara, of which second goal, came after cheeky backheel. On 5 January 2012 in a match against Napoli on continuation of Serie A, Ibra awarded a red card for slapping Salvatore Aronica in an off-the-ball incident and will rule out of Milan's next three games.^[47] On 15 February, edition of 2011-12 UEFA Champions League, Zlatan set up all two Robinho's goals and also scored by a spot kick thus helped Milan win 4–0 over Arsenal.^[48] On 3 March he scored a hat-trick in a 4–0 away win against Palermo at the Stadio Renzo Barbera. The first two goals were assisted by Robinho and the third by Emanuelson. In the next three games, he scored four goals, two against Roma, which took his tally to 22 goals in 23 games. With two goals against Siena, Zlatan surpassed his previous domestic goal record of 25 goals. He finished the season with 28 goals in 32 matches.

International career[link]

Ibrahimović playing for Sweden.

Even though Ibrahimović was eligible to play for Bosnia and Herzegovina and Croatia, he chose to play for Sweden, his country of birth.^[49]

Ibrahimović made his debut in a 0–0 friendly draw against the Faroe Islands at Tipshallen on 31 January 2001 during the 2000–01 Nordic Football Championship.^[50][51] On 7 October 2001, he made first competitive match in a 2002 World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, scoring a goal in a 3–0 win. Ibrahimović was part of Sweden's 2002 FIFA World Cup finals squad who were eliminated in the round of 16 by newcomers Senegal.^[52] He made two substitute appearances, in the 88th minute of the final group game against Argentina and the 76th minute of the match against Senegal.

Ibrahimović was in the starting lineup for all of Sweden's Euro 2004 matches. He scored a penalty in a 5–0 win against Bulgaria and rounded off a fine performance against Italy by scoring a late equaliser. However, he missed a penalty as Sweden were sent home following a shootout loss to the Netherlands.

During 2006 World Cup qualification, Ibrahimovic scored four goals in a 7–0 victory away to Malta on 4 September 2004. He did not score during the 2006 World Cup finals as Sweden were knocked out in the round of 16, this time by Germany.^[53]

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 manager 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 refused to partake in a friendly against Egypt on 7 February 2007, but ended his self-imposed boycott a month later,^[54] and returned for Sweden's loss to Northern Ireland on 28 March. He did not score in any of the 12 qualifying matches. Ibrahimović was awarded the 2007 Swedish Golden Ball as the "Country's Top Player of the Year."^[55]

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.^[56][57] He finished the tournament with two goals as Sweden were eliminated in the group stage by Russia.^[58]

Ibrahimović scored a goal in a 4–0 win against Malta on 10 June 2009 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.^[59] 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.^[60]

Ahead of the Euro 2012 qualifications, Ibrahimović was named team captain on his return to the national team. He scored his first goals of the qualifying game against San Marino where he scored the first and fifth goals in a 6–0 win in front of over 21,000 home fans despite being down to 10 men for over an hour. His next goals came in the form of a hat-trick against Finland whom they beat 5–0.

Personal life[link]

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.^[61] Ibrahimović is fluent in Swedish, Bosnian, English, and Italian.^{[citation needed]} He is of Bosnian and Croatian descent.^[3] Ibrahimović has stated that he is a Catholic Christian.^[62][63][64]

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.^[65] He is under contract with Nike and features in their television advertising. He wears the Nike 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 Zlatan Court in the streets of the city district Rosengård in his hometown Malmö: he provided a playing mat, goalposts, lighting, and a modern fence.^[66] In 2008, he donated new Nike kits to his youth club, FBK Balkan.^[67]

Career statistics[link]

As of 13 May 2012.^[68]

¹ Includes the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Cup / Europa League matches.

² Includes the Johan Cruijff Shield, Supercoppa Italiana, Supercopa de España, UEFA Super Cup and FIFA Club World Cup matches.

^[69]

International goals[link]

Scores and results list Sweden's goal tally first.

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	7 October 2001	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Azerbaijan	3–0	3–0	2002 World Cup qualifier
2.	21 August 2002	Lokomotiv Stadium, Moscow	Russia	1–1	1–1	Friendly
3.	12 October 2002	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Hungary	1–1	1–1	Euro 2004 qualifier
4.	30 April 2003	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Croatia	1–1	1–2	Friendly
5.	6 September 2003	Ullevi, Gothenburg	San Marino	3–0	5–0	Euro 2004 qualifier
6.				5–0
7.	31 March 2004	Ullevi, Gothenburg	England	1–0	1–0	Friendly
8.	14 June 2004	Estádio José Alvalade, Lisbon	Bulgaria	4–0	5–0	Euro 2004
9.	18 June 2004	Estádio do Dragão, Porto	Italy	1–1	1–1	Euro 2004
10.	18 August 2004	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Netherlands	2–2	2–2	Friendly
11.	4 September 2004	Ta' Qali National Stadium, Ta' Qali	Malta	1–0	7–0	2006 World Cup qualifier
12.				2–0
13.				3–0
14.				5–0
15.	4 June 2005	Ullevi, Gothenburg	Malta	4–0	6–0	2006 World Cup qualifier
16.	3 September 2005	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Bulgaria	3–0	3–0	2006 World Cup qualifier
17.	7 September 2005	Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest	Hungary	1–0	1–0	2006 World Cup qualifier
18.	12 October 2005	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Iceland	1–1	3–1	2006 World Cup qualifier
19.	10 June 2008	Wals Siezenheim Stadium, Salzburg	Greece	1–0	2–0	Euro 2008
20.	14 June 2008	Tivoli-Neu, Innsbruck	Spain	1–1	1–2	Euro 2008
21.	10 June 2009	Ullevi, Gothenburg	Malta	3–0	4–0	2010 World Cup qualifier
22.	5 September 2009	Ferenc Puskás Stadium, Budapest	Hungary	2–1	2–1	2010 World Cup qualifier
23.	11 August 2010	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Scotland	1–0	3–0	Friendly
24.	7 September 2010	Swedbank Stadion, Malmö	San Marino	1–0	6–0	Euro 2012 qualifier
25.				5–0
26.	7 June 2011	Råsunda Stadium, Solna	Finland	2–0	5–0	Euro 2012 qualifier
27.				3–0
28.				4–0
29.	29 February 2012	Maksimir Stadion, Zagreb	Croatia	1–0	3-1	Friendly
30.	30 May 2012	Gamla Ullevi, Göteborg	Iceland	1-0	3-2	Friendly

Awards and honours[link]

Ajax

• Eredivisie (2): 2001–02, 2003–04
• KNVB Cup (1): 2001–02
• Johan Cruijff Shield (1): 2002

Zlatan Ibrahimović while signing some autographs

Juventus

• Serie A (2): 2004–05, 2005–06 (both revoked due to the Calciopoli scandal)

Internazionale

• Serie A (3): 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
• Supercoppa Italiana (2): 2006, 2008

Barcelona

• La Liga (1): 2009–10
• Supercopa de España (2): 2009, 2010
• UEFA Super Cup (1): 2009
• FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2009

AC Milan

• Serie A (1): 2010–11
• Supercoppa Italiana (1): 2011

Individual

• Serie A Top Scorer (2): 2009, 2012
• Serie A Foreign Footballer of the Year (4): 2005, 2008, 2009, 2011
• Serie A Footballer of the Year (3): 2008, 2009, 2011
• Guldbollen (6): 2005, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011
• UEFA Team of the Year (2): 2007, 2009
• Swedish Male Athlete of the Year (2): 2007, 2010
• Jerringpriset (1): 2007

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikiquote has a collection of quotations related to: Zlatan Ibrahimović

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Zlatan Ibrahimović

• Zlatan Ibrahimović statistics – ESPNsoccernet
• Zlatan Ibrahimović at Nike.com
• Zlatan Ibrahimović – UEFA.com